The leaders of Sudan and South Sudan have resumed talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to resolve prolonged border disputes.

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir held talks on Sunday under international pressure to end disagreements.

The spokesmen of the two negotiating sides declared progress in the talks, and the South Sudanese president hoped for a “celebration” after the meetings.

"There are still differences, but the teams are working to narrow the gap," said spokesman for South Sudan's delegation to the African Union-mediated talks, Atif Kiir. "We are still hopeful of a deal," he added.

The two states have been contesting over the ownership of regions along their border, particularly the flashpoint oil-rich Abyei region, as well as setting up of a demilitarized border zone.


The UN Security Council has called for a quick demilitarization of the border zones, with the UN Chief Ban Ki-moon urging both leaders to put an end to their disputes "so that their summit concludes with a success that marks an end to the era of conflict."

Sudan accuses South Sudan, which seceded from the North in July 2011, of supporting anti-government rebels operating in the Darfur region and the states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

Following its independence, the land-locked South took the control of two-thirds of the region's oil, but processing and export facilities remained in Sudan. Juba shut off oil production in January, accusing Khartoum of stealing its oil.

The new oil-rich South is one of the least developed countries in the world, with one in every seven children dying before the age of five.

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