The defense ministers of Sudan and South Sudan signed a technical document yesterday related to implementation timetable agreed last week.

The document includes a ‘terms of reference for the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM), co-chaired by ministers of defense Abdul Raheem Mohammed Hussen and John Kong Nyuon, as well as for the secretariat of that committee.

It also stipulates the formation of an additional ad hoc committee “mandated to deal with any concerns and complaints that may constitute a violation to the MoU on Non Aggression and Cooperation of 14 February 2012, as well as the Mutual Cooperation Agreement of 27 September 2012.”

Intelligence chiefs of the two countries are apparently meant to be involved in this new ad hoc committee.

Photo: Members of the JPSM Secretariat at a workshop in Addis Ababa, 16 March 2013 (AUHIP).