Sudan and S Sudan leaders meet to talk border and oil

The leaders of Sudan and South Sudan meet to discuss ways to improve border security and resume cross-border oil flows. 

The summit between Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and his southern counterpart Salva Kiir in the Ethiopian capital is hosted by the African Union. 

Faced with heavy pressure from the UN and the African Union (AU), Sudan and South Sudan signed a landmark deal during their September talks, which included a decision to set up a demilitarized zone. 

The two neighbors also agreed to resume oil exports from the landlocked South through Sudan. In order to implement the agreement, however, both sides still need to move back their army 10 kilometers from the border. 

"We are ready for good neighbourly relations and co-operation and we want to implement all agreements signed in Addis Ababa," said President Bashir in early January. 

South Sudan became independent in 2011, following a bloody civil war, in which more than 1.5 million people lost their lives. The disputes with Sudan over territory and oil have, however, remained unresolved, threatening the security and economy of both neighbors.