Sudanese officials move to diffuse White Nile tension

Spokesman of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Colonel Alsoarmi Khaled Saad disclosed on Friday that talks between Sudan, and South Sudan military officials had successfully contained tension in state of White Nile. Alsoarmi held a meeting with chief of intelligence in Sudan Gen. Sadek Amer Ali Hassan, and his counterpart in South Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) Gen. Mag Paul on Friday. He explained that discussions centred on ending the border disputes that affected the stability of the region. Tension erupted in the White Nile area of Joda Dabatal-Fakhar earlier this week when some 100 South Sudanese soldiers reportedly entered the area on the joint border. "As the result of the talks and contacts, an important meeting was held in Joda Dabatal-Fakhar area in White Nile state... The two sides reached a solution to end the tension," the spokesman added. Alsoarmi added that the joint security teams had managed to perform their tasks through the logistic support of the two countries' armies, noting that such field teams would continue to patrol the border points to ensure stability. He claimed that the agreement enabled the joint security teams to continue their task of implementing decisions made in the third meeting, which was held in Khartoum in July. White Nile state is among the five areas being disputed by the two countries and seen as home to rich agricultural areas