Sudan and South Sudan have announced they will withdraw troops from the Safe Demilitarised Border Zone (SDBZ) on Sunday. Sudanese Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein made the announcement following a visit to the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Both countries have resolved to withdraw military presence in the SDBZ as part of a signed agreement which has reportedly paved the way for disengagement between South Sudan and anti-Khartoum armed groups such as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N). State representatives from both countries will meet again on March 17 to finalise new security arrangements, Hussein said. The news represented a “breakthrough,” he claimed. “This opens the door for more agreements between Sudan and South Sudan.” The 10-kilometre SDBZ strip covers the 2,000-kilometre border between the two countries.