Sudan: Sudanese president agrees to withdraw Sudan Army Forces (SAF) from Abyei in South Sudan
The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir has reportedly agreed to withdraw his forces from the contested region of Abyei during a summit in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
“President Bashir has agreed to pull his troops out before July 9 with Ethiopia sending two battalions as peacekeepers. They will be deployed under the U.N. flag,” one diplomat told Reuters.
A second diplomat confirmed Bashir had agreed to the troop withdrawal and the deployment of Ethiopian peacekeepers.
The report if confirmed would mark a breakthrough despite earlier statements by the Sudanese leader and other officials vowing to never withdraw from Abyei.