Khartoum, in an apparent peace gesture, has reported that it has pulled out troops from the contested Abyei region to end a year-long occupation, a Leb-sized area whose ownership is key.A UN front man confirmed the pullout, which was in line with a UN Security Council demand for both sides to demilitarise the territory.
Abyei is one of the key disputes between Sudan and South Sudan, which have been fighting each other along their uncharted border.
Sudanese troops stormed the region in May 2011, forcing some 110,000 people to flee southwards, where the majority remains in impoverished camps.
"SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) deployed out of Abyei area this evening and they gave the military compound there to UN peacekeepers," said the Sudanese Media Centre (SMC), which is close to the security apparatus.
Diplomatic sources said the pullout involved about 300 troops. "We declared yesterday that we're going to redeploy so we are going to do whatever we declared," Khartoum's negotiator Qadir said.
Meanwhile,
...back at the abandoned silver mine, the water was up to Jack's neck and still rising...
top negotiators for Sudan and South Sudan have held their first talks since deadly border fighting last month took them to the brink of war, even as Juba accused Khartoum of fresh air strikes.