President Salva Kiir and Ethiopia Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegn, have agreed to form a joint committee to strengthen cooperation on security, trade, and development along the borders.

In April 2016, over 200 people were killed and 125 children abducted by gunmen who reportedly crossed the border to Ethiopia’s Gambella region from South Sudan.

Officials said 180 of those people killed were Ethiopian nationals, while more than 60 were from the attackers.

It is unclear if the security agreement has to do with the fatal attacks.

But in a joint communiqué, the deal on common border security, aims to improve trade and development between the two countries.

The two heads of state agreed to expeditiously and with immediate effect construct roads linking Gambella to Paluoch through Pagak.

According to the communiqué, another road will connect Ethiopia’s Dima to Jonglei’s capital, Bor, via Raad and Boma in Buma state.

President Kiir and his Ethiopian counterpart also signed Memorandum of Understanding on several areas of cooperation.

These include health, energy, and on communication, information and the media.

They also agreed and signed protocols on other trade-related issues between the two countries.

The two leaders expressed readiness to work and cooperate to together to ensure the peace agreement is implemented in letter and spirit.