South Sudan and Sudan have agreed to fully specify joint borders and contested areas between the two countries.

A Joint Technical Committee for Border Demarcation between Sudan and South Sudan signed an agreement on the full delimitation of the joint border on Tuesday in Khartoum.

According to Sudan News Agency, the agreement provides for full detailed delimitation of the coordinates in the areas agreed upon sectors on the borderline.

The committee developed an Atlas on the maps, provided reference documents which specify known and unexplored borderlines.

In 2012, South Sudan briefly went to war with Sudan over the border, and oil in the contested areas of Panthou/Heglig and Abyei region.

Several contested areas between the two countries reportedly produce oil and are thought to hold deposits of copper and uranium.

The claimed and disputed areas include; Abyei, Mile-14 or Kiir Adim, Joudat Al-Fakhar, Jebel al-Migainais, Kaka, and Kafia Kingi.

In September 2012, the two sides signed a cooperation agreement which included; free movement of persons, withdraw their armies 10 km (6 miles) from the border and ended an 11-month shutdown of South Sudan’s oil transport through Port Sudan.

In December 2017, the two countries developed a detailed report on the precise coordinates of all border points.

This week’s agreement was signed by Ambassador Darios Garang Wol signed on behalf of South Sudan, and Major General Al-Amin Mohamed on behalf of the government of Sudan.

The new Technical Border Committee is expected to complete its work by including the disputed areas alongside the claimed zones between the two countries.

It is expected to submit its report next month to the Joint Border Commission for ratification.

The signing of the agreement was reportedly witnessed and supported by the African Union Border Program.