(AFP)
Sudan will be the first to lead a joint Chadian-Sudanese border force, delegations told AFP on Friday following talks in Khartoum. "The two parties have agreed that for the first six months, the Sudanese side will lead the joint force," according to a document signed by Chadian secretary of state for defence Mahamat Beshir Okoromi and General Mohammed Atta al-Moula, Sudan's head of intelligence.
"The general staff of the joint force, which will be led by a Sudanese and deputised by a Chadian for the first six months, will have its headquarters in El-Geneina," capital of West Darfur, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the Chad border, a Chadian official told AFP.
"On February 18, the commanders of the joint force of the two countries will meet in El-Geneina" to "get acquainted with observation posts and determine the practicalities of the deployment of the force until February 25," the document said.
An agreement was signed last month to normalise relations between both countries.
Under the deal, a joint force will be deployed on their border, which effectively means that Chad would have to stop supporting Darfur rebels and Sudan would cease backing Chadian rebels.
A meeting is scheduled between legal teams from both countries on February 8 in Ndjamena to carve out the joint force's rules of engagement.
"We have already prepared our troops and our equipment. We have named our officials and are waiting for word of deployment from the top," a Sudanese diplomat told AFP.
The force should be made up of 3,000 men, with Sudan and Chad each providing 1,500, the diplomat said.
According to verbal agreements at the talks, "in case of need the joint border force can solicit the intervention of troops and security forces of the country where it is deployed."
"We have decided to finish with the so-called Sudan-Chad conflict," said Okoromi, adding that "upon our return, we will put everything in place to implement the agreement."
Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno said last week that he will travel to Khartoum on Monday for talks with President Omar al-Beshir.
A large Chadian delegation arrived in the Sudanese capital on Friday to prepare for Deby's arrival, an AFP reporter said