JUBA: Sudanese President Omar Bashir arrived in South Sudan yesterday for the first time since Africa’s once-largest country split in 2011, raising cautious hopes the two adversaries may be edging toward establishing peaceful coexistence.

The neighbors agreed in March to resume cross-border oil flows and take steps to defuse the tension that has plagued them since South Sudan’s independence in July 2011 following a treaty which ended decades of civil war.

But they still have not agreed who owns Abyei and other regions along their disputed 2,000-km border. Bashir had planned to visit Juba a year ago but canceled when fighting erupted along their border and almost flared into full-scale war.

Bashir landed at Juba airport with a 65-strong delegation and was met by South Sudan’s Salva Kiir.

Police lined the main streets, which had been closed and were festooned with the flags of both countries, as the leaders drove to the presidential office.

Bashir and Kiir will discuss with the oil and security deals, border trade as well as remaining territorial conflicts. Many South Sudanese hope Bashir’s visit will end one of Africa’s longest conflicts. “We need to live in harmony. We need peace between Sudan and South Sudan,” said student Robert Mori.

Meanwhile, two people were killed and eight wounded as suspected rebels shelled the capital of Sudan’s war-torn South Kordofan state yesterday, residents said. The attack struck the east of Kadugli town at about 1:30 p.m. , they said.

“Two shells hit an open area and three struck houses which burned to the ground. Two people were killed and eight injured,” said one resident, who witnessed the attack across from his own home. Residents suspected the shells came from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, but the rebels’ spokesman said he didn’t have any information.

The shells crashed down as Bashir held talks with Kiir in a symbol of easing tensions, particularly over the South’s alleged support for SPLM-N rebels. “There was shelling for 45 minutes,” another resident said. “People got panicked.”

A third resident said he saw clouds of smoke rising after four explosions. He said the shelling came from the same direction which rebels admitted firing from in attacks last year.