Powell attended the signing of the security agreement reached by the two sides on 24 September as part of the continuing peace talks. The security agreement stipulates that within two years of the signing of a full and lasting peace agreement, 80 per cent of government forces stationed in southern Sudan will be re-deployed to the north. This will leave about 10,000 government troops in the south. The SPLA will be allowed to keep 80 per cent of its troops in the area in the six years after self-rule is introduced (MEED 16:10:03).