Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir reportedly arrived in South Sudan Friday for the first time since his 2011 visit for the country’s independence celebrations. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir reportedly arrived in South Sudan Friday for the first time since his 2011 visit for the country's independence celebrations.
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, Bashir's former civil war foe, welcomed his counterpart at Juba airport.

At talks in Addis Ababa in March, the two states finally agreed to timetables to improve relations by resuming oil flows and implementing eight other key pacts, including one establishing a demilitarized border buffer zone.

In the meantime, two people were killed and eight wounded as suspected rebels shelled the capital of Sudan's war-torn South Kordofan state on Friday, residents said.

The attack struck the east of the town at about 1:30 pm local time (10:30 GMT), 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.