---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Sun, Nov 13, 2011 at 5:58 PM Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] South Sudan accuses Sudan of cross border attacks To: Group <[email protected]>
1. South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks November 13, 2011 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s army said on Saturday that at least five soldiers were killed on 10 November by southern “mercenaries” recruited to fight alongside north Sudan’s army to destabilise the young oil-producing country. South Sudan says 13 rebels were killed when Kuek military base in the north east of Upper Nile state was attacked at 9am on Friday. Following the attacks, aid and development organisation Oxfam have announced that they are pulling out of Upper Nile. Since South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July as part of a peace deal, both sides have repeatedly accused the other of arming rebels in each others territory. On Thursday the UN accused Sudan of bombing a refugee camp in South Sudan’s Unity state, raising fears among analysts of a return to war, for the first time since a the 2005 peace deal. South Sudan says 12 people died and 20 people were injured in the bombing but other reports indicate that there were no casualties. At least five soldiers from the South Sudanese army (SPLA) were killed and 26 wounded in Friday’s attack, military spokesperson Phillip Aguer told Sudan Tribune. The SPLA officer said that 13 rebels were also killed and 47 people injured in the crossfire. On 11 November the South Sudan Liberation Army rebel group claimed that they had captured the SPLA base in Kuek after a ’fierce battle’ in a joint operation commanded by Duoth Lam and Yien Deangby with two other rebels groups. In a press release, the SSLA said that SPLA had fled towards the south of Upper Nile state, which borders north Sudan, after the attack. Aguer, however, dismissed the SSLA’s claims as “baseless propaganda,” maintaining that the series of attacks in Upper Nile were being carried out by the the Sudan Armed Forces - north Sudan’s military - disguising themselves as southern-based militia groups. “Khartoum is busy recruiting mercenaries consisting of southern forces who previously belonged to SAF to destabilise South Sudan for the past one month," Aguer told Sudan Tribune. "Their (Khartoum’s) plan, as we know, is to occupy some oil fields," Aguer told Reuters on Saturday. South Sudan’s largest rebel groups are in the border oil-producing states of Unity and Upper Nile as well as Jonglei state. An October report from the Small Arms Survey research group said that the condition, amount and country of origin of the weapons seized from rebel groups in South Sudan raised ’questions about possible [...] relationships with Khartoum.’ Responding the SPLA’s claims. SAF spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid dismissed the accusations in statements to Reuters. "We have no war or conflict with the government of South Sudan," he said. "This information is not correct." During the SPLA’s two-decade civil war with Khartoum some southern groups fought alongside SAF against the SPLA. As part of the 2005 peace deal these groups were either taken into the SPLA or formed elements of joint SPLA-SAF units, which would have formed the basis for a national army had the south not opted for independence in a referendum in January this year. SAF have been fighting rebels in the north Sudan states of South Kordofan - since June - and Blue Nile - since August - who fought with South Sudan during the civil war. Khartoum says that the groups are still backed by Juba, although this is denied by Juba and SPLA-N. UNITY STATE BOMBING South Sudan’s President recently said that Khartoum’s bombing campaign in Unity state was preparation for a land invasion into the four month old country, which took with it 75% of Sudan’s oil revenue when it seceded. Most of South Sudan’s oil fields are near the shared border. Sudan’s denial that it was responsible for Thursday’s bombing was described as a "blatant lie" by a US diplomat on Saturday. Khartoum’s representative at the UN told the press that Reuters and the BBC, whose reporters witnessed the bombings, were "biased" news organisations. Deputy Chairman of South Sudan’s ruling SPLM in Unity state, Samuel Lony Geng, condemned the "barbaric brutal" bombing of Yida refugee camp on Thursday. The refugees had crossed the border from South Kordofan to escape fighting there. “This is a clear encroachment of Sudan air forces into South Sudan international border" he said calling on the United Nation Security Council to condemn the attack. The US is understood to be drafting a resolution condemning the attacks, Reuters reported, after UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the Council on Friday that United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has "confirmed that the Sudan Armed Forces dropped at least two bombs near the Yida refugee camp". BBC and Reuters reports indicate that five bombs were dropped. One bomb, which did not explode, landed near a school. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, according to Reuters, has said that an "international crime or serious human rights violation" may have been committed and the bombing should be investigated. However, SAF spokesman Sawarmi told AFP, "This information is completely false. We didn’t bomb any camps or any areas inside the borders of South Sudan". OXFAM LEAVE UPPER NILE AFTER ATTACKS Peter Lam Both, Upper Nile’s information and broadcasting minister told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that another rebel attack occurred in Sieth boma [sub district] of Maban county in North Easter Upper Nile. He said that the 10 injured people were taken to Malakal hospital. Like Aguer, Both blamed the attack on north Sudan’s military, who were also accused of bombing Upper Nile on Friday. The BBC reported Saturday that aid organisation Oxfam was leaving Upper Nile as it had become too dangerous for their staff. Oxfam’s announcement comes after an SSLA press release on 11 November SSLA called on civilians, the UN and other groups in Upper Nile evacuate Renk, Maluth and Malakal towns within the week, claiming that the ’revolutionary forces will liberate those towns very soon.’ The rebel group gave the same warning to people and aid workers in Bentiu, the capital of Unity state. The statement advised that refugees in Unity state, who had been displaced from fighting in South Kordofan in north Sudan, be moved from the area to avoid being caught in the cross fire. MILITARY BUILD UP Reports indicate that both sides are increasing their military presence along the ill-defined north-south border. Oxfam said that before their staff pulled out of Upper Nile the had "seen the military build-up for the past few days." On Friday a monitoring group, said that satellite images appeared to show SAF was enhancing its air bases in Kurmuk, in Sudan’s Blue Nile state. (ST) http://www.sudantribune.com/South-accuses-north-Sudan-of-cross,40709 END1 2. Sudan denies its citizens taking refuge in south, US says bombing denial ‘blatant lie’ November 11, 2011 (WASHINGTON) – Sudan went on the defense a day after reports of an aerial bombardment conducted by its air force on a refugee camp inside the borders of South Sudan which drew strong rebuke from the White House and rights groups. The assault, which took place on Thursday by Antonov bombers, targeted Yida refugee camp in South Sudan’s Unity state, which houses thousands of civilians who escaped the fighting in South Kordofan between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N). South Sudan officials claimed twelve people were killed and seriously injured 20 others. However, aid groups on the ground denied any casualties although they confirmed the bombings. Senior United Nations officials today including Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous and head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Hilde Johnson confirmed the incident in their briefings to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Ladsous said that at least two bombs were dropped near the camp, while Johnson reported two bombs fell inside the camp and three outside. Neither of the two UN officials gave any casualty figures. The UN peacekeeping chief warned of further escalation in the region. “It is absolutely imperative that both governments take the necessary steps to de-escalate the situation, ensure that civilian lives are protected, and resume peaceful dialogue,” Ladsous said. The Sudanese UN ambassador, Dafalla Haj Osman vehemently denied that SAF carried out any bombings inside their southern neighbor territories. "There is no aerial bombardment; we did not exercise any kind of military activity outside our borders," he told reporters following the UNSC session on Sudan. Asked about confirmation from the BBC and Reuters correspondents at the scene, the Sudanese envoy suggested that the two are ’biased media’ outlets that are favouring rebels. The Sudanese diplomat criticised the UNMISS chief saying he had hoped that she would be impartial in her report to the UNSC and reflecting on her role as a mediator during the North-South peace talks which led to the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). He described Johnson’s remarks today as someone who is an attorney working on behalf of South Sudan. Osman reiterated accusations that the South Sudanese government is providing support to SPLM-N fighters in South Kordofan, as well as Blue Nile state where the SAF is battling the rebels. He referred to the Kauda alliance signed between SPLM-N and Darfur rebels, inked this year with the stated goal of toppling the regime in Khartoum. The latter has accused South Sudan of helping in bringing the parties together. South Sudan’s acting UN representative, David Buom Choat, rejected the allegations. “We have not supported anybody that is fighting Sudan,” Choat said. “But it has been the attitude of the Republic of Sudan to always blame others for their own problems.” This week South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, slammed his northern counterpart, Omer Hassan al-Bashir’s public threat of war against his country in retaliation to support he said the new nation is providing to SPLM-N rebels battling Khartoum. The US ambassador at the UN, Susan Rice, dismissed Osman’s assertions. “This is not the only such bombing in recent days, but it is incontrovertible. And the fact that the representative of the government of Sudan came to the Council and blatantly lied is quite disturbing to the United States and to many other members of the Security Council,” Rice said. “This is a moment where both sides need to show maximum restraint. In the first instance, the government of Sudan needs to halt all offensive actions against the south immediately and the south needs to have the wisdom and restraint not to take the bait and not to respond in kind,” she added. She also suggested that the UNSC will be scrutinising the recent developments. “We will be talking about ways that, as a Council, collectively and individually as member states, we might prevail on the parties to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table and resolve the critical issues that divide them that can only be addressed through negotiations,” the US official said. Washington is drafting a UNSC statement condemning the bombing, which it hopes the 15-nation body will adopt on Tuesday in New York, council diplomats told Reuters. It is not clear of the draft directly blames Khartoum for the attack. In Khartoum the Sudanese foreign ministry spokesperson, Al-Obaid Marawih said that no refugee camps exist in South Sudan for Sudanese citizens. Marawih said there are actually gatherings or camps of rebels which could easily be confirmed by the UN Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). South Sudan seceded from the north in July after a referendum held last January showed an overwhelming majority of Southerners favouring their own state. Despite early optimism on cordial relations between the two neighbours, hopes were dashed when Khartoum and Juba exchanged accusations over support to rebel groups on both sides of the borders. The two countries are still negotiations a wide array of post-secession issues such as borders, Abyei, oil, national debt that were supposed to have been concluded prior to the breakup. Meanwhile, the top officials in the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called for an investigation into the attack saying it could amount to a war crime. “There needs to be an independent, thorough and credible investigation to establish the precise circumstances of this aerial bombing,” said OHCHR head Navi Pillay. “If indeed it is established that an international crime or serious human rights violation has been committed, then those responsible should be brought to justice,” Pillay added. (ST) http://www.sudantribune.com/U-S-condemns-SAF-s-aerial,40704 END2 3. Sudans accuse each other of plotting war November 11, 2011 6:41 pm By Katrina Manson in Nairobi Sudan and South Sudan have accused each other of plotting war as aerial bombing and militia attacks in border areas increase tensions between the two countries. The South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA), a militia that Juba says is supported by Khartoum, threatened on Friday to attack Bentiu, capital of South Sudan’s oil-rich Unity state. The threat came a day after southern rebel forces, including the SSLA, attacked a South Sudanese army base in neighbouring Upper Nile state, killing five soldiers. “We . . . call upon civilians in Bentiu town in Unity State to evacuate in one week to avoid being caught in crossfire,” the SSLA said on Friday.Warplanes on Thursday bombed the Yida refugee camp, also in Unity state, which shelters more than 20,000 people who have fled fighting north of the border. The White House condemned the attack, which the UK government blamed directly blamed on Sudan. Khartoum denied carrying out the bombing.South Sudan seceded from the north in July after decades of civil war that threatens to return as both sides accuse each other of backing proxy forces on opposite sides of the border. A US satellite monitoring group said on Friday that northern forces were “rapidly working to enhance air strike and air assault capacity”.“This is threatening to explode into the largest conventional war on the face of the earth,” said John Prendergast, co-founder of the Enough Project, which supports the satellite tracking. The two countries have failed to agree on issues including borders, citizenship and oil revenues. South Sudan has also been unable to reconcile rebel militia groups and has used its army, which soaks up 40 per cent of the new nation’s budget, to try to accommodate disgruntled former rebels. “Perpetual integration – in which the army is regularly asked to absorb the disaffected on a basis of amnesty – is not a sustainable strategy,” a report from the International Crisis Group said last month. The SSLA encourages disgruntled southern soldiers to revolt over corruption, late pay and poor conditions. The ICG report said the north was supporting some rebel groups in the south, helping to create a “perfect storm of stability deficits” in Unity state. Taban Deng, governor of Unity, told the Financial Times that militia groups have been laying landmines in Unity but have since “run back” across the border. “This is not the first time. They’ve been attacking us for the last year,” he said. “We are calling the international community to assist on security on the border, to protect civilians. I’m sure they [the militia] are backed by Khartoum; some of the leaders are even in Khartoum.” Gordon Buay, the SSLA spokesman, denied laying landmines and said the militia was based west of Bentiu, not in Sudan. He also rejected claims that the SSLA was backed by Khartoum. “The accusation that we’re being supported by the Sudan army is not true – they wouldn’t support us because they know we would disrupt the oil flow,” he told the FT. Katrina Manson East Africa correspondent Financial Times Sudan mob: +249 (0)901 152 645 Kenya mob: +254 (0)734 861 767 Kenya office: +254 20 221 4255 UK mob: +44 (0)7814 106 535 [email protected] www.ft.com END3 ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan Advisor [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +249 919 695 362 (Sudan/South Sudan mobile) +27 82 853 3556 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. 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