---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Thu, Dec 8, 2011 at 11:40 AM Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] Sudan and South Sudan armies clash To: Group <[email protected]>
1. Sudan, S.Sudan armies clash in disputed border region Wed Dec 7, 2011 8:14pm GMT * "Several hundred" civilians flee south from fighting * Both sides say to complain to U.N. Security Council * Tension already high over violence around poorly drawn border By Hereward Holland and Khalid Abdelaziz JUBA/KHARTOUM, Dec 7 (Reuters) - The armed forces of Sudan and South Sudan clashed in a border region claimed by both sides on Wednesday, in a rare direct confrontation between the old civil war foes. Both countries said they would bring complaints against the other to the United Nations, moves likely to hinder already tense talks over issues such as oil and debt that have been unresolved since South Sudan seceded in July. South Sudan's military spokesman, Philip Aguer, said the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) bombarded the Jau area with warplanes and used artillery to hit positions of the south's Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). "The SPLA is trying to repulse the attackers, the Sudan Armed Forces," he told Reuters. "The first attack was on Saturday when SAF started invading ... It is in South Sudan, there is no dispute about that. Jau is deep in South Sudan." Al-Sawarmi Khalid, spokesman for Sudan's military, confirmed the clashes, but said Jau was in Sudanese territory. "Now the Sudanese army controls the Jau area, which is inside the Republic of Sudan," he said. "South Sudan's army tried to attack six times today. This is an assault on the Sudanese army and Sudanese land." Neither spokesman gave a casualty figure. Each country has accused the other of backing rebel groups on either side of the border for months, but the fighting in Jau - which straddles the poorly defined border - was an unusual direct clash. The fighting drove "several hundred" civilians from Jau towards the Yida refugee camp and also southwards, said Mimi Girard, an official with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in South Sudan. "Jau is a very strategic place so we feared that there would be more clashes and there were more attacks today," she said. SECURITY COUNCIL COMPLAINTS Sudan's foreign ministry spokesman, El-Obeid Morawah, accused South Sudan of attacking Sudanese territory on Tuesday and Wednesday, describing it as "blatant aggression against Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity." "The ministry filed a complaint today to the U.N. Security Council regarding this blatant aggression," he said in an emailed statement. South Sudan's foreign affairs spokesman, Mathiang Ring, also said his country would complain to the Security Council. "We will say that the government of Sudan has attacked and invaded a piece of land in South Sudan, in Jau. They captured one and killed one soldier," he said. "It is premature to say that the two sides are at war, but the South is now acting in self defence. We will not tolerate aggression by the north." The two sides were already at loggerheads over what transit fees South Sudan should pay to export its oil in pipelines running through Sudan, as well as a range of other post-secession issues like pensions and the border's position. A Western diplomat at the U.N. Security Council told Reuters the South Sudanese had written to the council on Monday about the fighting, but the letter had not been seen by all the council's members yet. "We would have expected the letter to have been circulated to all Council members by now in the usual way, but this hasn't yet happened," he said. South Sudan voted overwhelmingly in January to secede in a referendum held under a 2005 peace deal that ended one of Africa's longest and deadliest conflicts. The civil war, waged over ethnicity, oil, religion and ideology, killed an estimated 2 million people. (Additional reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Writing by Alexander Dziadosz; Editing by Tim Pearce) http://af.reuters.com/article/sudanNews/idAFL5E7N74J720111207?sp=true END1 2. Sudan & S.Sudan clash in disputed area December 07, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army on Wednesday repelled an attack by South Sudanese troops in a contested area on the border between the two country, a military spokesperson said in Khartoum and Juba confirmed the fighting. Sudan and South Sudan have in the recent months escalated accusations of supporting rebel groups on both sides. Sudan’s army (SAF) has been conducting a large-scale campaign against the rebels of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) following the end of the rainy season. Last Saturday SAF announced the control of Jau, located on the border and claimed by the two sides. Khartoum said the SPLM-N headquarters were in Jau but also said captured South Sudanese troops there. Juba confirmed the incident and urged the release of its soldiers. South Sudan also warned on Tuesday that it would use force to retake disputed area. Al-Sawarmi Khaled, SAF spokesperson, said the Sudanese troops defeated SPLM-N rebels in a position located south to Jau called Alatmor where SAF destroyed a tank and seized another besides different arms and ammunition. He went to say that SAF was now fully in control of the areas of Jau and White Lake despite six attempts undertaken by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) of South Sudan to capture the area. He said the last attack by SPLA occurred on Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, a statement issued by the SPLM-N said its forces “inflicted heavy causalities” on the Sudanese army. It said that SAF’s offensive targeted areas of civilian population and called for the delivery of aid to the affected areas. In Juba, the South Sudanese army spokesperson Philip Aguer confirmed the attacks on SAF troops stressing that since Saturday the SPLA were defending South Sudanese territory. "The SPLA is trying to repulse the attackers, the Sudan Armed Forces," said Aguer in a statement to Reuters. Today’s statements about the direct clashes between the north and South Sudanese armies were largely expected in view of the war of words both sides have been waging against each other since June 2011 after clashes erupted in Sudan’s border state of South Kordofan between SAF and SPLM-N who fought alongside the former South Sudanese rebels. The two parties sought to win the international support to their cause. For several months, Khartoum lodged a complaint after complaint to the UN Security Council accusing Juba of supporting the rebels in S. Kordofan and Blue Nile while Juba petitioned two days ago the Security Council over the seizure of Jau by SAF. An international troika of, Norway, UK and US issued a statement calling on the two Sudanese states to resolve their dispute over oil transportation and called on other international stakeholders to "play a positive role in engaging with both Sudan and South Sudan to help peacefully resolve outstanding issues". However regarding the growing tension between Juba and Khartoum, the joint statement just noted "with concern the recent and dangerous escalation of military action along the Sudan-South Sudan border" without elaboration. Sudan foreign ministry condemned the "armed aggression" carried out by South Sudanese army "inside the border of the Republic of Sudan". In unusual way, the foreign ministry in Khartoum was the first to announce the first direct battle between SAF and SPLA soldiers since the independence of the South Sudan last July. Khartoum further announced that a complaint on this "blatant aggression on Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity" would be lodged at the UN Security Council, describing Juba government of being "element of regional instability". Yesterday South Sudan’s foreign minister Nhial Deng Nhial warned that continuous provocation by the Sudanese army might lead to a war between the two countries. "We will not attack president Bashir directly, but if his forces continue invading our territories, then we will have no option since we have to protect our territories and it’s our citizens," he said in a press conference held on Tuesday. (ST) http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-S-Sudan-clash-in-disputed,40935 END2 3. Sudan accuses south of attacking disputed town (AFP) – 07/12/11 KHARTOUM — Sudan on Wednesday accused its southern neighbour of repeatedly attacking a disputed region it claimed to have captured from rebels last week, amid heightened tensions along the volatile border. South Sudan's army, the SPLA, attacked the region of Jau six times since Tuesday, the foreign ministry in Khartoum said in a statement, adding the region lay within Sudan's South Kordofan state and that its army had repulsed the assault. "The foreign ministry condemns this blatant attack on Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, by a state that does not respect its neighbours, and wants to make itself an element of instability in the region," it added. SPLA spokesman Philip Aguer confirmed there has been fighting in Jau since Saturday, but he insisted the area was south of the disputed border. "The SPLA has been trying to defend the area and the Sudanese armed forces have been attacking it and bombarding with Antonovs, MiGs, long-range ground artilleries and all military powers," he told AFP. Neither side were able to give details of casualties from the fighting. Sudan's army said Saturday it had captured camps around Jau belonging to South Kordofan rebels aligned to the SPLA, in what it described as a strategic victory, adding the area was a key supply route for the rebels. A rebel spokesman backed Aguer's statement that Jau was located south of the border, and insisted they had had no presence there since the south gained independence in July. "Before secession, some of our troops had a presence there. But after secession, in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, we had to leave the south, and this is what we did," Gamar Delman told AFP. "The troops in Jau belong to the state of South Sudan. We are fighting in the Nuba Mountains," he added. The conflict in the Sudanese border state, which first erupted in June between the army and Nuba militiamen who fought alongside the ex-southern rebels during their 22-year conflict with the north, has shown no sign of abating. Similar fighting has raged since September in nearby Blue Nile state, another peripheral area where Khartoum has moved to assert its authority in the wake of southern secession. In addition to the violence in Sudan's embattled southern states, there has been evidence of cross-border attacks in recent weeks, badly fraying bilateral relations. Witnesses said the Sudanese army bombed a refugee camp last month in South Sudan's Unity state, just south of Jau. Analysts do not expect the former civil war enemies to resume all-out hostilities for now. But they warn of the two sides continuing to supply rebel groups within each other's territories and the negative impact this will have on negotiations to resolve the complicated post-secession issues. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hB7HyT2zqv3ywQysXe8Kcf1Ksv7w?docId=CNG.031c6610f1165094d5d5eea3e35a3113.5f1 END3 4. SUDAN CONTINUOUS PROVOCATIONS LIKELY TO LEAD TO WAR Catholic Radio Network Wednesday, 07 December 2011 19:06 The minister for foreign affairs said Sudan’s continuous provocations to South Sudan might lead the two countries to war. Nhial Deng Nhial’s comments follow SAF’s occupation of Jaw village in Upper Nile State. He said South Sudan does not want to go back to war with the Sudan although the provocations are increasing. The minister added that his government is able to protect its people and territory and will intervene if Sudan’s forces attempt to occupy the region. He added that the Abyei issue should be solved through the political will of its residents. Mr. Deng said the Government of South Sudan is alerting the UN Security Council and the international community about Sudan’s violations. The minister added that the government has instructed the SPLA to expel SAF troops from the territory of South Sudan. http://sudancatholicradio.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5501:sudan-continuous-provocations-likely-to-lead-to-war&catid=2:south-sudan&Itemid=84 END4 5. [untitled] By Jared Ferrie Nov. 7 (Bloomberg) -- South Sudan said its army clashed with forces from neighboring Sudan, a day after announcing it complained to the United Nations Security Council about Sudanese incursions inside its territory. Sudanese forces yesterday attacked Jaw district, which the south says is in its oil-rich Unity state, with Antonov bombers, MIG jets and long-range artillery, South Sudan's army spokesman, Col. Philip Aguer, said today by phone from Juba, the capital. Sudanese Armed Forces spokesman al-Sawarami Khaled denied there was fighting and like Aguer said Jaw belonged to his country. The area is along border with Sudan's Southern Kordofan state, where the forces loyal to the government in Khartoum are battling insurgents. Many border areas have not been demarcated since South Sudan gained independence on July 9. About 20,000 civilians Southern Kordofan have fled to the Yiga refugee camp, about 16 miles south of Jaw, and are facing severe food shortages because of the fighting, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said today. ``As we speak there is actually fighting taking place in Jaw again,'' Mireille Girard, head of the UN refugee agency in South Sudan, said by phone from Juba. Khaled said no fighting was taking place in the Jaw area at the moment. ``Clashes erupt in that area every now and then, but I can confirm that no fighting is taking place now,'' he said by phone from Juba. The Samaritan's Purse aid agency announced Dec. 4 that it pulled its staff from the Yiga camp after reports that Sudan's army had moved heavy artillery to positions halfway between Yida and Jaw. The UN and the U.S. blamed Khartoum for bombing Yida on Nov. 10. Sudan's government said it didn't carry out out the attack. South Sudan's foreign minister, Nhial Deng Nhial, told reporters yesterday that South Sudan lodged an official complaint against Sudan at the UN Security Council. ``The time has come for the international community take action,'' he said. ``If these provocations continue it will lead to war. We will protect our people, we have the capacity to do that.'' END5 ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan Advisor [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +211 919 695 362 (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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