Sudan army clashes with SPLA in Abyei
Sudan army clashes with SPLA in Abyei
February 10, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese army clashed with a unit of Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) in the oil region of Abyei, according to press reports.
The daily Al-Hayat newspaper said that the clash resulted in an unspecified number of deaths and quoted SPLM spokesperson in the area, Woor Majak as saying that that tension ran high in the area describing the atmosphere as “worrying and scary”.
Majak called on government troops to withdraw from the region in accordance signed between the two sides.
The newspaper said that members of the Misseriya tribe closed the route leading to Abyei at the intersection of Dafra region after refusing UN mediation. The SPLA retaliated by preventing the Misseriya shepherds from moving south of Bahr Al-Arab region.
The report said that Misseriya tribe mobilized their fighters and that two children were injured by sporadic gunfire as a result.
There has been conflicting reports on the cause of the fighting.
The National Congress Party (NCP) representative in the area John Zakariah said that the motorcade Temnam governor got into an accident with a Sudanese army convoy.
Zakariah said that the SPLA then fired at the convoy killing a member of the Misseriya tribe.
But Majak denied this version of the story saying the accident was caused by poor night vision.
The NCP representative called on the presidency to “intervene immediately”.
There have been frequent clashes between the Misseriya tribe and SPLA around that area which lead to the deaths of dozens of people.
The SPLM chairman Salva Kiir instructed SPLA units in December not to attack the Misseriya tribe or any other tribes in the area.
The SPLM and the National Congress Party (NCP) have yet to resolve the issue of the oil rich region with both sides claiming ownership of the area.
Sudan president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir said that the NCP is committed to the Abyei Protocol only with the border of 1905. He further said the government is not concerned with Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC) report and that the latter is of no value to them.
The U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, last year proposed a set of “confidence-building measures” to SPLM leader Salva Kiir during his visit to Washington.
One of the proposals was that China, Saudi Arabia and the US would mediate between the NCP and SPLM to formulate a “package deal” to solve the impasse around Abyei and north-south border demarcation.
A 2005 peace deal ended Africa’s longest civil war in Sudan’s south but the road of peace has been rocky with both sides accusing the other of violations and slow implementation of the accord which enshrines democratic transformation, power and wealth-sharing and a southern vote on independence by 2011.
(ST)
John Amule de Lokolong
Sudan army clashes with SPLA in Abyei
Whats de matter with those Misseriya i beleive that these people are not nomads for sure they are another branch of NCP militias as beshir says he is committed to the Abyei Protocol border of 1905.And report that the latter is of no value to the him,Mr Goss i recoomand that those people are not longer nomads in my view otherwise you will regret to them if SPLA are not taking serious action about this matter.fundamental beshir is encouraging them but yet SPLA didnt realise such secrets,
Trueson of Southerner
Sudan army clashes with SPLA in Abyei
Mr President Salva, your statement of being satisfied with the CPA implementation is contradicting with this recent clashes between SAF and SPLA in Abyei.
therefore,you don’t need to put your hope on the advices being given by Ali Osman Taha for what the says is different from what the do.
prepared yourself with whatever Khartoum is trying to play around you and we are behind you with the results,whether for war or through voluntarily election.
we the Citizen of Southern Sudan are satisfied with the maximum alert and readiness of the SPLA for with whatever their partner SAF attempt to their position,they are ever ready.
Beshir be warned that,your days are at dying hour,please prepared youself for final journey to Saudi as you are satisfied with victory of the South,they don’t want you for good SPLA Oyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeei,Struggle continues