Sudan’s NCP says no negotiations with arms-holders in South Kordofan
June 14, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – North Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party has stressed that it will not enter into any dialogue with arms-holders in the country’s flashpoint state of South Kordofan, and dismissed claims of abuses allegedly committed in Abyei region following its seizure by the northern army.
The two sides traded blame over who started the fighting, which has so far displaced over 60.000 people and killed dozens amid reports of heavy artillery and aerial bombardment carried out by SAF.
Speaking to reporters at the NCP’s headquarters in the capital Khartoum on Tuesday, the party’s media secretary, Ibrahim Gandoor, accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in South Kordofan of being responsible for “the death and displacement of families and innocent people in the Nuba Mountains”.
Gandoor ruled out the possibility that his party would enter into negotiations with those who are carrying arms in South Kordofan. He further warned that the existence of any forces other than SAF would be considered illegal.
South Kordofan is home to the Nuba population which largely sided with South Sudan during the years of civil wars with the north.
Analysts say that the current clashes is also a result of the fact that North and South Sudan have failed to properly reintegrate their forces into the Joint Integrated Units in South Kordofan as stipulated under the security arrangements protocol of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended decades of north-south civil war in 2005.
Separately, the NCP official strongly denied the occurrence of any war crimes or crimes against humanity in Abyei region following its seizure by north Sudan army last month.
His denial was in response to reports in the Sudanese press that the SPLM official Luka Biong had held a meeting with leaders of the Darfur rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in London and discussed the possibility of asking the International Criminal Court to investigate allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Abyei.
“This is slanderous, Luka himself knows it is a slanderous bid that stands no chance of success,” Gandoor was quoted.
This month, the UN special Human Rights envoy to Sudan, Mohamed Uthman Chande, said he received reports of serious abuses, including rape, committed in Abyei region under the control of SAF.
SAF spokesman last week warned the UN against spreading “misleading” reports on abuses committed in Abyei region.
(ST)