South Sudan regrets incursion of Sudanese armed groups
March 19, 2025 (JUBA) – South Sudan on Wednesday regretted the incursion of the Sudanese armed groups, describing it as violation of international law and part of negative actions to undermine and threaten internal security.
“Our relations with Sudan are good but when the war erupted there it affected us in South Sudan many ways and as a neigbour who wishes a brother and sister good and to stay in peace and stability, we advocate for peaceful settlement of their conflict. This has been the policy of the government and his excellency the president of the republic, general Salva Kiir Mayardit has been advocating this position in the regional and in the international forums as well as with the international organizations, friends of the Sudan and other actors”, explained South Sudanese minister of foreign affairs, explained Ramadan Mohamed Abdalla Goc.
The minister said he had received reports that Sudanese armed from entered the territory of South Sudan and carried out military operations in violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“There have been reports of incursions and lives have been lost, properties destroyed, and this has caused panic and uncertainty. This is unfortunate and as the government this loss of lives is regrettable and had conveyed our condolences to the victims of these incursions. We have these incursions in Buoth, part of Renk county in Upper Nile state,” explained Goc.
“We have also heard of similar incidents in Maban county, also in Upper Nile”, he added.
In 2012, South Sudan and Sudan signed a non-aggression pact, vowing to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity of the other and non-interference in the affairs of the other as well as not providing a safe haven for negative forces and dissidents seeking to topple the others’ government.
But the ongoing conflict in Sudan in which the Sudan army (SAF) have, since mid-April 2023, been fighting with Rapid Support Force (RSF), South Sudan not been able to fully implement the 2018 revitalized peace agreement while the borders of the two countries, largely uncontrolled by their forces, have been exploited by dissidents, becoming a safe zone for their operations.
On March 16-17, 2025, the paramilitary RSF, a Sudanese paramilitary group in alliance with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement under the faction of its leader, Abdel Aziz Adam El-Hilu whose forces operate in the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile areas, met with young men believed to be loyal to a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) under the First Vice President, Riek Machar. The groups were leaving Northern Upper Nile heading towards the border of Sudan and South Sudan at the junction connecting White Nile and Blue in the Sudan. Nobody knew the mission for which they were heading toward Sudan.
Observers believe they were part of the white army group which recently took control of Nasir town in Upper Nile state. They are, however, thought to have run out of supplies, persuading them to flee the town amid preparation by the government to reclaim it.
(ST)