Sudan mobilises army reserves in east

KHARTOUM, June 1 (Reuters) – Sudan has called for general mobilisation of its army reserves in the eastern region bordering Eritrea to secure roads and an oil pipeline after rebels kidnapped three politicians, a local official said.

Rebels from Sudan’s Eastern Front parade during a conference held by the Front north of Kassala town, near the Eritrean border. (AFP).

Eastern rebels joined with an insurgent group from the western Darfur region to kidnap three local politicians last month on a major road in Sudan’s poor east.

“We called our troops for mobilisation. This is to call all the reserves, in Red Sea state and in Kassala state,” governor Hatim al-Wasiyla told Reuters from the eastern city of Port Sudan on Wednesday.

He said the extra troops would number between 500-1,000 and would be to protect the border with Eritrea, major roads and the oil pipeline which runs to the port.

Sudan produces about 320,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil. This will rise to 500,000 bpd by August.

Sudan has often accused Eritrea of supporting rebels in Darfur, who opened offices in Asmara last year. Eritrea denies the charge.

Wasiyla said the rebels who kidnapped the politicians came from Eritrea. But he said the mobilisation of reserves was not to attack Eritrea, but to defend Sudan.

“They want to destroy the petrol and attack the roads — we have to defend ourselves,” he said.

He said the mobilisation would continue until a new government was formed on July 9.

The eastern and Darfur rebels have similar gripes with the central Khartoum government, who they accuse of neglect and of giving Arab tribes preferential treatment.