South Sudan army pulls out of Northern Areas
January 10, 2008 (JUBA) — Southern Sudan army have left contested northern areas, implementing a key protocol of the troubled peace agreement that required north and south to redeploy to their respective sides.
The announcement, by a general in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) came after the south on Tuesday said northern troops had left areas in the oil-rich south as part of a deal that brought southern ministers back to the unity government after resigning in October.
SPLA troops had started heading south ahead of an initial July 9, 2007 deadline, but halted their movement at signs that the northern troops weren’t reciprocating.
Deputy chief of staff Major General Hoth Mai told AFP Thursday that the ex-rebel SPLA troops had been moving in the past month but that the withdrawal had been tough owing to the absence of roads.
“These are jungle areas,” Hoth said. “They move one, two days, and rest; one, two days, and rest.”
Hoth said the withdrawal of 7,000 troops from Blue Nile, a northern state that borders the south, is “100-percent complete.”
The SPLA also had 5,000 in the Nuba Mountains. Hoth said their withdrawal was complete save for less than 100 troops, who would reach the southern areas late Thursday or Friday.
Transport problems have also slowed the march of northern troops to their side of the border. They have been moving since Monday, but some were reported to have reached the border only on Wednesday.
(ST)
Some Information for this report provided by AFP
John Amule de Lokolong
South Sudan army pulls out of Northern Areas
that is right but still i beleive that SPLA has power to North if they wish return back.But none of NCP whether bloody black nor Arabs should not appear in Southern Sudan.If he is trader he must wait until 2011 before he can have permission to come.so Goss should now make sure that the suffering of Southern for 21yrs should be in free and comfortable lives in their land with respect of onces rights who ever you are.violences and criminal behaviours should be pack into the bin and burn out,we are Equally is the way.dont say i fought for this Land but say i fought for freedom otherwise your tongue is out of order and need correction.
Deng
South Sudan army pulls out of Northern Areas
well, it is always truer for some people to pretend and forge ahead with hill and gigantic problems and not to correct it when it is still at a baby stage. by the time it lost its freshness.it become conflict among people. why Spla general is saying they are going to evacuate their forces from places such as Nuba mountain, and BLUE Nile state. does it means that NUBIAN people AND PEOPLE of Blue NILE are not part or no longer part of SPLA/M. why did GERNERAL HOTH MAI exclusively SAID spla troop have to be pulled out of NUBA MT and blue nile. some time people have to be a little more careful about the nature in which their words read or receive by the masses.what do you think will be the outcome when people left out read that selective statment of yours dear general.it has to be corrected if it even exist in the CPA that spla should in the long run leave those above mentioned places because they have sacrified the same valuable ransom that all partriotic men offer for their freedom.
Bombom
South Sudan army pulls out of Northern Areas
Is SPLA a southern army? This is my first time to learn about that for I used to think that it is a national movement that aims to liberate whole Sudanese including Arabs if there is any significant number of Arabs in Sudan!
Then, why SPLA soldiers are still being carried on the backs of Lorries and trucks just like when they were entering Juba Town from bush! Where are the military armour carriers? Where the budget of ministry of defence goes, to the pockets of the corrupt SPLA commanders whose families visiting London off and on at least twice a year or what? Then, how did those who were calling for the war months ago, think that they can withstand the well equipped northern army! Were they really well informed about the situation of our army?
Wouldn’t be the equipping of OUR armed forces the priority of the corrupted GoSS! How can you expect an under-equipped army like SPLA to fight the well equipped Northerner armed forces!
To the corrupt SPLA commanders! Please give your corruption and start to do something for our armed forces as they are the eyes of our country and its peoople, don’t neglect the army like you used to do in the bush! This is a complete different situation, those days you used to be insurgents but now you are semi-regular army with fixed numbers and limited, well know equipments! I mean your enemy is aware of any bit or piece of equipment you own and it knows whether that is old or new and where it comes from! I mean you are being spied but are you doing enough to get intelligences from your enemy? Please stop corruption, stop being selfish and start to think about the country! Buy new pieces of military equipments and retrain our genuine defence armed forces of southern Sudan! The name SPLA also should be abolished as it doesn’t make any sense at all anymore! We need a south Sudanese army that is not controlled by any party as SPLA is a militia wing of SPLM, how it could be called a south Sudan army!