SPLA accuses Khartoum of deploying troops in south and Abyei shooting

By Ngor Arol Garang

October 12, 2010 (JUBA) — The southern Sudan army (SPLA) on Tuesday dismissed allegations claiming that its forces are increasingly becoming visible along the north-south border in preparation to declare control the borders of the south in the the event that the region votes for independence in a referendum scheduled for January.

Last week, Sawami Khalid Saad, spokesman of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) accused the SPLA of deploying troops on a massive scale along the borders between the southern state of Upper Nile and the northern state of White Nile.

In a statement published by the Sudanese Media Center, Saad warned that the referendum would not be conducted if these violations of security protocol continue. The SPLA have denied the troop build up and describe Saad’s allegations as unsubstantiated.

Lieutenant General Kuol Deim Kuol, official spokesperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in an interview with Sudan Tribune denied the southern army had deployed forces on the north-south border.

“We do not have forces being deployed at the border areas. We also do not have forces still at the borderlines,“ said the general.

The senior military officer said SPLA forces have withdrawn to the 1 January 1956 border, left by Anglo-Egyptian rule when Sudan became independent.

During the 22 year civil war, the SPLA held northern territory incluing eastern Sudan, southern Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains.

But according to Kuol, SPLA forces withdrew “a long time ago”.

“They withdrew even before the official date of their withdrawal commenced. They [were] suppose to start withdrawing from these areas by July 2007 but we started phases of withdrawal processes from these areas in 2006 and completed in April in 2007.”

General Kuol challenged the SAF to prove their claim that the SPLA is deploying troops to the border.

“I challenged these people, especially Lieutenant Colonel Siwar, spokesman of the Sudan Armed Forces who is still claiming presence of the SPLA at the north-south border areas to produce evidence of these claims or mention places to which we are deploying our forces or occupying,” said Kuol.

Kuol accused the Sudan Armed Forces spokesperson of using an outdated UN report from 2007 in order to “mislead the public”. He claimed it was the SAF who were deploying troops along the border and that they had moved troops “deep into southern territory in Parieng County, Unity state”.

This was proof, Kuol said, that the SAF is determined to violate existing security protocols.

“They brought new forces and deployed them some kilometers after the SPLA post inside territory of south Sudan in the area. This is a clear violation of the security arrangement protocol itself,” he said.

He said the general headquarters and the SPLA leadership was receiving regular reports from Abyei, Upper Nile and Bahr el Ghazal about the SAF training, arming and deploying more troops in these areas.

“They have recently finished deployment of over four battalions with brand new tanks at the extreme north of Abyei in Difra. They have also increased [the] number of brigade 31 forces stationed at Nyama to four battalions and have opened training camps for Majahid in Debeb, Dhaarapat and in Muglad.”

General Kuol said that four SAF members tried on Monday evening to cause havoc by a random shooting in Abyei town.

“They intentionally wanted to cause chaos – to ignite fighting in the area. They walked into the public market center in Abyei town and started shooting randomly in the air without reason. Such behavior clearly shows that they were trying to provoke the situation to start fighting,” said Kuol.

Nobody was killed, he said, but a trader sustained light injuries in the processes of escaping the shooting.

Rahamah Abdel Rahaman, a deputy Abyei chief administrator confirmed the shooting but said the situation has returned to normal.

“There was a shooting among the soldiers from joint integrated units who quarreled among themselves until they exchanged fire but it was contained. The authorities intervened to contain the situation,” said Rahamah.

Since the shooting the police and the UN have been jointly patrolling the town.
Sudan has just three months to go to until the south choses whether it wishes to remain united with north or become an independent nation through a referendum.

Simultaneously to that vote, the oil rich region of Abyei will hold a separate referendum to decide whether it wants to remain as part of the north or become part of what could be a newly-independent south Sudan.

(ST)