North Sudan army denies accusations of supporting Southern rebels
February 16, 2011 (KHATOUM – JUBA) – North Sudan’s army has denied accusations of supporting insurgents in South Sudan with the intent of destabilizing the region ahead of its formal independence in July this year.
The attacks raised concerns about the future of South Sudan which is being groomed to become formally independent in July this year after it massively voted for secession from the north in a referendum last month.
In a press conference on Wednesday, the minister of peace and implementation of the 2005 peace deal that granted the South the right to secede, Pagan Amum, said the Government of Southern Sudan was not overwhelmed by insecurity in South Sudan.
Amum, who also serves as the SPLM’s secretary general, said that the situation was being managed and accused Sudan’s ruling the National Congress party (NCP) of arming the militia groups such as the forces of George Athor in Jonglei state and Gabriel Tanginya (AKA Tang) in Upper Nile.
Amum said Athor’s militias were also supplied with arms by the National Congress Party in Khartoum to destabilize South Sudan.
He warned the NCP against the strategy of destabilization of the two soon-to-be independent states of North and South Sudan.
Amum said the Government of Southern Sudan was ready to receive and integrate into its organized forces all the rebelled forces and militias, in the region in order to achieve security and stability.
But North Sudan’s army has denied the south’s accusations, claiming it was a cover-up of the South’s support of Darfur rebels.
In a statement released to the press on Wednesday, the official spokesman of Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad, said that the SPLA’s accusation come as a “justification” of the South’s unlimited support to Darfur rebels who continue “up to this moment” their rebellions from bases they setup southward of 1956 border.
The 1956 border strip marks the North-South borders as they stood when Sudan declared independence from British-Egyptian condominium rule in that year.
North Sudan has consistently accused the south of supporting rebels in its western region of Darfur, where an eight-year conflict between government and ethnic rebels killed more than 300,000 people and displace 2.7 million since it erupted in 2003.
Minni Arkoi Minawi, who is the only Darfur rebel leader to have signed a peace accord with Khartoum in Abuja in 2006, is currently based in the South.
The SAF’s statement asserted that it was committed to refrain from supporting any insurgency in neighboring countries, whether in the south or elsewhere, saying that the area from which Athor launches his operations was geographically remote from the North-South border.
Athor broke ranks with the SPLA and led a rebellion in the south since he lost gubernatorial elections in the Unity state to the SPLM’s candidate in April last year.
In the same vein, Pagan Amum claimed that Tanginya and his forces came from Khartoum in January with trucks full of weapons and ammunition. He said according to NCP, Tanginya defected from them with the vehicles and weapons, but added that the trucks had traveled from Khartoum to South Sudan’s Upper Nile state without being stopped on the way.
In Upper Nile Tanginya’s forces form part of the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) created after the 2005 peace deal. JIUs consist of elements from the Khartoum-controlled Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Southern army (SPLA).
However, instead of using regular forces for the SAF contingent of the JIUs in Upper Nile many of the soldiers were taken from Tanginya’s militia, which sided with Khartoum during the North-South civil war.
As the South approaches independence JIU’s are due to be disbanded and the SAF components moved North.
Late last year Tanginya signed a peace deal with the Southern government, agreeing to integrate his forces into the SPLA. However, many of Tanginya’s units remained as the SAF contigent of JIU’s in Upper Nile and in early February in fighting between his men in Malakal and others areas caused tens of deaths.
The fighting is believed to have broken out between rival groups within the Tanginya’s forces, with some wanting to remain in the South, while others wanted to follow the order they had received to move North.
The clashes, reportedly left his forces in control of many bases of the Northern SAF’s JIUs.
(ST)
mohammed ali
North Sudan army denies accusations of supporting southern rebels
This a typical Pagan communist propoganda, stupid accusation will not bring life to the dead and will not bring prosperity to the poor , marginalized southerners neither it will give food to the staving people in the south.
Stop the corruption and looting and the struggle for power among yourselves which you fuel by your tribal differences and the poor marginalized southerners will pay for it with thier blood, life and children.
The demands of people are soooooooooo simple , unfortunately your greed is unlimited.How come your children in Australia are living in a mansion and the poor marginalized southerners cannot find a loaf of bread?It is unfair!
Deng E. Manyuon
North Sudan army denies accusations of supporting southern rebels
The SPLA should not ignor the presence of renegade George Athor forces at the present. Rather putting blame on the NCP, the SPLA should deal with him forcibly specially after killing innocent civilian in Fangak and around Bor. The SPLA was hoping that Athor will answer the call for reconciliation. Khartoum support to Athor group is gradually coming to an end. There are other burning issues which, if not resolved amicably, will need us to deal with Khartoum soon.
Deng
Machingela gai
North Sudan army denies accusations of supporting Southern rebels
Mr. Ali and Mrs. Oshey,
You are color blind humans who are not telling us the truth. What is your position here when you jump on the neck of SPLM and Mr. Amum, while there are some living evidences out there to back up these grave concerns in the South? Is it not last year Sudan army’s gunship was captured in Malakal transporting Athor Deng’s officers to Khartoum? Is not last year when Gatluak Gai was almost hunted down by Spla forces, but resued by Sudan government in lifting him up at the border of South-North to Khartoum? You prove me wrong here.
Malakal wars during the past four years have been known world wide that Sudan government is the mastermind and a prime suporter of Gabriel Tinganye. He fired bullets many times there and ran to Khartoum as his safe haven. Now, they let him leave Khartoum with many army materials such as jeeps, trucks, and all kinds of big guns, but his two days trip to Southern border with such army materials didn’t pass at the security checking point. Were security sleeping during those two days trip from Khartoum to Reng? His whereabout is still unknown by Southern government after he joined Splm two Months ago. Khartoum knows what is the book.
Corruption is not what causes Athor’s rebellion to take place, he would have been the first person Southern army would have rebelled against for the total corruption he then made. Amum is also not the cause for Athor’s rebellion because of his manson in Austrelia, Taha and other Bashir cronies would have been leveled corrupt by sipping Southern wealth to Middle East. What is your point of supporting chaos in the South through wrong elements?
Your concern is a frustration that comes through Southern break away, I know that. But you have no ground to punch Southern government when they accuse ineffective government doing its evil activities while their hands have so many left print marks to be traced. You better speak the truth. Any insurgent in the South is a plan that comes from Sudan government, and the North is so good in manipulating Southern weakest part which is tribal hate among themselves. It is shilluk, Nuer vs.their common enemy Dinka. That is what you are doing to achieve Northern goal through tribal line. But know that Splm and Spla is not going to be defeated no matter you bring against, we passed through bad stages already to the top. We are a nation and surely, we will face any challenge very squarely on your face. you watch out!
Ngundeng
North Sudan army denies accusations of supporting Southern rebels
I cry because my Naath people allowed the Dinka to dominate South Sudan behind a scapegoat to separate from the Jallaba because they are the enemy, when the true enemy are the Dinka.
Machingela gai
North Sudan army denies accusations of supporting Southern rebels
Ali,
Where did Northern government get all the money used for the projects you mentioned? was it not oil in the South?
You are again came short with unfounded truth. Goss funds its own mission through the fifty share in oil revenue which was granted by the CPA. The same thing to higher education and other stuffs though not enough. But revenue share South gets from the oil has never been fully given, as it was required due to northern cheating. You are not relieve if it is the case, but we can claim much relieve than you do.
Northern government looted southern oil than ourselves, and we never felt that bad like you do. why you do feel bad when you hear any southerner on the wrong side which you already had been?
It doesn’t make sense when you manipulate your neighbor while he has a household issue with his wife, and come wrongly between them with self-interest agenda. Having no food in the South is not an answer as to why Northern brothers try to destroy their next door friend for benefit’s sake.
The accommadation of Darfur is too far below the expectaion North has against the South. Separation is your problem against us, period. The support Northern government brings to boost militia insurgents in the South is unrelated to the question ask: why North hates Southern departure.