South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
November 13, 2011 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s army said on Saturday that at least five soldiers were killed on 10 November by southern “mercenaries” recruited to fight alongside north Sudan’s army to destabilise the young oil-producing country.
Since South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July as part of a peace deal, both sides have repeatedly accused the other of arming rebels in each others territory.
On Thursday the UN accused Sudan of bombing a refugee camp in South Sudan’s Unity state, raising fears among analysts of a return to war, for the first time since a 2005 peace deal. South Sudan says 12 people died and 20 people were injured in the bombing but other reports indicate that there were no casualties.
At least five soldiers from the South Sudanese army (SPLA) were killed and 26 wounded in Friday’s attack, military spokesperson Phillip Aguer told Sudan Tribune. The SPLA officer said that 13 rebels were also killed and 47 people injured in the crossfire.
On 11 November the South Sudan Liberation Army rebel group claimed that they had captured the SPLA base in Kuek after a ‘fierce battle’ in a joint operation commanded by Duoth Lam and Yien Deangby with two other rebels groups. In a press release, the SSLA said that SPLA had fled towards the south of Upper Nile state, which borders north Sudan, after the attack.
Aguer, however, dismissed the SSLA’s claims as “baseless propaganda,” maintaining that the series of attacks in Upper Nile were being carried out by the the Sudan Armed Forces – north Sudan’s military – disguising themselves as southern-based militia groups.
“Khartoum is busy recruiting mercenaries consisting of southern forces who previously belonged to SAF to destabilise South Sudan for the past one month,” Aguer told Sudan Tribune.
“Their (Khartoum’s) plan, as we know, is to occupy some oil fields,” Aguer told Reuters on Saturday. South Sudan’s largest rebel groups are in the border oil-producing states of Unity and Upper Nile as well as Jonglei state.
Responding to the SPLA’s claims. SAF spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid dismissed the accusations in statements to Reuters. “We have no war or conflict with the government of South Sudan,” he said. “This information is not correct.”
During the SPLA’s two-decade civil war with Khartoum some southern groups fought alongside SAF against the SPLA. As part of the 2005 peace deal these groups were either taken into the SPLA or formed elements of joint SPLA-SAF units, which would have formed the basis for a national army had the south not opted for independence in a referendum in January this year.
SAF have been fighting rebels in the north Sudan states of South Kordofan – since June – and Blue Nile – since August – who fought with South Sudan during the civil war. Khartoum says that the groups are still backed by Juba, although this is denied by Juba and SPLA-N.
UNITY STATE BOMBING
South Sudan’s President recently said that Khartoum’s bombing campaign in Unity state was preparation for a land invasion into the four month old country, which took with it 75% of Sudan’s oil revenue when it seceded. Most of South Sudan’s oil fields are near the shared border.
Sudan’s denial that it was responsible for Thursday’s bombing was described as a “blatant lie” by a US diplomat on Saturday. Khartoum’s representative at the UN told the press that Reuters and the BBC, whose reporters witnessed the bombings, were “biased” news organisations.
“This is a clear encroachment of Sudan air forces into South Sudan [across the] international border” he said, calling on the United Nation Security Council to condemn the attack.
The US is understood to be drafting a resolution condemning the attacks, Reuters reported, after UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the Council on Friday that United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has “confirmed that the Sudan Armed Forces dropped at least two bombs near the Yida refugee camp”.
BBC and Reuters reports indicate that five bombs were dropped. One bomb, which did not explode, landed near a school.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, according to Reuters, has said that an “international crime or serious human rights violation” may have been committed and the bombing should be investigated.
However, SAF spokesman Sawarmi told AFP, “This information is completely false. We didn’t bomb any camps or any areas inside the borders of South Sudan”.
OXFAM LEAVE UPPER NILE AFTER ATTACKS
Peter Lam Both, Upper Nile’s information and broadcasting minister told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that another rebel attack occurred in Sieth boma [sub district] of Maban county in North Easter Upper Nile. He said that the 10 injured people were taken to Malakal hospital.
Like Aguer, Both blamed the attack on north Sudan’s military, who were also accused of bombing Upper Nile on Friday. The BBC reported Saturday that aid organisation Oxfam was leaving Upper Nile as it had become too dangerous for their staff.
Oxfam’s announcement comes after an SSLA press release on 11 November SSLA called on civilians, the UN and other groups in Upper Nile to evacuate Renk, Maluth and Malakal towns within the week, claiming that the ‘revolutionary forces will liberate those towns very soon.’
The rebel group gave the same warning to people and aid workers in Bentiu, the capital of Unity state. The statement advised that refugees in Unity state, who had been displaced from fighting in South Kordofan in north Sudan, be moved from the area to avoid being caught in the cross fire.
MILITARY BUILD UP
Reports indicate that both sides are increasing their military presence along the ill-defined north-south border.
Oxfam said that before their staff pulled out of Upper Nile they had “seen the military build-up for the past few days.” On Friday a monitoring group, said that satellite images appeared to show SAF was enhancing its air bases in Kurmuk, in Sudan’s Blue Nile state.
(ST)
Small Arms Survey photos of weapons seized by the SPLA from South Sudan rebels in Unity and Upper Nile states.
http://www.sudantribune.com/PHOTOS-Weapons-captured-from-rebel,40544
Alier42
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
Blaming others for helping hand will bear fruits to your goverment,let your men in uniform do what is expected out of them.
Nuerone Mafitabu
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
The war had started between south and north sudan.
By all means BASHIR should be removed like GADDAFFI of
libya soon.
We southerns should open our eyes not to join the arabs becouse of money.
mhollis
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
It is very easy for the South to distrust the North. There remains very bad blood between the two nations. And it is obvious, now that the North has lost valuable territory, that they will be provocative. To think that all will be sweetness and light between the two nations is foolish.
The same thing happened between the United States and Great Britain. I hope my country will take a stand.
Machine
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
No need of the blame game.Take concrete action because South Sudan is already a sovereign state.Should the North has millions attacks per day,why not you Southernars having thousands millions attack.Do somthing man we are tied of burrying our beloved.
Southerner
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
Arab policies are clear, “kill the slave by the slave,” i.e., kill the southerner by the southerner. The problem is that the tribe that purports to have liberated us, continue to oppress us and therefore provide the conducive condition for the Arab to exploit us because of this tribalistic myopia. Our SPLA liberators should be mindful of this! The solution is in uniting the southern house.
SSLA supporter
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
“big mouth doesn’t just sink chips” they talk with pride but with a very little impact!! asking SPLA corrupt mafia to fight SAF is like asking a 10 year old kid to kill a lion!! Sad!
SSLA supporter
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
Dear Southerner and the rest!!
You sounded like civilized men but yet referring to people of Republic of Sudan (that include blacks; such as Dinka, Nuba, Fur, Funy, Arabs etc) as Arabs? Don’t you know that referring to people by their ethnicity, tribes, religion etc is amount to racism and prejudice??….Cont please
SSLA supporter
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
Are you racist? Remember!! Whenever you call Sudanese as Arab you antagonise the whole Arab world as you make it looks like you are fighting to eliminate Arab ethnic group in Sudan! An ethnic cleansing! which is a crime against humanity! I thought SPLA/M was fighting to free all the marginalised people of Sudan including Arabs! if true then why are you behaving as if SPLA was against Arabs?
SSLA supporter
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
please stop behaving this way as it disturb others indeed not all Arabs Sudanese are with the government of Sudan and not all the black Sudanese are with the SPLA/M-North or Darfur rebel! Likewise in RoSS not all the people of RoSS are with the SPLA/M mafia as well as not all with SSLA/M rebel! all wars across the Greater Sudan are politically motivated! No racism. No Ethnicity, No sectarian!!
SSLA supporter
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
correction!!
I meant to say black such as Nuba, Dinka, Fur, Funy etc!! Arabs are not included as they are from different race or ethnicity! also I meant to say No sectarianism and not sectarian!!
Southerner
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
My brother SSLA supporter, you are absolutely right, we should refrain from using a language that amounts to promoting racial and ethnic hatred. By using the term Arab policies, I am referring to the arabization policies of the NCP/NIF and their partners. As the literature amply shows, this campaign is built on killing the southerner by the southerner, which is what I am trying to remind ourselves
Red Army
South accuses north Sudan of cross border attacks
Kiir is a coward and he does not needs to talk and talk instead of action. He is a coward and nothing will Jenubiin do but will continue to die of hunger, corruption and be massacred like fools under his damn presidency. Let the rebels kick him out of Juba so that Jenub will be in peace and stability. Revolutionary forces need to fight on until he is ousted. Northern rebels have to deal with Omer.