Sudan files new complaint to Security Council against South Sudan
May 26, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations filed a new complaint on Saturday accusing the South Sudan of carrying attacks on its territory in Darfur and South Kordofan and providing support to rebel groups.
After the 10-day seizure of the oil area of Heglig by the South Sudan army, the Security Council endorsed unanimously resolution 2046 which includes an African Union road map to end the conflict between the two countries and demanded the belligerents stop air and ground attacks.
However, the two parties, despite the regional and international efforts to bring the two sides to the negotiating table, continue to accuse each other of aerial bombing or ground attacks. Juba on 21 and 22 May said Sudan bombarded and shelled its territory.
Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman said in a complaint to the United Nations Security Council that “The past eight days have seen blatant violations and cross-border attacks by the South Sudanese forces. These attacks represent a clear and repeated breach of the Resolution 2046.”
The Sudanese ambassador demanded the Security Council to take the necessary actions to stop the “serious violations” of the UN resolution. He further expressed Khartoum’s readiness to negotiate with Juba under the AU mediation.
Several days ago, the African Union mediator Thabo Mbeki announced that the two parties accepted to resume talks on Tuesday 29 May in Addis Abab. The parties are expected to tackle issues related to the implementation of security agreements aiming to restore a minimum of the needed trust before to discuss the disputed and outstanding issues.
Sudan in its letter to the UN accuses the South Sudan of continuing to support the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) and its allies of Darfur rebel groups. It also alleges that Juba attempted to occupy Sudanese territory during the last week.
Khartoum said the SPLA penetrated 23 km and attempted to seize Meiram in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, near the disputed Abyei region before repelling the assailants. It also accused Juba’s army of attacking three positions (Kafia Kingi, Siri Malaga and Samaha) in South Darfur on 22 and 24 May.
Moreover, it claimed that South Sudan carried a joint attack with the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) on the town of Um Dafok on the border with the Central African Republic.
The complaint also accused Juba of dispatching troops to attack Talodi, in South Kordofan, in a joint operation with the rebel coalition of Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF).
The communiqué did not provide a date for the attacks on Um Dafok or Talodi but the two areas were attacked by the rebel groups recently.
Sudan refuses to negotiate with the SPLM-N rebels who are fighting Khartoum in South Kordofan despite UN resolution 2046. The rebel group who leads SRF alliance also demands a comprehensive and inclusive process to discuss Sudanese issues with the participation of the other rebel movements.
The Security Council gave three months for the two parties to reach agreements on key issues including Abyei, oil, citizenship and border demarcation. It further threatened either side with non-military sanctions in the event of non-compliance.
Daffa-Alla further denied accusations that his country, on 22 May, attacked Werguet area located in Northern Bahr Al Ghazal State 30km, inside South Sudan. He said Juba attempts to cover up its violations of the UN Security Council.
South Sudan Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin urged the international community to sanction Sudanese government saying Werguet attack is “a slap in the face of the United Nations and the African Union.”
UN Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan Haile Menkerios on 16 May briefed the UN Security Council on the compliance of the two countries with the various provisions of Resolution 2046.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Sudan Rice said Menkerios gave a “mixed assessment”. She did not say that the 15-member council would take sanctions against the two neighbours, stressing that the international community will keep “putting maximum pressure on the parties” to implement the AU road map.
“They know what their obligations are, and we’re supporting all the efforts of Menkarios and Mbeki to accomplish that,” she stressed.
(ST)