Sudan oil minister reiterates his accusation against rebel group
June 15, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s oil minister announced that repair crews finished their work on a secondary pipeline sabotaged last Wednesday and reaffirmed that rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) were behind.
The Sudanese authorities said that operation was carried out by JEM rebels who reached Abyei from Unity state in South Sudan. Khartoum also said that the rebels received technical support from its southern neighbour.
But the rebel group denied the accusation and said not involved in this action. At the same time “Abyei Now” a website supporting the positions of the South Sudan ruling party on Abyei, said that a group of Misseriya gunmen did the attack.
Awad Al-Jaz who was speaking on Friday after his return from the area of the attack told reporters that Sudanese oil workers repaired the damaged pipeline, adding it is now back up to full operation.
The minister stressed that Sudan’s oil supplies were not affected by the attack indicating that crude produced since the attack was redirected to reservoir tanks in the area.
Al Jaz went further to say that a group ridding a vehicle composed of four persons targeted one of the two pipeline control room management where they placed explosive devices on which is written the name of the rebel group.
The minister further said that oil worker realised the attack on the control room, which was not guarded by the army when they detected that oil pumping was diminishing gradually.
Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) last Thursday said that the area was supposed to be protected by the UNISFA peacekeepers. But the latter did not issue any statement on the incident.
Al-Jaz said a report will be prepared including the damages caused by the attack, he further called on the Sudanese to join the ranks of volunteers combatants to fight the rebels.
(ST)