Khartoum speaks about limited clashes with S. Sudan army in Heglig

August 5, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – A military spokesperson of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) said that limited clashes occurred Monday with Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in Heglig near the border between the two countries.

According to SAF spokesperson, Al-Sawarmi Khaled, the military confrontation took place on Monday afternoon when a SPLA patrol got few kilometres inside the Sudanese area of Heglig, an oil producing area not far from the border between South Kordofan and the South Sudanese Unity states.

“At 3:00 p.m. (1200 GMT) today[Monday], a patrol from South Sudanese army sneaked across the joint border at Tashween site, getting a few kilometres into our territory in Heglig area”, Khaled said.

He added that a Sudanese soldier was killed and two others injured while the SPLA patrol pulled back to South Sudan.

In April 2012, the South Sudanese army seized the oil producing area during 10 days before to withdraw its troops under international pressure preventing a return to all-out war between the two sides.

The spokesperson said that the leadership of both armies contained the clashes and the situation on the border is now stable.

But Phillip Aguer, the spokesperson for the southern army said he was not aware of the Monday incident, adding that investigations will be launched in to the matter.

“Am not sure if such a clash occurred. I will investigate and inform you,” he told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.

Heglig or Panthou, which is located at 23 km from Unity state, is claimed by the South Sudan but the African Union mediation refused to include it in the disputed areas.

The two countries reconfirmed recently their commitment to deploy joint patrols to monitor the border and to establish a demilitarized zone on the disputed areas.

They also vowed to stop supporting rebel groups from both sides and to open 10 crossing points on the border to facilitate the movement of people and goods between the two sides.

(ST)