Sudan monitors hostile miliary movements in the East

KHARTOUM, August 01, 2004 (SUNA) — Spokesman of the Armed Forces and Deputy chief of Staff for Orientation, Gen. Mohamed Bashir Suleiman, has affirmed the existence of hostile military movements in east Sudan.

In a press conference Sunday, Gen. Suleiman said that the Armed Forces is following up these movements which included opposition fmovements of east Sudan, especially the Beja Congress and the Free Lions’ Movement, in collaboration with the Justice and Equality Movement of Darfur.

He said that the military movements in east Sudan were intended to weaken the Armed Forces and to weaken its concentration by opening of a new front in the east. Gen. Suleiman stressed the Armed Forces’ capability to abort the conspiracy in a manner, which guarantees the nation’s interest.

Meanwhile, Gen. Suleiman described the recent armed conflict in the Upper Nile State as a tribal conflict between factions at the area. He explained that forces of Lam Akol were behind instigation of the conflict, describing these forces as undisciplined.

He said that Sudan is committed to its military protocol with Uganda, adding that this protocol is still valid, adding that the protocol allows the Ugandan forces to pursue the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) inside the Sudanese territories.

Gen. Suleiman said that despite this protocol there is a red line for the movements of the Ugandan Forces in the Sudanese territories. He said that the Armed Forces will not get involved in war with the Lord Resistance Army unless it stages attack against it.