Sudan won’t relinquish 14-Mile to South Sudan: Bashir
March 19, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The incumbent president and candidate of the ruling National Congress Party for a new mandate reassured East Darfur tribes that his government will not give up the disputed area of 14-Mile to South Sudan.
In a speech delivered at an electoral rally held in the capital of east Darfur El Daein on Thursday, Bashir hailed the participation of the Rizeigat in the war against the South Sudanese rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
He further rejected South Sudan’s claim over 14-Mile border area and pledged not to concede an inch of the contested grazing area located South to Bahar Al-Arab or Kiir river.
“For those who dare to claim the ownership of 14-Mile, we tell them that this 14-Mile is not yours. Our border includes 14-Mile area and we will not give up an inch of this territory,” he said.
Sudan says the region is part of its territory since the British rule and refers to an agreement reached in 1924 by two colonial commissioners of Bahr el-Ghazall and Darfur giving the Rizeigat 40 mile of grazing land south to the Bahr al-Arab/Kiir river.
Bashir also denounced the continuation of the tribal conflict between the Ma’alia and Rizeigat over land ownership and called on two nomadic groups to end this old dispute.
The former officer of the Sudanese army criticised the failure of the traditional leaders of the two tribes to end the conflict during all the past year adding he learnt about it in 1967 when he visited Adila and Abu Karnika at that time.
over 500 people were killed from both sides since the eruption of the tribal clashes in July 2013. The conflict between the Ma’alia and Rizeigat also displaced un to 55,000 civilians.
(ST)