Juba seeks foreign intervention over air attack by Sudan

April 12, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese government said it would seek regional and continental intervention over the recent air attacks carried out in its territory by warplanes from the neighbouring Sudan.

South Sudan’s foreign affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that his country needed help over the aggression and therefore sought to secure immediate regional intervention to avert deterioration of ties with its northern neighbour.

Officials from South Sudan said Sudanese warplanes on Wednesday bombed different locations in Western and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states which left a number of civilians dead and destroyed several buildings including a school.

Although Khartoum has not reacted to the allegations, it previously justified similar air raids which it said were in pursuit of Sudanese rebel groups which it accused Juba of harbouring and training to unleash cross border havoc inside Sudan.

But South Sudanese foreign minister Marial said such complaints would have been addressed through a mechanism established under the 2012 cooperation agreements that sought to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries.

“In the agreement, there is a joint political security mechanism, which is the body which deals with complaints and such allegations. It has a provision which allows this body to ask for assistance on the way these complaints can be addressed,” he said.

“Now it seems our partner has decided to avoid using this body and decided to use the means we have agreed to avoid, by signing non- aggression,” he lamented.

He said if the existing mechanisms under the agreement could not avoid the aggression, then there was need to call on the African Union (AU) to immediately intervene, adding that his government would not retaliate.

“We do not want to react the way they acted,” he said.

Marial further explained that his government remained committed to the 2012 security deal aimed at easing tensions at the height of indications that the two sides speak of prospects of returning to a full scale war.

The agreement, he added, encouraged both sides to work together and ensure nothing happens that might be in violation of the deal.

He claimed that his government kept to the principles of the agreement and implemented it, adding Juba ensured nothing took place from its territory that was hostile to Sudan.

The two countries have however been accusing each other of harbouring and arming their country’s rebel groups, accusations they both deny.

South Sudan split from the rest of Sudan and established an independent state in July 2011. However, many contentious issues including security arrangements and border demarcations remained unresolved.

(ST)