Sudan army says attacked by SPLA in South Kordofan
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June 6, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) on Monday
changed its earlier version about the events that took place in South
Kordofan over the weekend saying that it clashed with the Sudan People
Liberation Army (SPLA).
JPEG - 40 kb
A military truck passes by as members of the Kenana Arab tribe perform
a traditional dance after ballot boxes were sealed on the last day of
voting, at Galayat locality in South Kordofan State May 4, 2011
(Reuters)
SAF spokesperson Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad was quoted by Sudan news
agency (SUNA) as saying that on Sunday SPLA units carried a wide-scale
attack in Umm Dorain about 12km southeast of South Kordofan’s capital
state of Kadugli.
The military official said that the SAF company in the area "bravely
carried out their duties" but were overwhelmed by a large influx of
SPLA forces and were thus forced to withdraw to other positions.
The fighting led to one death and seven injuries from the SAF side,
Sa’ad revealed.
"SAF reserves its full right to respond to that in the suitable time
and place," he said.
Yesterday the Sudanese army downplayed reports of clashes in the state
saying it was an isolated incident caused by one soldier but declined
to place blame on any side.
Multiple sources told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that SAF moved tanks
south from El-Obeid and stationed them at Kadugli airport and near the
compound of the UN’s World Food Program (WFP). They also established
checkpoints on the main road heading north from Kadugli airport.
SAF tanks and heavy artillery were stationed in and around the state’s
main town of Kadugli while clashes have been reported in surrounding
villages, sources added.
There were widespread fears that SAF was moving to enforce the
ultimatum it issued last month to SPLA to move out of the states of
South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The SPLM rejected the deadline saying
units in the border regions consist of Northern soldiers.
A UN official who spoke to Sudan tribune on condition of anonymity
said that SPLA forces took over a police station in Kadugli while
others moved to control a neighborhood in the city where former deputy
governor Abdel-Aziz Al-Hilu resides.
In early May the National Congress Party (NCP), which governs North
Sudan, beat the SPLM in controversial state elections to decide the
state governor and the makeup of South Kordofan’s legislative
assembly. Incumbent NCP governor, Ahmed Haroun was reinstated in
office after defeating his deputy, the SPLM candidate Al-Hilu.
International monitors endorsed the result despite claims of fraud by
SPLM.
The SPLM has strong support in the northern border state’s of South
Kordofan and Blue Nile as many people from the areas joined the SPLA/M
in fighting Khartoum during Sudan’s second North-South’ civil war.
However with South Sudan due to secede in July after a referendum
earlier this year both states will remain north of the border and
governed by the NCP.
In late May the SAF moved to take over the neighboring disputed region
of Abyei in retaliation to an SPLA attack on one of its conveys near
the oil-rich district while being escorted by UN peacekeepers.
The North has rejected demands by the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) to withdraw and president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir declared that
Abyei belongs to the North.
WAR FEARS IN SOUTH KORDOFAN
On Monday heavy shooting took place in Kadugli close to the residence
of South Kordofan governor.
Eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune by phone that gunshots can be heard
all over Kadugli and stressing that the town is in a very tense
situation following clashes that erupted on Sunday and continued
today.
They added that SPLA soldiers came down unexpectedly from nearby
mountains and started shooting on SAF positions which prompted an
intense exchange of fire.
The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) confirmed the clashes today.
"The fighting appears to be between elements from the SAF and SPLA,"
said Kouider Zerrouk, a spokesman for UNMIS was cited as saying by
Agence France Presse (AFP).
The Secretary general of SPLM in the North Yasir Arman said in a press
release that the incidents remain "isolated" and that dialogue is
underway to resolve it. He said that the presidency created a joint
NCP-SPLM delegation, SAF and security organs which arrived in Kadugli
to meet with officials from both sides in a bid to diffuse tensions.
Arman said that the delegation established a committee to review the
situation and come up with solutions that are acceptable to both
sides. He added that Sudan’s 2nd Vice president Ali Osman Taha was in
contact with the president of South Sudan Salva Kiir to contain the
issue.
But On Tuesday heavy fighting was reported to have resumed in Kadugli.
As part of the 2005 peace deal that ended the conflict, and granted
South Sudan the right to self determination, the two states were
accorded ’popular consultations’ to consider whether the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement addressed their grievances and propose what their
future relationship with Khartoum might look like.
The much delayed processes are yet to be completed despite there being
only a little over a month until the official end of the peace deal
and South Sudan’s independence.
(ST)
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