Sudan’s NCP declares situation in S. Kordofan an "armed mutiny"
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June 8, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The leadership council of the ruling
National Congress Party (NCP) headed by president Omer Hassan
Al-Bashir on Wednesday discussed the military escalation in South
Kordofan state between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan
People Liberation Army (SPLA).
JPEG - 28.7 kb
Northern military spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khaled Sa’ad speaks during a
joint news conference with Deputy of Sudanese Army Intelligence
Sideque Amer Hassan in Khartoum May 20, 2011 (Reuters)
The clashes started over the weekend but both sides exchanged blame
over who fired the first shot. The SPLM said that the fighting
occurred when SAF attempted to disarm SPLA fighters by force.
The Northern army has given June 1st as deadline for SPLA in Blue Nile
and South Kordofan states to withdraw its forces south of the 1956
borders.
But the Southern ex-rebels responded by saying this not possible as
the fighters in those two states are actually Northerners.
The NCP today declared that situation in South Kordofan is an "armed
mutiny" and a breach of the law by the SPLM supported by foreign
powers and some internal opposition movements who are working to
further ambitions of some SPLM figures.
Sudan official news agency (SUNA) said that the NCP concluded that
this plot cannot be resolved through political dialogue with those who
are carrying out killings.
Nafie Ali Nafie, deputy NCP chairman, was quoted by SUNA as saying
that SAF and other uniformed forces are given a free hand in other
parts of the state besides Kadugli which he said is under SAF control.
SAF spokesperson Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad said in a statement that
situation in Kadugli is under full control of the army and that the
city has been secured.
He added that SPLM leading figure and former deputy governor
Abdel-Aziz Al-Hilu has left Kadugli and headed to Karangu which is 20
kilometers southwest of the capital town.
The state’s governor Ahmed Haroun in an interview with Sudan Radio
Service (SRS) acknowledged the gravity of the situation in his state.
“The situations have worsened and developed in an unfortunate way,
from the side of our brothers in the SPLM. Yesterday [Monday] we held
constructive and fruitful meetings led to coming up with a clear road
map to address the security situation in the state" Haroun said.
"Unfortunately, while we were escorting the delegation to the airport,
shooting started at one of our patrols. In the beginning it seemed it
have started randomly, however since this morning [Wednesday] the
situation has changed to an aggression act against our forces and
people inside Kadugli town. Also there are some other areas that have
witnessed targeting to a SAF unit in the JIU” he added.
Last month Haroun, wanted by the International Criminal Court for war
crimes in the western region of Darfur, was declared the winner of
Southern Kordofan state’s elections. Despite allegations of fraud by
the SPLM, which fielded Al-Hilu to run against him. international
monitors endorsed the results.
The fighting on Wednesday expanded to nearby areas which led to one
death and several injuries. There was an exchange of fire with the
guards at the house of the ex-mayor of Abu-Gabaiha locality who
installed himself as commander of the area.
The SPLM in Southern Kordofan yesterday claimed that NCP militias
targeted citizens killing a number of citizens. It further said that
they attacked the SPLM office, burning it and stealing from it.
Multiple sources told Sudan Tribune that about 8,000 people from
Kadugli chose to camp near the United Nations office for protection
from the flames amid deteriorating humanitarian situation due to lack
of food and security.
Afaf Taour Kafi, an NCP MP in South Kordofan, said that bodies are
lying on the streets of Kadugli describing the situation as "urban
warfare". She added that residents have gone three days without
electricity or water.
She accused SPLM of wreaking havoc in the localities before entering
the state capital.
The SPLM Secretary General in North Sudan Yasir Arman told Reuters
that they want an immediate ceasefire.
"We call for an immediate ceasefire, and to start dialogue
immediately," Arman said.
"The leadership of the SPLM north is ever-ready to sit with the
National Congress Party to get a solution that will bring permanent
peace ... Disarming the SPLA north, if it continues, will bring a big
crisis," he added.
The president of South Sudan Salva Kiir in a speech to the head of
legislative assemblies in the South accused SAF of targeting the Nuba
mountain people who are serving as part of the SPLA on the border
areas.
He said that disarming them should have been done a long time ago
through the the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR)
program.
Southern Kordofan has the most productive oilfields that will be left
in the north after the split, which could see Khartoum lose up to 75
percent of Sudan’s 500,000 barrels per day of oil output.
(ST)
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