---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:11:08 +0300 Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] Fw: SAF aerial bombing spreads to Unity State To: Group <[email protected]>
1. SAF air raid kills 5 civilians in Sudan’s Unity state: official By Bonifacio Taban Kuic June 9 2011 (BENTIU) – The northern Sudanese Army Forces (SAF) have bombarded Parieng County of South Sudan’s Unity state that borders South Kordofan state in the North in the early hours of Thursday, an official here said today. The airstrike comes in the wake of SAF military operations in South Kordofan against units from Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) since last weekend. Mabeak Lang Bilkuey commissioner of Parieng County told Sudan Tribune on Thursday evening that the heavy bombardments was targeting the division 9 of SPLA at Jaw payam [district] leaving 5 civilians dead and 15 seriously wounded. Jaw payam which is about 45 kilometers from Parieng town experienced three hours of bombardments by the SAF on Thursday, he said. Bilkuey added that over 2,000 civilians have fled the area toward Parieng County. The commissioner claimed that the SPLA had taken control of over 13 towns within the South Kordofan state, saying this is why they decided to launch air attacks in Unity state against civilians "who have no connection with any of these conflicts between both armies". Bilkuey called upon citizens to demonstrate on Friday so that the world observes "the barbaric air attack by the Sudanese Army Forces on the innocent civilians". The Unity state government has condemned the air raid as an "unlawful act" committed by the Khartoum government. Fighting between SAF and SPLA erupted in South Kordofan’s state capital of Kadugli and surrounding areas which both sides traded blame for starting it. The clashes came after northern officials said that all SPLA soldiers must move south of the border despite the SPLA soldiers in South Kordofan and Blue Nile state not being southern Sudanese. Southern Kordofan, an oil-producing state which lies in northern territory, has long been seen as a flashpoint because it is home to thousands of fighters who fought alongside the south against Khartoum during the last civil war. The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) declared yesterday that the events in the state are an "armed rebellion" and will be dealt with militarily. South Sudan is wary of being embroiled in a war that could derail the region’s official independence day of July 9 and as such insisted that it has no intention of going to war with the North despite the recent military escalation. (ST) END1 2. South Sudan accuses north of air attack on village * South's army says preparing for ground attack "any time" * Army says three civilians killed in bombing By Jeremy Clarke Fri Jun 10, 2011 11:58am GMT JUBA, Sudan, June 10 (Reuters) - South Sudan's army on Friday accused Khartoum of bombing a southern border village, and said southern forces were preparing to defend against any possible ground attack. The south is preparing to secede on July 9 and fears of fresh fighting between the two long-standing rivals grew after the north seized the disputed Abyei region on May 21. Northern forces and southern-aligned armed groups have also been fighting for nearly a week in northern-run oil state Southern Kordofan, which borders Abyei and southern Unity state. Philip Aguer, spokesman for the south's Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army (SPLA), said the northern military was trying to occupy areas near the border whose exact position is yet to be decided. "There has been an air bombardment by northern forces in Unity state, in the morning yesterday and again in the afternoon. Three people were killed in the morning," Aguer said. The three dead were civilians, he said. "We are expecting not only air attacks but also ground forces. We know their forces are moving from Abyei towards Unity state ... We are getting ready to defend ourselves. Our forces near the border are on maximum alert and are expecting an attack any time," he added. A spokesman for the northern army was not immediately available to comment. South Sudan voted to secede in a January referendum promised by a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of brutal civil war between the north and south. That vote went more smoothly and peacefully than many analysts and humanitarian groups had predicted, but a continued lack of agreement between the two sides on unresolved questions such as the position of the border has complicated the split. Abyei, long a centrepiece of the north-south divide, has been one of the most contentious issues. The fertile, oil-producing region is used all year by the south-linked Dinka Ngok people and part of the year by northern Misseriya nomads. Khartoum took control of area with tanks and troops nearly three weeks ago, following an attack on a convoy of northern soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers that was blamed on southern forces. The north's advance caused tens of thousands of people to flee and sparked an international outcry. Northern government forces have been fighting armed groups in the volatile Southern Kordofan border state for nearly a week. Thousands of people have been displaced there, according to the United Nations. (Writing by Alexander Dziadosz; Editing by Louise Ireland) END2 3. BBC 10 June 2011 Last updated at 11:50 GMT Sudan: SPLA accuses Khartoum of bombing Unity State Sudan's military has bombed a village in an oil-rich southern region, southern officials say, as tensions increase ahead of the south's independence next month. Three people were killed in the raid on Unity State, in a move to take control of the region's oil fields, the south's military spokesman said. Some 140,000 people have fled recent fighting near the border, the UN says. Sudan's north-south conflict left some 1.5 million dead over two decades. The war ended with a 2005 peace deal, under which the mainly Christian and animist south held a referendum in January on whether to secede from the largely Arabic-speaking, Muslim north. Some 99% of voters opted for independence - and President Omar al-Bashir had said he would accept the verdict of the south, where most of Sudan's oil fields lie. But last month, his forces seized the disputed town of Abyei and there have also been recent clashes in South Kordofan state, which is in the north but is home to many pro-south communities. Aid agencies looted South Sudan's military spokesman Philip Aguer told the AFP news agency that the bombing of Unity State was a move to seize the region's oil. "SAF [Sudan Armed Forces] aircraft bombed the area of Yau, in Unity state, many times on Thursday," he said, adding that the attacks had continued on Friday. "This area is deep inside South Sudan and is a move by Khartoum to control the area and create a de facto border to control our oil fields." Between 30,000 and 40,000 people have fled recent fighting just across the north-south border in South Kordofan, the UN says. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said that aid agency offices had been looted in the region's capital, Kadugli and that many aid workers were among those who had fled their homes, reports the AP news agency. END3 ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan Advisor Sudan Ecumenical Forum [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +249 919 695 362 (Sudan mobile) +27 82 853 3556 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. 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