SAF attack SPLA position in Panakuach, Unity state
Article
Comments (54)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
By Bonifacio Taban Kuich
April 29, 2012 (BENTIU) - The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) launched an
attack on a South Sudan army (SPLA) position in Panakuach, Unity
state, leaving four injured on Sunday. The event was witnessed by a
group of visiting journalists.
JPEG - 67.8 kb
Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers drive in a truck on
the frontline in Panakuach on April 24. (Goran Tomasevic / Reuters)
Speaking to Sudan Tribune on Sunday, the SPLA’s 4th division
commander, James Gatduel Gatluak, confirmed the SAF attack, describing
it as a violation of the international community’s calls for a
cessation of hostilities between Juba and Khartoum, through peaceful
negotiation.
Gatluak added that South Sudan is willing to engage in peace talks
with its northern neighbour and that Juba’s policy is to avoid
conflict, but would act in self-defence if necessary. Juba, he added,
is still waiting for the international community to respond to SAF’s
attacks.
This was a reiteration of comments made by South Sudan’s vice
president, Riek Machar, on 23 April. Machar said that South Sudan was
for a peaceful resolution to the border conflict with neighbouring
Sudan but warned that should Khartoum continue with its acts of
aggression, Juba will respond in kind.
Gatluak described Sunday’s events as the fourth such attack carried
out by SAF since the SPLA withdrew from the contested, oil-producing
Heglig.
The UN, African Union (AU), European Union (EU), US and other members
of the international community have condemned Juba’s occupation of the
oil-rich area and called for an immediate withdrawal.
If SAF continues to attack South Sudan, the SPLA will re-occupy
Heglig, Gatluak said. He added the international community must "mark
this very clear, they shouldn’t blame us again because the South Sudan
government honored the request and still the Sudanese government do
not give ear to the world."
Previous bombing raids in Unity State have been condemned by the UN
Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon; UN Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika
Coomaraswamy; and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General
for South Sudan, Hilde F. Johnson.
Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir on 23 April said that the time for
discussion was over and that Juba only understood armed conflict.
Khartoum and Juba blame one-another for the damage incurred to the
Heglig oil infrastructure.
(ST)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"South Sudan Info - The Kob" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
