In spite of a humiliating chase through Panthou/Heglig, the Khartoum’s regime lies to its citizens
By Maker M. Marial, USA MAY 14/2012, SSN; In a hasty response to Sudan SAF’s coordinated air and ground assault on Jau, Pan Akuach and Teshwin on April 10, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) pursued the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) through Panthou (Heglig). The whitewashed Sudanese soldiers couldn’t have a chance to hold their ground in their main base thereafter and were pushed out of their position to more than 40 kilometers north of the town as a consequence. The run after of SAF then ended in Kharasana, where fighting continued for the next 10 days. Defeated decisively, SAF abandoned more than 120 military vehicles; thousands of heavy and light weapons, ammunitions; a large amount of fuel and a good number of unspecified materials. This victory let the SPLA re-stockpiled its military arsenal without spending any penny -- the former leader of SPLM/A Dr. John Garang called this “a purchase in the black market.” SAF was still losing more military equipment to SPLA as it continued with its cross-border incursions days after SPLA withdrew from the town. Some 500 SAF men were killed as they were repulsed. The overall death toll on the SAF later rose to 3,500 of the 30,000 well equipped troops stationed in the vicinity of the border town as fighting continued for the next 10 days. The SPLA lost 112 soldiers throughout the conflict – SAF exaggerated this number in a mere propaganda by giving contracting numbers of 400 and 1,200. SAF was still incurring loses in humans and materials, the latest being Tuesday of last week when it lost 27 men and five trucks after it crossed the border and attacked SPLA’s positions in Hufre in Unity State and were beaten off. This incident was preceded by countless attacks where SAF suffered serious losses following the SPLA withdrawal from Heglig or Panthou. It’s believed that SAF’s casualties could be more than the figure already known if it releases its dead. Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) unsuccessfully attempted to force SPLA out of Heglig and other areas along the border by launching seven major assaults but they lost all of them. This offensive resulted in SAF incurring profound casualties as battle intensified mainly around Kharasana and along the border. Overrunning and defending Panthou/Heglig for 10 days proves beyond doubt that the SPLA had a capability of marching northward if it was in their interest to overthrow the ruthless regime in Khartoum. Faced with major and repeated defeats in the battle field, the Islamists’ regime of Omar al-Bashir was frantically trying everything possible to regain the town and prevent possible escalation of violence to other areas within South Kordofan. This included surge in diplomacy with false information to mislead the world, call for nationwide paramilitary and mujahedeen mobilization, and war rhetoric speeches. The regime’s half truths to the international community were aimed at garnering an enormous worldwide support so the government of South Sudan was pressured to pull out its troops from the area it had conquered. As a result, the occupation of Panthou (Heglig) by the SPLA on April 10 dealt a big blow to the Islamists’ regime in Khartoum after it was captured in a similar circumstance on March, 26 and was held briefly before the SPLA withdraw voluntarily. The invasion of Panthou added to similar defeats of SAF in the Nuba Mountain and Blue Nile where Sudan People’s Liberation Army – North and Sudan Revolutionary Front have been gaining grounds, and now controlling more than 90 percent of the area. SPLA withdrawal from Panthou(Heglig) On Friday, April 20th, the Commander-in-Chief of the SPLA, and President of South Sudan Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit ordered the withdrawal of troops from Panthou. He did so in compliance with the international community’s demand. “In conformity with the United Nations Security Council Presidential Statement and in response to appeals by the world leaders and to create an environment for the resumption of dialogue with Sudan; The Republic of South Sudan announces that SPLA troops have been ordered to withdraw from Panthou (Heglig),” Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, the Spokesman of the Government of South Sudan and Minister of Information, read the press release from the office of the President this afternoon in Juba. “An orderly withdrawal will commence immediately and shall be completed within three days,” he added. (www.newsudanvision.com). The withdrawal was ordered because the authorities in Juba believed that the issue of Panthou and other contested areas should be settled by peaceful means rather than through military confrontations. For this reason, the invasion of Panthou was just a security concern, after nine months of repeated provocation from north. The SPLA announced its completion of withdrawal on April 23 as ordered. It did so in its own accord without any pressure from SAF as the regime in Khartoum claims. The regime’s claim of forcing SPLA out of Heglig was just a plain party line aimed at covering up SAF’s shameful defeats in the oil-rich border town. “Tactically, the SPLA could have stayed in Heglig – militarily, it certainly could have done,” Western military source said (www.allafrica.com). “The Southern military is stronger than many realize – the SPLA is organized, battle-hardened, and, by all counts, far better equipped than it was when it fought Khartoum during the civil war” (www.theatlantic.com). Celebrations in Khartoum Just two hours after the Government of South Sudan announced that it was withdrawing its troop from the town; the Sudan Defense Minister Abdul Raheem Mohammed Hussein announced in his speech broadcasted on state television that “the armed forces have managed to liberated Heglig town” (Reuters, April 20). Sudan’s armed forces have “liberated” Heglig, Sudan’s defense minister said on Friday, shortly after South Sudan announced it had started an unconditional withdrawal from the disputed oil-producing region”. (Al Arabiya With AGENCIES, April 20). He also admitted publicly that the fighting in the oil-rich border town had cost his country huge losses in humans and materials. A moment later after the announcement, the streets of Khartoum were filled with celebrations, President Bashir and his entire cabinet also joined in. the State owned, Sudan TV also began broadcasting some well-watched YouTube videos, and claimed to be SAF celebrating in Heglig. The patriotic songs and images of what appeared to be of dead mujahedeen in previous battles were also played. All this was preceded by daily broadcasts of phony images of the SAF celebrating in Heglig and misinformation by the regime that SAF had retaken the oil-rich border town during the 10-day occupation. Khartoum’s claim of having “liberated” Heglig was subsequently proven erroneous the following morning when the regime’s sponsored trip to the oil-rich town was canceled unexpectedly. The journalists who turned up at the airport in Khartoum on Saturday April 21st were told that the airport in Heglig was not conducive for landing. In reality, that trip to Heglig didn’t take place until later on Monday. Again in an attempt to cover up regime’s blatant lying game to the Sudanese citizens, the Sudan’s Defense Minister admitted unenthusiastically that SAF was not still in control of the town but was just moving in slowly to avoid damaging the remaining oil-facility in the town. What did South achieve in Panthou/Heglig’s 10-day Occupation? With this key victory, the SPLA proved to South Sudanese citizens that it was the army that could protect the territorial integrity of South Sudan and its citizens even without it its own air power. South Sudan will have leverage at the negotiating table because the Khartoum regime’s hope for victory in the battlefields had been proven difficult. The AU, UN and international community that had been reluctant to condemn the nine months constant provocation from north will now work hard to find a quick and an amicable solution to the problem between the two rival countries. SAF will withdraw from Abyei and other contested areas it controls unconditionally Borders will be demarcated and the regime will not renege on any agreement anymore. President Bashir will now begin to listen to his military, and oppositions who always caution him against launching unprovoked war against south as a way to solve the outstanding issues. Late last year about 750 senior military officers refused to submit to Bashir’s demand that they should come up with a war plan against neighboring south. Similarly, Sudan’s former Prim minister, Al-Sidiq al-Mahdi warned Bashir against talks of war against South and said that South Sudan was capable of overthrowing the regime in Khartoum if people were not careful. The nationalism in south has been reactivated, and South Sudanese wherever they are will not hastate to defend their country against aggression should the country come under attack from the north again. Why SPLA Seized Heglig? The most serious episodes leading up to the invasion of Panthou/Heglig began on March 26 when Sudan air force bombarded disputed territories controlled by south, and again on April 9, when the northern military began shelling Teshwin, South Sudanese town near Panthou/Heglig. Three weeks earlier, the Sudan air force had bombed oil fields inside Unity State following air attacks on Yida Refugee Camp, home to refugees from Nuba Mountains back in November of last year. On March 26, President Omar al-Bashir cancelled an upcoming meeting with his southern counterpart, Salva Kiir, in Juba. And on April 7, the regime in Khartoum announced its plan to strip South Sudanese of citizenship – reneging from an initial informal agreement reached earlier in the week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. However, with all this aggression, Juba’s response had been a self-restrained. This has been largely ignored by the world as it became tired of this serious provocation and responded decisively by taking over Heglig. It’s regrettable that Juba was not recognized for its patience, and unsympathetically condemned instead; even by the countries it calls its allies. In reality, South Sudan’s convulsion of the Panthou/Heglig was to put an end to Khartoum’s bombing campaign against its territories, and settling of border issues through violent blackmail. It’s a sad thing though to see the world turning against this innocent country and calling it an aggressor while turning a blind eye to the real antagonist which is led by the war criminal wanted in the International Criminal Court (ICC). This regime has killed over millions of South Sudanese during two decades civil war, killed over 300,000 innocent civilians in Darfur, and now it is killing the people of Nuba Mountain and Blue Nile. It has denied humanitarian aids to reach the war affected civilians in these two areas. It invaded Abyei in May 2011 and displaced its inhabitants. It still controls it today despite repeated calls to withdraw its troops from the area. South Sudan had bowed to the international community’s appeal to pull out its troops from Heglig and its police forces from Abyei and other contested areas. South has also announced that it had moved its forces 10 kilometer (6 miles) south of the contested border. However, Sudan’s regime has failed to comply with the UN resolution requiring both sides to withdraw their troops and cease their military hostilities against each other. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, Sudan’s air force and SAF, in violation of a UN resolution, launched fresh air and ground shelling against military and civilian targets in the states of Unity, Upper Nile and the Western Bhar El Ghazal. In spite of this provocation, however, South Sudan hasn’t responded yet; it is waiting for the reaction from the AU, UN and the entire international community. Nevertheless, should the United Nations fail to strongly condemn the regime in Khartoum for its continuing provocation against the Juba and hold it accountable for its actions then South Sudan’s military will have no choice but to respond to Khartoum’s belligerence in the most resolute manner. Maker M. Marial lives in the United States. He can be reached at [email protected] COMMENTS, PLEASE CLICK HERE Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author(s) and do not represent those of the website. -- 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.
