South Sudan: Border Tensions Grow Amid Kidnappings

Khartoum — Tension is growing in the border between Sudan and the new South Sudan as governments of the two states accuse each other of attacks.

The governments in Khartoum and Juba are throwing accusations of supporting the rebels operating in their territories.

"Militants from the State of Unity have penetrated to Warrap and attacked people who were grazing, killing more than 40." the Minister of the Interior of Southern Sudan, Alison Manani Magaya has said.

"These militias are armed by the Khartoum government," added the Minister.

According to Sudan Catholic Radio, Bol Makueng, Secretary for Information of the Movement for the Liberation of the People of Sudan (SPLM), the ruling party in South Sudan, has accused authorities in Khartoum of allowing south Sudanese militias to recruit people in its territory to attack civilians in southern Sudan, Darfur and South Kordofan.

According to the leader of the SPLM, some of the recruits are trained as suicide bombers to carry out attacks against government officials in southern Sudan.

Khartoum, accuses in turn Juba, saying it helps the guerrillas operating in Darfur, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan.

In the latter State about 50 Chinese workers have been kidnapped.

The crisis is linked to the division of oil revenues, extracted from southern Sudan and exported through the infrastructure of Sudan remains.

Khartoum has called for more rights concerning the passage of its crude oil along the pipeline, which Juba rejects.

Beijing, which is the largest purchaser of local oil, is trying to mediate between the parties involved.