Posted Saturday, April 14th, 2012 at 2:50 am
Sudan says it has launched a counterattack toward a key town in a major oil-producing region, occupied earlier this week by South Sudanese forces.
Army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad Friday said Sudanese forces were getting close to Heglig.
The office of South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir, has said the south will pull back from Heglig if a “clear mechanism and guarantee” are provided so Sudan cannot use the area to attack the south.
It says neutral forces could be deployed until Sudan and South Sudan reach a settlement on the oil-producing area.
The Secretary-General of the South Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement , Pagan Amum, wants the U.N. to deploy peacekeepers in the region and set up a system to monitor if both sides are following a peace agreement.
Amum complained that Sudan is waging indiscriminate air attacks on civilians, but is not capable of fighting.
Southern forces took control of Heglig on Tuesday, prompting accusations of aggression from the north.
South Sudan's defense minister said Friday that both countries are sending more troops to the frontline after a week of clashes and escalating tension.
The United Nations Security Council has called for a halt to the clashes, which have raised concerns the two Sudans could slip into a full-scale war.
On Wednesday, Sudan announced it was pulling out of talks with South Sudan because of the takeover of Heglig. The south is rejecting calls from the African Union and United Nations to leave the town.
The south says Sudanese warplanes dropped several bombs Thursday near the southern city of Bentiu, killing a soldier.
The African Union has tried to mediate disputes between the two Sudans stemming from the south's independence last year. But the talks in Ethiopia have made little progress.
Key issues include borders, the sharing of oil revenue, and the status of nationals in each other's territory.
Both countries have suggested renewed conflict is possible. Before their separation, north and south Sudan fought a 21-year civil war that ended with a 2005 peace agreement.
Newer articles:
- S. Sudan army says still in control of disputed oil hub - Jakarta Globe - 14/04/2012 12:00
- President of Niger Denounces South Sudan Agression on Sudan - Sudan Vision - 14/04/2012 11:50
- Sudan troops advance to disputed town - Globe and Mail - 14/04/2012 11:28
- Forced conscription takes place in volatile S. Sudan - The Citizen Daily - 14/04/2012 08:55
- Heglig crisis dominates Friday's prayer sermons in Sudan - Sudan Tribune - 14/04/2012 08:54
Older news items
- International peacekeepers prerequisite to withdraw South Sudan troops - Kiir - Sudan Tribune - 14/04/2012 06:00
- Battle scars strategic southern Sudan town - Pakistan Daily Times - 14/04/2012 00:00
- Sudan To Dominate First-Ever African Security Forum - Voice of America - 13/04/2012 20:17
- Sudan army says advancing toward Heglig town - swissinfo.ch - 13/04/2012 20:00
- S.Sudan: Japan firm completes Kenya pipeline study - Reuters - 13/04/2012 19:01
Latest news items (all categories):
- إلى متى ينظر الجميع إلى الفيل و يطعنون ظله..؟ - 15/05/2024 21:51
- SOUTH SUDAN - Peace negotiations in Kenya: Not everyone is convinced of the initiative - 14/05/2024 20:40
- ‘Difficult choices’: The particular vulnerability of children with disabilities in South Sudan - 14/05/2024 20:35
- Uganda in talks with China's Sinohydro over power line to South Sudan - 14/05/2024 20:31
- What South Sudan Can Learn from Neighboring Gold Producers - 14/05/2024 20:27
See also (all categories):
Random articles (all categories):
- Did Uganda just acknowledge presence of Rwandan rebels operating from its soil? - 25/02/2022 23:41
- Kenya sells a political solution to bloc’s row on monetary institute - 11/12/2023 02:10
- Journalists Trained on Gender Responsive Reporting in Juba - 25/08/2021 19:58
- Pangolins are a victim of political instability in South Sudan - 21/11/2019 09:56
- South Sudan: UN Mission welcomes deal to resolve conflict in long-troubled Pibor - 15/05/2014 01:01
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 35342 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 21874 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 20767 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 17442 times
- With prisons full, South Sudan to introduce mobile courts to clear backlog of cases - 11/10/2012 11:29 - Read 14231 times