HEREWARD HOLLAND
Reuters
South Sudan has accused its neighbour Sudan of bombing its troops as they pulled out of the disputed oil region of Heglig, dampening already faint hopes of any imminent settlement between the bitter foes.
The newly-independent South seized Heglig last week, raising fears of an all-out war with Sudan, then announced it had started withdrawing on Friday, following sharp criticism from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
"The Sudan armed forced bombed our positions last night ... and this morning with Antonovs," South Sudan's army spokesman Philip Aguer told Reuters.
"Last night we were in full control of Heglig and now we have almost completed our orderly withdrawal," he added.
There was no immediate response from Sudan's army which said on Friday it had "liberated" Heglig by force.
Tensions have been rising since South Sudan split away from Sudan as an independent country in July, under the terms of a 2005 deal, taking with it most of the country's known oil reserves.
The countries are still at loggerheads over the position of their shared border and other disputes have already halted nearly all the oil production that underpins both economies.
In Bentiu, a major town on the South's side of the border, about two hours' drive away from Heglig, a long queue of military trucks could be seen. A group of wounded soldiers sat on beds outside a hospital packed with patients.
South Sudan secured its independence in a referendum promised in the 2005 peace accord that ended decades of civil war between Khartoum and the south. Religion, ethnicity and oil fuelled that conflict that killed about 2 million people.
The recent tensions between Sudan and South Sudan have been fuelled by a dispute over how much the landlocked South should pay to export oil via pipelines and other infrastructure in Sudan.
Juba shut down its roughly 350,000 barrel-a-day output in January, accusing Sudan of seizing some of its crude. Oil accounted for about 98 percent of the South's state revenues.
Limited access to the remote border conflict areas makes it difficult to verify the often contradicting statements from both sides.
- Reuters
Newer articles:
- Muslim mob torches Khartoum church - Danbury News Times - 22/04/2012 13:37
- Juba withdraws from Sudanese oil field - Independent Online - 22/04/2012 13:15
- Sudan oil infrastructure hit in border fight: monitor - Reuters - 22/04/2012 12:00
- Sudan oil infrastructure hit in border fight - Emirates 24/7 - 22/04/2012 12:00
- Muslim mob torches Khartoum church - Bradenton Herald - 22/04/2012 12:00
Older news items
- South Sudan's Accuses Sudan of Bombing Oil Facility - Tripoli Post - 22/04/2012 11:29
- Sudan's army says routed rebel forces around Talodi - Sudan Tribune - 22/04/2012 11:21
- Sudan says Juba pleaded with mediators to prevent bombardment of its troops in ... - Sudan Tribune - 22/04/2012 10:55
- Governor of South Sudan Lakes state replaces deputy - Sudan Tribune - 22/04/2012 09:09
- South Sudan says troops bombed during flashpoint pullout - Chicago Tribune - 21/04/2012 19:13
Latest news items (all categories):
- South Sudan Transitional Government’s Perpetual Extension of Its Mandate ‘Ultimate Obstacle to Democracy - 08/11/2024 17:11
- Salva Kiir: South Sudan’s president fought for independence, but then fuelled division, violence and corruption - 08/11/2024 16:56
- Alarming spike in childhood malaria admissions in South Sudan - 08/11/2024 16:55
- Presidents of South Sudan and Kenya push for a resolution in stalled peace talks - 08/11/2024 16:51
- Christian Aid Christmas Appeal: Rebuilding lives in South Sudan - 08/11/2024 16:45
See also (all categories):
Random articles (all categories):
- Don’t apply here: Why NGO hiring practices are sparking protests in South Sudan - 08/12/2021 15:40
- Sleeping in a swamp: South Sudan civilians struggle to survive - 15/10/2014 06:00
- South Sudan close to famine, facing “toughest year” - 07/03/2018 14:55
- عيد الاستقلال باي طعم سياتي؟ - 18/05/2011 01:00
- South Sudan: Night Club Diplomacy by Gaslight - 14/01/2014 10:46
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 56563 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22173 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 21303 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 18741 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 17631 times