Tensions mount between Sudan, S Sudan

KHARTOUM - Tensions mounted between Sudan and South Sudan after renewed military clashes on their joint borderline despite a resolution by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that urged the two sides to end hostilities.

The clashes between the Sudanese and South Sudan's armies and Darfur rebels have recently extended to cover border areas and other areas in the depth of Darfur region which has been suffering a civil war since 2003.

"Fierce battles took place between the Sudanese army and South Sudan's army on the border between the two countries after which Khartoum's forces have managed to repulse the southern Sudan's forces and their alliance from the Darfur rebels," said the Sudanese army in a statement late Wednesday evening.

The statement added that the Sudanese armed forces have managed to control Kafan Deby area and fully secured it after fierce battles and then moved on to an area some 50 km south of Kafan Deby where they defeated the remnants of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and their supporters and drove them out of the area.

"The armed forces have continued their operations in South Darfur State to repulse the SPLA remnants and their supporters from the rebels of Khalil Ibrahim, Minni Minnawi and Abdul-Wahid movements and drive them outside our international border," the statement added.

The revolutionary front, an alliance which brings together Darfur armed movements and the SPLA/northern sector, has earlier announced that it had controlled Greda town in South Darfur.

South Sudan in turn accused the Sudanese army of bombarding areas within South Sudan and threatened to file a complaint to the UNSC against Sudan.

South Sudan's Information Minister Barnaba Benjamin on Wednesday told reporters that a number of southern Sudanese areas were targets of airstrikes by the Sudanese army during the past 48 hours.

He said that the strikes were launched on Tuesday and Wednesday at Blue Nile and Western Bahral-Ghazal States, adding that the move was a violation to the UNSC resolution and that South Sudan would file a complaint in this respect.

The UNSC on Tuesday adopted a resolution demanding Sudan and South Sudan to "immediately cease all hostilities, including aerial bombardments, with the parties formally conveying their commitment in this respect to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the President of the Security Council not later than 48 hours from the adoption of this resolution."

The resolution further asked Sudan and South Sudan to " unconditionally withdraw all of their armed forces to their side of the border, in accordance with previously adopted Agreements."

The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) on April 24 issued a resolution in which it asked the UNSC to support its demands for Sudan and South Sudan to stop hostilities within 48 hours, resume negotiations within two weeks and complete the peace agreement in three months' time.

The Sudanese government earlier announced its acceptance to halt all hostilities with South Sudan in response to a UN resolution.

"The Sudanese government will commit to what has been mentioned in the resolution regarding the cessation of hostilities with South Sudan," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

However, the statement reiterated that Sudan has the right to respond to any aggression targeting its lands.

Sudan and South Sudan are disputing over five border points, and each is accusing the other of supporting the rebel groups in the other country.