الجيش السوداني يقصف ولاية اعالي النيل في جنوب السودان

SPLA accuses Sudan army of attacking its positions in Upper Nile ArticleComments (84) EmailPrintSave February 2, 2013 (JUBA) - A soldier from the South Sudanese army was killed in Upper Nile state in an alleged ground and air attacks by the armed forces of neighbouring Sudan on Saturday, the Southern military said. A picture taken on April 17, 2012 shows soldiers of the South-Sudan’s army SPLA pointing towards a circling Antonov in Heglig (Photo Getty) According to Philip Aguer, the spokesperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) carried out surprise attacks on SPLA positions in the morning hours of Saturday in Renk County in northern part of Upper Nile state . The early morning ground attack which took place between the areas of Babanis and Algoli was repulsed by the SPLA forces of Division One, he said, in which the attackers retreated. However, he said following the retreat of the SAF ground forces, the Sudan army launched air attacks from 10:30am using helicopter gunships against the SPLA positions 21 kilometers deep inside the territory of South Sudan. The attacks left one soldier killed and three others wounded he said. Adding that thousands of civilians, including women, children and the elderly have been forced to leave their homes, according to the military and local authorities. The Sudan Armed Forces "went and regrouped and came [back] at 10am but they were again pushed way”, Aguer said in a statement broadcast on state-owned South Sudan Television (SSTV). Aguer pointed out that the Sudanese war planes came at around 12:00pm noon time to provide cover. The military officer said South Sudan’s army was capable of defending the territorial integrity of the country but it would wait for political decision before deciding on what further measures to take. South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 but tensions between the two nations almost triggered a border conflict in April last year. A 2005 peace deal allowed South Sudan to opt for independence but many other aspects of the deal, such the status of disputed areas, demarcating the border have not been implemented, The two sides signed a deal in September last year that would have allowed South Sudan to resume oil exports - stopped a year ago over a transit fee dispute - and create a demilitarised buffer zone on the tense border. But implementation of the deal has stalled over security issues, with Sudan accusing the South of backing its former comrades from the civil war north of the border in South Kordofan and Blue Nile - both of which border Upper Nile state. “This is the third time the Sudanese armed forces have carried out the attack in [Upper Nile state]. They came on 26 December 2012 to kidnap farmers and took away all personal belongings including sorghum. They went and came again two weeks later. Now they came today”, he further said. Khartoum consistently says that it does not bomb Southern territory but does attack rebels as they move from South Sudan across the border. Juba denies backing the SPLM-N rebels in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, which in 2011 formed a coalition with the main Darfur rebel groups Upper Nile state’s minister of information, Philip Jaden confirmed the attack and said the Southern government "un#####ocally condemned" the act on its territory and called on international community to hold Sudan responsible for the killing. He said that crossing into territory of another sovereign state was a violation of international law. Minister Jaden further added that the state government considered Saturday’s attack as a violation of not only the September agreement but also non aggression pact the two sides signed in 2012, preventing the two armies from carrying out attacks or providing support to rebels on the other side of the border. "The Security Council of the United Nations should come out clearly and hold the government of Sudan responsible for such provocative behaviour. The intention of Sudan is to return the two countries to war. The response of the United Nations should, therefore not just be condemnation but it must roll out clear action plans and take serious measures against the government of Sudan", Jaden told Sudan Tribune on Saturday. South Sudan’s minister of information and broadcasting, Barnaba Marial Benjamin said he was still waiting for full report from the state authorities but that the “unprovoked act" and "unacceptable”. “We have not received full report from the state but we are not surprised of the behaviour of the government of Sudan. We are dealing with unprovoked attacks targeting mainly civilian population in areas deeply inside territory of a sovereign country. Such acts blatantly violates the international law and sovereignty of another country and is unacceptable”, said minister Marial. The government’s official spokesperson also did not say whether his country would respond to the attack but said the country has the territorial right to “defend its sovereignty and its land". (ST)