Thursday, March 28, 2024

Sudan Tribune

Plural news and views on Sudan

Khartoum’s army bomb South Sudan, targeting Darfur rebels

November 13, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — At least 8 people have been injured in an aerial bombardment by Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) hunting rebel forces from war torn region of Darfur in Aweil north county, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, South Sudan.

NATO_Planes.jpg
Colonel Philip Aguer Panyang, official spokesperson for Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army, on Saturday told Sudan Tribune from the regional capital of Juba that two military aircrafts belonging to the Khartoum-controlled SAF dropped bombs on southern territory in the state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal.

“I am told by our forces on the ground in Northern Bahr el Ghazal that the air attack occurred on Friday. No death causalities have been reported but there are reports that 8 civilians have sustained serious injuries. Some of these victims with light injuries are being nursed in the local clinic in Gok Machar but those with inflicted shrapnel injuries and are at critical conditions have been moved to Aweil civil hospital,” explained Panyang.

However, other southern officials have indicated that there may have been fatalities.

The senior military officer said the high military command in Juba contacted Khartoum yesterday night for explanation and were told that the bombing was part of government forces pursuing Darfur rebels the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

“We contacted central command of the Sudan Armed Forces yesterday night seeking explanation of why they bombarded our territory. The explanation they gave us in response was that they were pursuing rebel forces. They said it was not their intention to bomb our areas. They were only following routes of the Darfur rebels,” explained Panyang.

Sudan Armed Forces spokesperson Al-Sawarmi Khaled, accused the southern Sudan ruling party of supporting JEM saying the southern army (SPLA) evacuated wounded rebels to Juba and to Uganda.

Al-Sawarmi said SAF forces on Saturday attacked JEM rebels — who were trying to cross the 1956 border into south Sudan – in Meram, South Kordofan state.

The SAF spokesperson claimed the JEM fighters had withdrawn to South Sudan to receive help from the SPLA. He said the SPLA evacuated 67 injured rebels through Jaj airstrip in Bhar el-Ghazal to Juba and Uganda.

SAF spokesperson stressed this support is a clear violation of the military and security protocols of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), between the Khartoum government and the former rebel SPLM/A.

Helping JEM hinders government efforts to achieve peace in Darfur, Al-Sawarmi added.

Ahmed Hussein Adam, JEM spokesperson speaking to Sudan Tribune from Doha where he is taking part in discussions between the mediation and the rebel group over the resumption of peace, denied any presence of their fighters in southern Sudan. He further accused the Sudanese government of seeking pretext to delay the referendum on southern Sudan independence.

“These are baseless allegations. This is a conspiracy by the Sudanese government to impede the referendum process,” he said.

“But we say they have to hold the referendum on time,” he stressed.

The National Congress Party this week repeated accusation to the southern Sudan government of harboring JEM rebels, a matter that southern Sudan officials denied.

Colonel Deng Thiep Akok, a former commissioner of Aweil North who comes from the area also confirmed to Sudan Tribune from Juba occurrence of the incident and disputed claims that the bomb was meant for Darfur rebels.

“Sudan Armed Forces claimed that the bomb was meant for Darfur rebels who are alleged to have attacked Majaac on Monday. Majaac is a settlement under south Darfur territory. They claimed that Sudan Armed Forces attacked Majaac and looted everything before they retrieved towards Gokmachar in Northern Bahr el Ghazal. This is not correct. I come from the area and I am not aware of the presence of some Darfur rebels in the area. As far as I know the area, there are no rebels from Darfur operating in the area presently,” said Akok.

Akok said that the attack was part of a plan by Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party to sabotage voter registration processes for the south’s referendum, which is due to begin next Monday.

Officials from United Nations Mission in Sudan working in Aweil town, capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, said a UN team was going to the area to assess the situation.

“We are told that the area of the attack could be between two states: Northern Bahr Gazal, which is part of South Sudan, and South Darfur, which is part of the north,” said the official from UNMIS who declined to be named.

The borders between north and south Sudan have not been demarcated despite the 2005 peace deal establishing mechanisms to do so.

In the run up to January’s referendum on southern independence some members of the NCP have said that the vote should be delayed until the border is finalised. The southern government has rejected this saying that border demarcation can be completed after the poll takes place.

There is concern as the vote approaches that rising tensions on the north-south border could trigger renewed conflict.

South Sudan fought a two-decade civil war against successive Khartoum governments in which 2 million people died and more than a million migrated north to escape the fighting.

The independence referendum will be the culmination of the 2005 peace deal that ended over 20 years of north-south conflict.

(ST)

18 Comments

  • Justin Chicago opiny
    Justin Chicago opiny

    Khartoum’s army bomb South Sudan, targeting Darfur rebels
    UN and Nato should intervene just like they did in the Balkan and a NO FLY ZONE should be put in place to avoid lost of life. Khartoum is always the agressor and blood thirsty to bomb and kill its own citizens without shame. Enough is enough a regime change is needed in Khartoum to save life even though Khartoum look upon people dying as of no impotrtance. One sudanese death is very impotant to the country,but this is just the opposite in Khartoum.
    More than 2 millions were killed and 4 Millions others were displaced in the war torn South sudan and in Darfur more than 300,000 lost their life and another 1.5 millions displaced from the western Sudan of Darfur.

    Stop killing innocent people bring peace, peace is what sudan needs and wants not war.

    Reply
  • LOJUBA
    LOJUBA

    Khartoum’s army bomb South Sudan, targeting Darfur rebels
    IT IS CLEAR, THEY MEANT OUR REFERENDUM, COMRADES WE NEED NO FLY ZONE ARROUND BORDERS OF SOUTH SUDAN, SO THAT WE COULD SHOOT DOWN SUCH JETS WHOM WILLING CROSS OUR BORDER AND CONTRIBUTE FEAR TO OUR PEOPLE.

    SPLA OYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
    SOUTHERNERS OYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
    REFERENDUM OYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

    MAY GOD BLESS UNITED STATES OF SOUTH SUDAN

    THANKS
    CODE:TOMBE

    Reply
  • Biliu
    Biliu

    Khartoum’s army bomb South Sudan, targeting Darfur rebels
    Even if those allegations are to be true and [JEM] existence confirmed on the Southern territories, that would not be a reason to target innocent lives, Khartoum would ask the SPLM to deal with the case politically, I think North are losing their nerves and using lame pretext to sabotage South Sudan referendum process.

    Reply
  • Ambago
    Ambago

    Khartoum’s army bomb South Sudan, targeting Darfur rebels
    What is this:

    “We contacted central command of the Sudan Armed Forces yesterday night seeking explanation of why they bombarded our territory. The explanation they gave us in response was that they were pursuing rebel forces. They said it was not their intention to bomb our areas. They were only following routes of the Darfur rebels,” explained Panyang.

    So are you now contented with the explanation or still waiting for further crippling bombardments before you react ?

    Reply
  • AUGUSTINO DENG
    AUGUSTINO DENG

    Khartoum’s army bomb South Sudan, targeting Darfur rebels
    May Almighty God embraced the people of Aweil who were been injuired in region of Darfur in Aweil North County and sustain their life in peace as well.

    Dear Southern Sudanese people, frankly speaking, our government of Southern Sudan today is not the same like in the past. Arabs objections are trying to deteriorate the CPA so that the SPLM/SPLA should be blamed for this another war. I don’t think whether it will be posible for them to achieve this goal.

    My last word that I wanted to assure the Southern Sudanese leaders including our leader Salva Kiir Miyardit is to distant themselves away from any accusation coming upon Omar Beshir. Let them not help Omar Beshir anymore. This word of mine goes to President Salva Kiir Miyardit regardless whether he will get it or not. Arabs are trying to derail the CPA and many examples can show like the war of Abyei, war in Awarpiny of Ruweng, war in Panaruu, war in Melut and bomb which occur in Aweil. All of these are signs of weakness from Arabs.

    By Augustino Deng. Jech la mer from Tharpam.

    Reply
  • Joseph
    Joseph

    Khartoum’s army bomb South Sudan, targeting Darfur rebels
    Let SPLA get ready and every Southerner Sudan arm force (SAF) and Politician on the North ready to fight Southern Sudan said ministry of defence. Yesterday the disarm some Southern in Khartoum (Kalakala-ASkan) and will continue to disarm any Southerner even their Soldier who is Southerner.
    Let SPLA get ready and every Southern for this fighting, let SPML/GOSS politician alert the world for what happening so the work Support us. Let GOSS take Southern who are in Khartoum and Soldiers who decide to Joint SPLA.
    Let us not fear us you can see no death only injury they have nothing the Jet on the picture is not the one; they are layer let Sadam Hessen Who said has weapon and has no weapon until he die.
    Let us just get prepare and inform the world to help us.

    Reply
  • John M. Atem
    John M. Atem

    Khartoum’s army bomb South Sudan, targeting Darfur rebels
    I am extremely upset reading this heart-breaking news of aerial bombardment of civilian target in the Northern Bhar-el-Ghazal state of Aweil by thugocratic and murderous regime’s armed forces. This bombing of civilian target is not only a violation of the hard-won 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, but also a gross violation of human rights. The injuring of these innocent civilians by this brutal, murderous and never-going to unite Sudan thugocratic regime’s armed forces should not go answer. The South Sudan army should launch a massive and heavy artilleries bombing of North cities. Our leaders and army should not idly stand by while our peace-loving and liberty-seeking civilians are being targeted by this murderous regime’s armed thugs.
    Folks, this brutal regime will do every thing in their power to abrogate the long-awaited vote on the right of Self-determination in the Upcoming Referendum.
    The South Sudan army should not idly stand and watch our civilians being murdered by this armed gang of thugs.
    We should not allow this thugocratic regime’s armed forces to test their newly-purchased weapons on our civilian target.
    Finally, may almighty God creator of heaven and earth bless the long-suffering people of Southern Sudan and guided them into glittering promised land of freedom.

    Reply
  • John M. Atem
    John M. Atem

    Leaders talk of no return to war: But is that message resonating with the marginalized people of Southern Sudan?
    I have been hearing many leaders of Southern Sudan singing their make no-sense message of no return to war and I have been grappling with this make no-sense message of no return to war and I keep asking myself a question: Is this message really resonating with the marginalized, of the marginalized people of Southern Sudan?
    And after many days of thoughful and careful analysis, I have concluded with out a shadow of the doubt that the answer to this question is emphatically no. The people of Southern Sudan are not buying in to this odious, outlandish and fabricated make no-sense message of no return to war.

    The inidents that have occured for last few days in Melut Upper State and bombing and injuring of innocent civilians in Gok Machar Northern Bhar- el-Ghazal state of Aweil are clear manifestations of another looming agonizing political civil war.
    Indeed, While all these bloody incidents are happening our power-thirsty, corrupt and warlords-controlled regime in Juba keep telling us that there is no return to war, but all these bloody incidents have proven and proven them absolutely wrong.
    Folks, We must be fully prepared to combat all these eventualities should the occur. We have lost many lives during the past war and we continued to lose many lives as the result of bloody underground war being waged against us by Khartoum thugocratic regime.
    Furthermore, we must not allow this genocidal and murderous thugs in Khartoum to test their newly-purchased weapons on our peace-loving and liberty-seeking civilians while our leaders in Juba brazenly keep lying to us that there is no return to war. But this message of no return to war is making us look wickedly stupid and worse of all, making us look like bunch of incompetent cowards.
    Folks, In this world, people will not respect you if you donot confidently stand up for what you belief in.
    I personally do not buy into this outrageous message of no return to war and Iam sure you too don’t buy into it.
    So, I ardently appeal to you, the people of Southern Sudan not to buy into this odious and fabricated singing message of no return to war because the message itself is not making sense to alot of people. Our people are being killed on daily basis by Khartoum-supported armed militias and SAF while we are being told that there is no return to war. This message of no return to war is stupid and make no sense.
    Indeed, Victor Hugo had it right when he said,” there is nothing more powerful in all this world than an idea whose time has come”.

    Therefore, in this regard, the time has come for the people of Southern Sudan to extricate themselves from demonic bondages of cruelly dehumanizing slavery, enforced political oppression, and mismanagement for which we have been helplessly held hostages for so many years.

    Finally, May almighty God creator of heaven and Earth bless the long-suffering, abused and long-forgotten people of Southern Sudan and guided them into glittering promised land of freedom should the people of Southern Sudan choose to become an independent political state in the Upcoming Self-determination Referendum.
    The writer is the orphaned son of late jungle-martyred freedom figher.
    He has successful completed Certificates in Agriculture, Peace Education and Diploma in Criminal Justice.

    Reply
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.