European Union

(Sudan Vision) The Sudanese Government has stopped all forms of negotiations with South Sudan saying the country is now in state of war and vowed to retaliate by all legitimate means to the aggression launched by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) against Higlig a couple of days ago. The National Assembly and the Council of States at a joint session yesterday declared general mobilization, discontinuation of talks with South Sudan and the immediate withdrawal of Sudan’s negotiators in the wake of the South Sudan-backed aggression.

To topple the Government, The Minister of Defense said, South Sudan provided necessary reinforcement to the SRF, adding that the actual attack began on 28th March when they tried unsuccessfully to occupy the town of Talodi to use it as springboard for further military operations against the country. He said the rebel strength in South Kordofan stands at 22 battalions and each battalion is made up of 500 soldiers deployed towards Talodi, Kadugli and Kauda. He added that the force commanded by Minni Minnawi is composed of 61 Land Cruisers provided by South Sudan and deployed around oil fields in Ragad, Techwin and Manga. Gen. Hussein revealed that the first attack on Higlig was launched by two battalions from the SPLA’s Fourth Division but this force was defeated and destroyed by the SAF. He said the latest attack on Heglig which occurred on 10th April was carried out by tanks and rockets which destroyed the site where SAF force was located and consequently the SAF force withdrew north of Techwin area and fierce fighting continued in which all weapons including tanks were used, forcing SAF to withdraw to Kharsana area. The Defence Minister said the rebel plan is to control oil-rich areas from where they will proceed to Al-Obeid, Kadugli and Talodi to create political chaos in Khartoum to be exploited by the opposition to overthrow the Government.

He said the forces battling SAF get their salaries directly from South Sudan and their military operations are coordinated directly with the SPLA. Meanwhile, First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, Vice President Al-Haj Adam and Presidential Assistant Musa Mohamed Ahmed have condemned South Sudan’s attitude towards Sudan. Adam declared yesterday mobilization from Al-Obeid to support the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) efforts to respond to the attack launched by South Sudan against Higlig area.

In the same vein, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reacted to the aggression. “How can we negotiate when the country is under attack” Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Rahamatallah Osman, told a press conference after meeting with Ambassadors accredited to the Sudan. He characterized the attack as flagrant aggression against Sudanese territories which run counter to all international laws and norms. He said what has taken place derailed all agreements, and affirmed that Higlig is a Sudanese territory, not a disputed territory, citing international arbitration ruling which stated that Heglig is outside Abyei and inside Sudanese territories. Osman revealed that an official complaint was lodged to the UN Security Council and the African Union, calling on the Security Council to seriously consider the complaints. He also called on Security Council to put pressure on South Sudan to immediately pull out its forces from Sudanese territories.