Armies of Sudan rivals clash in Abyei region

Artillery fire have broken up in Sudan’s contested Abyei region, hours after the north accused the south of ambushing a convoy in the border area, the United Nations said.
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“We heard artillery exchanges in Abyei in Todach and Tagalei but we don’t know who is fighting whom,” said Kouider Zerrouk, spokesperson for the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) on Friday.

The fresh violence came after the north accused the SPLA of attacking a convoy of Sudanese soldiers and UN peacekeepers late on Thursday in Dokura north of Abyei town.

“Abyei is now a war zone,” said Sadiq Amer, deputy head of northern intelligence and security forces, adding that at least 22 soldiers had been killed in what he called an “aggression” of southern forces against a convoy of around 10 vehicles.

“The troops were ambushed without any warning,” he told reporters in the capital Khartoum. The SPLA denied responsibility for the attack, which the United Nations said had taken place on a convoy of northern troops escorted by UN peacekeepers under a deal for both sides to withdraw forces from the disputed territory.

Strong condemnations

The United States, one of the main backers of Sudan’s landmark 2005 peace deal, deplored the attack and urged both sides to stop all unauthorized military actions in Abyei.

“Political leaders on both sides must take responsibility now to ensure that this situation does does not escalate into a wider crisis,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon “strongly condemns” Thursday’s attack and was “very concerned over the reports of increased troop movements into Abyei.” Ban wants all unauthorized troops to be withdrawn, Nesirky added.

South Sudan voted to become independent in a referendum in January. It agreed to a peace deal with the north in 2005, but tensions have built up in the oil-producing Abyei border region where both sides have built up forces.