Sunday, December 22, 2013

Sudan Army Denies Accusations of Involvement in South Sudan Clashes

SUNDAY 22 DECEMBER 2013

Sudanese army denies accusations of involvement in South Sudan clashes

December 21, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has affirmed that Sudan would not intervene militarily in South Sudan’s ongoing unrest in any manner.

SAF’s spokesperson, al-Sawarmi Khalid Saad, stressed that Sudan would only intervene in neighboring countries with which it has common military protocols, denying accusations made by the leading figure in South Sudan’s ruling party, Edward Lino, about Sudan’s involvement in the internal affairs of South Sudan.

He dismissed Lino’s accusations that Sudan is mobilizing troops close to oil production areas in South Sudan as baseless and pointed that what is going on in Juba is an internal Southern affair, stressing that situation on the borders between the two countries is calm.

About 500 people had been killed in Juba since clashes broke out last Sunday between presidential guard units from the competing tribes of the Dinka and Nuer.

President Silva Kiir Mayardit, a Dinka, accused his former deputy from the Nuer tribe and his supporters of orchestrating an alleged coup attempt to overthrow the government.

Machar denied plotting a coup and accused Kiir of using the clashes to get rid of his political opponents. He also rejected Kiir’s offer to sit down for talks unless the latter agrees to step down first.

(ST)

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