Tension mounting between Sudan's SAF, SPLA amid fears of armed clashes

by Fayez el-Zaki Hassan

Exchanged accusations are mounting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) on violation of the ceasefire agreement, which prompts fears of possible armed clashes between the two sides before the south Sudan referendum.

For a whole week, the SAF and the SPLA, military wing of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), traded accusations against each other on violating the item of the security protocol, which constitutes the major pillar of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) inked by north and south Sudan, which ended around two-decade civil war between the two sides.

The SPLA on Saturday accused the SAF of advancing into Upper Nile State in south Sudan and opening fire on an SPLA force, wounding one SPLA military men, according to SPLA Spokesman Kual Dem Kual.

In turn, some Khartoum daily newspapers on Tuesday quoted SAF Spokesman al-Sawary Khalid Saad as saying that "the SPLA on Saturday attacked positions for the SAF at Zamali sector, some 5 km north of the 1956 borders in Sinnar State in central Sudan."

He added that the attack lasted for an hour, "our forces managed to repulse the SPLA attackers and forced them to retreat."

The SPLA learned that there were military moves from the northern armies near Parang area in Unity State, south Sudan, the most sensitive area where contains most of the oil wells.


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