FRANKLIN GRAHAM: Bombing Sudan’s air bases only way to protect innocents

Children are dying. We are their last best hope.

By Franklin Graham

Wednesday, April 25, 2012 

I have seen what happens when the world turns its back and looks the other way. For 20 years I have worked in Sudan, helping its people struggle through the horrors of starvation and murderous attacks. During Sudan’s civil war, the people in the south were being butchered. Shockingly, it took the deaths of more than 2 million before the world finally called it genocide.

When President George W. Bush came to office, he didn’t look the other way. Instead, he engaged all parties and forced them to sit down to negotiate what we hoped would be an end to the violence. Those discussions resulted in the agreement that led to the independence of South Sudan.

I was in President Omar al-Bashir’s office on the day the International Criminal Court indicted him for war crimes. I pleaded with Mr. Bashir to continue the peace process, explaining that although he could not change what he had done in the past, he could set a new course for his people by working for a lasting peace. Two years later, on July 9, 2011, I was in Juba sitting behind Mr. Bashir as he gave a speech during the Republic of South Sudan’s independence ceremonies. He spoke of peace, but within days, he began to attack his own people in South Kordofan and the upper Blue Nile.

Last week I traveled to South Kordofan, where 800,000 people slowly are being annihilated, victims of ethnic cleansing. According to Mr. Bashir, their only crime is that they are black and they won’t bow to his radical Islamic government. For the past nine months, the world has largely looked the other way with this humanitarian crisis.

In the Bible, Jesus gave us an example in Luke Chapter 10 about a man who was beaten, robbed and left for dead on the side of the road. Leaders passed by and saw that the man desperately needed help. But they continued on their journey, looking the other way. Then a Samaritan came along and had compassion. He bandaged the man’s wounds, put the man on his own animal and took the man to an inn to care for him. America historically has been that good Samaritan: defending the weak, standing up against the strong and providing liberty and justice for all.

I know President Obama cares about the situation in Sudan, and I have encouraged him to engage the leaders of the region, Malik Agar of the Southern Blue Nile, Abdul Aziz of South Kordofan, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and Mr. Bashir, in a Camp David-style meeting. I think Mr. Obama’s personal influence in bringing those leaders together could help promote a lasting peace.

Now I am asking him and his administration to do something that may sound unusual for a preacher of the Gospel. I am asking him to use our Air Force to destroy Mr. Bashir’s airstrips – the airstrips his military uses to launch bombers that carry out daily attacks in the Nuba Mountains. The Nuba people don’t want American soldiers – they can fight for themselves. They just want to be free. But they have no defense against bombs dropping from the sky on their villages, schools and hospitals.

As a pilot with 40 years of experience, I can assure you that an airplane doesn’t do well with holes in the runway. I certainly am not asking the president to kill anyone, just to break up some concrete to prevent the bombers from taking off. I think that by destroying those runways, we can force Mr. Bashir to the negotiating table. This needs to happen soon because Sudan’s rainy season is coming. If we continue to turn our backs and don’t act, it will be too late for thousands of men, women and children. We need to make it possible for Samaritan’s Purse and other aid agencies to reach these suffering people. The coming rainy season and impassible muddy roads will leave us with airlifts as our only option. But with Sudan’s MiG fighter jets and Antonov bombers overhead, we simply can’t risk the lives of our staff.

The situation is desperate. I personally saw children starving to death last week while in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains. All they had to eat were insects, leaves from thorn bushes, roots and tree bark. It is only going to get worse. Please, Mr. President, take out Mr. Bashir’s runways and enable the humanitarian agencies and the United Nations to feed the Nuba people, bandage their wounds and help them on their way so they can live in peace.

May God bless America, and may God bless our president.

Franklin Graham is president and CEO of the international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/25/bombing-sudans-air-bases-only-way-to-protect-innoc/#.T5nxCRljlm8.facebook

Arab League condemns South Sudan ‘aggression’

By MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press –

CAIRO (AP) — The Arab League on Thursday condemned South Sudan’s “military aggression” against an oil-rich border region claimed by Sudan while also supporting Sudan’s right to defend itself. The statement came as some fear growing disputes between the two countries may soon lead to an all-out war.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan last year after a referendum held as part of a 2005 peace deal that ended more than 20 years of civil war, but unresolved issues such as the sharing of oil revenues and demarcation of the border have led to tensions and clashes.

Earlier this month, South Sudanese troops attacked and captured the oil-rich Heglig area. Sudan says it has since recaptured it. Earlier this week, after South Sudan said it was withdrawing its troops from Heglig, Sudan dropped bombs on the South. The U.N. said the bombs killed 16 civilians.

Sudan is a member of the Arab League, whose foreign ministers were meeting in Cairo. Their statement called on South Sudan to respect the borders between the two nations and to stop supporting rebel movements in Sudan’s western Darfur region, south Kordofan and Blue Nile.

The meeting, said the statement, “rejects any claims that the Heglig area is disputed,” meaning it belongs to Sudan.

The Arab League also called for an international fact-finding mission to assess the damage caused by the attack on Heglig. It said the two nations must resolve their differences through negotiations and called on League members to offer immediate financial aid to Sudan to rebuild oil installations in Heglig.

South Sudan is mainly animist and Christian, and its people are linguistically and ethnically linked to sub-Saharan Africa. The north is overwhelmingly Muslim, and many members of the government consider themselves Arabs.

Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir gave a fiery speech last week in which he said there will be no negotiations with the “poisonous insects” who are challenging Sudan’s claim to disputed territory near the border. He also threatened to topple the South Sudan government in Juba.

U.S. and U.N. leaders have pushed both sides to end fighting and resume negotiations.

A South Sudan official said Sudan bowed to international pressure and didn’t resume attacks on the south Thursday after the violence ebbed earlier in the week.

“They have realized that what they are doing, nobody is happy about it,” South Sudan government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin said. “It has dawned on them, they are the ones who declared war, they are the ones calling us insects. I think they are beginning to feel the pressure.”

The African Union also has said both countries should cease hostilities. The AU’s Peace and Security Council issued a seven-point roadmap calling for a halt to the fighting and giving Sudan and South Sudan two weeks to restart negotiations, which broke down earlier this month.

The AU also warned the two countries against making inflammatory statements and propaganda against each other, which could fuel the conflict.

Onyiego reported from Bentiu, South Sudan.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gnXslqRFnteEquw_n8vYsD8kS-bw?docId=74f0faceb26f4323b442e834ce8c519b

Sudan orders petrol cuts amid conflict

By Ian Timberlake | AFP 

Government agencies in bankrupt Sudan have been ordered to slash their use of petrol and civil servants to donate two days of their salaries to support the army in the fight against South Sudan.

Following weeks of border clashes, Finance Minister Ali Mahmud al-Rasul has instructed state institutions and companies to set aside a chunk of their budget to the war effort, the official news agency SUNA reported late Wednesday.

State employees must contribute two days’ salary, it added. The funds would be transferred to “the account of the Campaign for Repulsion of Aggression.”

“The minister of finance also decided on decreasing the weekly fuel quota for government vehicles by 50 percent,” SUNA reported.

The oil-processing facility and export pipeline in Sudan’s main oil region of Heglig were burned and damaged during a 10-day occupation by South Sudanese troops. Both sides have blamed the other for the damage.

A manager at the facility said there has been no production since the start of the South’s occupation on April 10 and it was unclear when the facility would reopen.

The occupation followed earlier clashes between the two nations late last month and raised fears of a wider war.

Sudan declared last Friday that its army had forced Southern soldiers out of Heglig. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir had already announced his troops would leave under “an orderly withdrawal”, which they completed on Sunday.

The manager said Heglig-area output was 50,000-55,000 barrels a day, accounting for about half the nation’s crude production.

Analysts believe essentially all of that was used for domestic consumption.

They said the loss of Heglig would worsen an economy already in crisis after South Sudan separated last July, taking with it about 75 percent of the formerly united Sudan’s oil production and billions of dollars in revenues.

Before separation, Southern oil represented more than a third of Khartoum’s revenues and its largest source of hard currency, leaving the government struggling for alternatives since then.

Inflation has risen month after month, exceeding 20 percent, and Sudan’s currency is plunging in value. On the black market, one US dollar sells for roughly double the official rate of about 2.7 pounds per dollar.

The Heglig occupation prompted an outburst of nationalist feeling in Sudan, where consumers and market traders struggling to cope with rising prices had earlier this year warned of social unrest over deteriorating living standards.

Under an emergency three-year programme announced last June, Khartoum plans to cut spending and widen the tax base.

Economist say both targets are difficult to achieve, partly because the military’s pre-Heglig share of the budget was estimated at up to 75 percent.

Sudan has also lost out on potential fees from South Sudan for use of its pipeline and port.

In a key dispute, the two sides were unable to agree on how much the South should pay, leading the Juba government in January to shut its production after Khartoum began seizing the oil in lieu of payment.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declared last Friday that his country no longer wanted southern oil fees and would not reopen its pipeline to Juba’s oil.

The budget deficit is projected to reach about $8 billion between 2011 and 2015, according to an international economist.

Roughly $38 billion in foreign debt, along with US economic sanctions, limits Sudan’s access to external financing.

Analysts say the bankrupt nation could turn to Arab and Muslim nations for financial help in light of the crisis aggravated by fighting with South Sudan.

The International Monetary Fund has forecast Sudan’s real gross domestic product to decline by 7.3 percent this year, while consumer prices are seen rising 23.2 percent.

http://news.yahoo.com/sudan-orders-petrol-cuts-amid-conflict-004311764.html

U.S. draft warns Sudan, South Sudan of possible sanctions

By Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau | Reuters –

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States on Thursday circulated to the U.N. Security Council a draft resolution that warnsSudan and South Sudan of sanctions if they do not comply withAfrican Union demands to swiftly stop border clashes and resolve their many disputes.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told reporters the Security Council would begin discussing the draft resolution on Thursday and that it would likely need at least a few days of talks among members before going to a vote.

The AU’s Peace and Security Council on Tuesday urged both sides to cease hostilities within 48 hours and to withdraw troops from disputed areas, and warned it would issue its own binding rulings if they fail to strike deals on a string of disputes within three months.

The draft resolution, obtained by Reuters, reaffirms those demands and warns Khartoum and Juba of “its determination, in the event that one or both of the parties have not complied, to take appropriate additional measures under Article 41 of the (U.N.) Charter.”

Chapter 7 Article 41 of the U.N. Charter allows the council to impose sanctions to enforce compliance with its decisions.

“The intention of the text was to provide swift and substantive support to the decisions of the African Union in the form that the African Union requested,” Rice, president of the 15-nation Security Council for April, told reporters.

The AU asked for the Security Council to pass a resolution making its demands legally binding on both Sudan and South Sudan.

“There were some members who either need more time to get guidance from their capitals or who are skeptical of the wisdom of going directly to a resolution,” Rice said. “This is extremely urgent.”

Council diplomats said privately that China and Russia, which are usually reluctant to impose sanctions on any nation, had expressed reluctance to threaten the two Sudans with punitive measures. Beijing has traditionally acted as Khartoum’s protector on the Security Council.

KHARTOUM: DEADLINES NEED ADJUSTMENT

Khartoum’s U.N. Ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman told reporters that any council resolution on the conflict should direct its threats at South Sudan.

“We have been the victim during this last aggression,” he said, adding that any U.N. measures should be “directed to the culprit, to the aggressor, not to the victim.”

Osman added that the deadlines in the AU communique and the draft resolution needed to be changed.

“The time frame contained in the communique needs to be adjusted because it’s very short to adhere to,” he said.

Clashes along the ill-defined border between the former civil-war foes has led to a standoff over the Heglig oil field after it was seized earlier this month by troops from South Sudan, which declared independence last year.

The Security Council last week discussed possibly imposing sanctions on Sudan and South Sudan if the violence did not stop.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir said hostilities this week – after South Sudan had said it would withdraw from Heglig – amounted to a declaration of a war by his northern neighbor.

Distrust runs deep between the neighbors who are at loggerheads over the position of their border, how much the landlocked south should pay to transport its oil through Sudan, and the division of national debt, among other issues.

Both are poor countries – South Sudan is one of the poorest in the world – and the dispute between them has already halted nearly all the oil production that underpins both economies.

(Editing by Vicki Allen and Eric Beech)

http://news.yahoo.com/u-drafts-u-n-council-resolution-sudan-south-185616490.html

US drafts UN council resolution on Sudan, South Sudan conflict Reuters By Michelle Nichols | UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States said on Thursday it has drafted a UN Security Council resolution aimed at making legally binding an African Union demand that Sudan and South Sudan stop border clashes, resume talks and …

Arab League condemns South Sudan’s ‘aggression’ against Heglig, says oil-rich … Washington Post CAIRO — Arab League condemns South Sudan’s “aggression” against Heglig, says oil-rich area is Sudan’s. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Etisalat connects UAE to South Sudan New York Daily News Abu Dhabi, April 26 (IANS/WAM) Etisalat, a telecommunications services provider based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has now enabled Emirati customers to make calls to South Sudan, which became independent last year. Customers of Etisalat UAE will …

Govt denies sending troops to back South Sudan Daily Monitor Defence minister Crispus Kiyonga says Uganda wants a peaceful solution to the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan. The Uganda government yesterday said it had not sent any of its troops to the battle front to help South Sudan attack Sudan.

AFRICAN UNION PRESS STATEMENT ON THE SECURITY SITUATION BETWEEN JUBA AND KHARTOUM

AFRICAN UNION PRESS STATEMENT: PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 319th, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA 24 APRIL 2012

PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 

319TH MINISTERIAL MEETING

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA 

24 APRIL 2012

COMMUNIQUE

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 319th meeting held,at ministerial level, on 24 April 2012, adopted the following decision on the situation between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan:

Council,

1. Takes note of theparagraphs on the situation between Sudan and South Sudan, as contained in the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in Guinea Bissau, Mali and between Sudan and South Sudan, and the briefing given by former President Pierre Buyoya on behalf of the AU High‐Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP). Council also takes noteof the statements made by the representatives of the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan, as well as by IGAD, the United Nations and other bilateral and multilateral partners;

2. Recalls thecommuniqués adopted at its 310thand 317thmeetings, held on 14 February and 12 April 2012, respectively, as well as the press statements issued by the Chairperson of the Commission on 11, 17 and 22 April2012. Council also recalls the communiqué issued by the 3rd meeting of the Sudan‐South Sudan Consultative Forum, held in Addis Ababa on 29 March 2012, under the auspices of the AU and the UN;

3. Expressesgrave concern at the prevailing situation along the border between Sudan and South Sudan, which poses a seriousthreat to peace and security in both countries and in the region as a whole,undermines the economic viability of the two countries, as well as the rights and welfare of their citizens;

4. Further expresses deep concernat the humanitarian situationcreated by the fighting between Sudan and South Sudan, the aerial bombardments, the continued fighting in the states of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, in Sudan, as well as the fate of the nationals of bothcountries resident in each other’s territory, following the end of the transition period that occurred on 8 April 2012;

5. Welcomes the withdrawalfrom Hegligofthe army of South Sudan andcalls for the immediate cessation of aerial bombardments by the Sudan Armed Forces against South Sudan.

6. Strongly condemnsthe violations of human rights of non‐combatants in the affected area, the damage to economic infrastructure,in particular oil installations, and the inflammatory statements from both sides in the media resulting in mutual demonization andthe threat of hostile action by extremist elements, including xenophobic attacks;

7. Reaffirms its strong commitment to the respect for the unity and territorial integrity ofSudan and South Sudan and the inviolability of the border between the two countries, defined as that existing at the time of Sudan’s independence on 1 January 1956, taking into account the disputed areas as agreed in the deliberations of the Technical ad hocBoundary Committee. Council reiteratesthat the territorial boundaries of statesshall not be altered by force, and that any territorial disputes shall be settled exclusively by peaceful means;

8. Recalls the provisions of theConstitutive Act of the African Union, as well as the Charterof the United Nations, which prohibit the use of force or the threat of force among Member States and call for non‐interference in the internal affairs of Member States and for peaceful settlement of all disputes;

9. Welcomes the continuing efforts of Africa and the rest of the international community to support the Parties in addressing the legacy of conflict and bitterness in Sudan, notably through the conclusion of the January 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), its implementation, in particular the holding of the referendum on self‐determination of South Sudan, and the negotiations on post‐secession relations. Councilcommends the efforts of the AUHIP, headed by former President Thabo Mbeki and including former Presidents AbdulsalamiAbubakar and Pierre Buyoya, the Chairperson of IGAD, Prime Minister MelesZenawi, the United Nations Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Haile Menkerios, and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) under the leadership of Lieutenant General Tesfay Tadesse, as well as the support provided by AU’s partners, including the Troika on Sudan (Norway, United Kingdom and the USA), the members of the Security Council, the European Union (EU) and the League of Arab States;

10. Expresses Africa’s dismay and deep disappointment at the failure of the leadership in both countries, to build on the goodwill of Africa and the rest of the international community, as well as on the achievements they have already made,to address their post‐secession relations,live up to their stated commitment to the principle of two viable states, in peace with one another, and create the necessary conditions of peace, security and stability to meet the most basic needs of their peoples;

11. Expresses deep concernat the failure of the Parties to implement agreements that they themselves have freely entered into, in particular the Agreement on the Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area of 20 June 2011, the Agreement on Border Security and the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM) of 29 June 2011, the Agreement on the Border Monitoring Support Mission of 30 July 2011, the decisions of the JPSM of 18 September 2011, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Non‐ Aggression and Cooperation of 10 February 2012;

12. Decides,in light of the above,to adopt the Roadmap outlined below, for implementation by both Sudan and South Sudan, in order to ease the current tension, facilitate the resumption of negotiations on post‐secession relations and the normalization of their relations:

(i) immediate cessation of all hostilities, including aerial bombardments, with the Parties formally conveying their commitment in this respect to the Chairperson of the Commission, within 48 hours;

(ii) unconditionalwithdrawalof all of their armed forces to their side of the border,in accordance with previously adopted Agreements, including the Agreement on the Border Monitoring Support Mission of 30 July 2011;

(iii) activation, within a week from the adoption of this decision, of the necessary border security mechanisms, namely the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mission (JBVMM), the Secure Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ), in accordance with the administrative and security map presented to the Parties by the AUHIP in November 2011, it being understood that this map in no way prejudices ongoing negotiations on the disputed areas and demarcation of the border. In this respect, Council calls on UNISFA to take the necessary steps to provide force protection and logistical support, in accordance with relevant provisions of UN Security Council resolution 2024 (2012);

(iv) cessation ofharbouring of, or support to, rebel groups against the other state;

(v) activation of the ad hoc Committee, under the JPSM, to receive and investigate complaints and allegations made by one party against the other. In this regard, Councilrequests the AUHIP to convene a meeting of the JPSM, within ten (10) days of the adoption of the present decision;

(vi) immediate cessation of hostile propaganda and inflammatory statements in the media, as well as of any attacks against the property, religious and cultural symbols belonging to the nationals of the other State. To this end, the two governments must take full responsibility for the protection of each other’s nationals in line with international principles, as agreed in the Framework Agreement initialed in March 2012. In this regard, Council requests the Commission, in close collaboration with the United Nations and relevant agencies, to design a monitoring mechanism to verify compliance by both Parties; and

(vii) implementation ofpending aspects of the 20 June 2011 Agreement on Temporary Security and Administrative Arrangements for theAbyei Area, in particular the redeployment, within two weeks, of all Sudanese and South Sudanese forces out ofAbyei. Council requests UNISFA to report on compliance with this decision, for further action by Council as necessary;

13. Urges the Parties unconditionally to resume negotiations, under the auspices of the AUHIP and with the support of the Chairman of IGAD,within two weeks, at a time to be set by the Panel in consultation with relevant international partners, to reach agreement on the following critical issues:

(i) arrangements concerning oil and associated payments;

(ii) the status of nationals of one country resident in the other, in accordance with the Framework Agreement initialed in March 2012;

(iii) resolution of the status of the disputed and claimed border areas and the demarcation of the border; and

(iv) the final status of Abyei.

14. Decides that these negotiations must be concluded within three months of the adoption of this decision. Should these negotiations fail to result in an agreement on any or all of the issues identified above within the allotted timeframe of three months, Council requests the AUHIP to submit to it a comprehensive report on the status of the negotiations, including detailed proposals onall outstanding issues, to be endorsed as final and binding solutions to the post‐secession relations. Council undertakes to seek the endorsement of, and support by, the United Nations Security Council of the same;

15. Further decides that failure by either Party to implement the provisions of the Roadmap outlined in paragraph 12 above, or to cooperate in good faith with the Panel towards the conclusion of the negotiations on the outstanding issues as enumerated in paragraph 13above, will result in Council taking appropriate measures, as provided for in the Peace and Security Council Protocoland the Constitutive Act of the AU, and to seek the support of the UN Security Council and all AU partners to measures it may take;

16. Reiterates AU’s convictionthat there can be no military solution to the conflict in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, and stresses therefore the urgent need for a political and negotiated solution,based on respect for diversity in unity. Council requests the Government of Sudan and the SPLM‐North to extend full cooperation to the AUHIP and the Chair of IGAD, to reach a negotiated settlement on the basis of the Framework Agreement on Political Partnership between NCP and SPLM‐N and Political and Security Arrangements in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan States. Pending the convening of talks by the AUHIP, Council calls on the Government to accept the tripartite proposal submitted by the African Union, the United Nations and the League of Arab States, to permit humanitarian access to the affected population in the two areas;

17. Requests all AU Member States to support and abide by this decision, bearing in mind the provisions of article 7 (2 & 3) of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council, under which Member States agreed that, in carrying out its duties, Council acts on their behalf, and undertook to accept and implement the decisions of Council, in accordance with the AU Constitutive Act;

18. Requests the Chairperson of the Commission to transmit this decision to the United Nations Security Council, as well as to all other AU partners. Council seeks the support of the Security Council and its endorsement, under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, of the Roadmap of paragraphs 12 and 13above. Council also requests the Chairperson of the Commission, in consultation with the Secretary‐General of the United Nations,to urgently convene a meeting of the Sudan and South Sudan Consultative Forum, to mobilize its full support for the present decision and agree on practical ways and means for the implementation of its relevant provisions;

19. Further requests the Chairperson of the Commission to followup on the implementation of this decision and to take all steps deemed necessary to this end, including interaction at the highest level with the Sudanese parties, involving as appropriate relevant AU organs, including a visit to both countries by a delegation of Council;

20. Looks forward to the submission by the Chairperson of the Commission of monthly factual reports on the evolution over the situation on the ground and compliance by Sudan and South Sudan with the relevant provisions of this decision, status of the negotiations on all pending issues and efforts to mobilize increased support from the international community, in order to enable it take appropriate decisions as maybe called for by the evolution of the situation;

21. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

South Sudan, Sudan trade fresh accusations

By Yara Bayoumy and El-Tayeb Siddig

JUBA/KHARTOUM | Thu Apr 26, 2012 

(Reuters) – Showing no sign of a let-up in tensions, South Sudan accused Sudan on Thursday of bombing a village in its oil-producing Unity state while Khartoum complained its soldiers had been beaten in captivity.

The release of 14 Sudanese soldiers on Wednesday under a deal mediated by Egypt had been expected to ease tensions between the two countries, where disputes over oil revenues and border demarcation have threatened to escalate into all-out war.

But in a fresh slew of accusations and counter-accusations on Thursday, Philip Aguer, the spokesman for South Sudan’s army, said Sudan had bombed the village of Chotchara on Wednesday. “Two MiGs, one Antonov and two gunships dropped four bombs near the cattle camps,” he told Reuters.

Unity state has borne the brunt of aerial bombing after disputes simmering since South Sudan gained independence in July boiled over into border fighting three weeks ago. Two people were killed on Monday in Unity state’s capital, Bentiu, some 80 km (50 miles) from the contested border.

Khartoum has denied bombing South Sudan and on Thursday its army spokesman, al-Sawarmi Khalid, reiterated that denial.

Meanwhile a Sudanese soldier, one of 14 prisoners handed over by South Sudan to Egypt – which flew them to Cairo and from there to Khartoum – said the group had been beaten and insulted during their detention.

“We were subject to all kinds of insults and beatings during our stay there,” Lieutenant Khalid Hassan Ahmed, a doctor in the Sudanese army, told reporters at Khartoum airport.

South Sudan denied it had mistreated the soldiers and urged Khartoum to release all southern soldiers held prisoner.

The tensions between the two countries have halted all oil production, choking their largely oil-dependent economies and causing nationwide fuel shortages.

China, which has significant business and oil interests in both countries, has said it would send its special envoy for African affairs to Sudan and South Sudan soon to encourage talks. It has yet to give dates for envoy Zhong Jianhua’s visit.

China is one of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s strongest allies. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has also just been on an official trip to Beijing.

AFRICAN UNION MEDIATION

The African Union has demanded Sudan and South Sudan resume talks within two weeks, warning that it would issue its own binding rulings on their disputes if they failed to reach agreement within three months.

Bashir, who has ruled Sudan since 1989, has refused to negotiate with South Sudan’s government, saying it only understood the language of the gun. But Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti said he was willing to talk on security issues.

South Sudan Information Minister Barnaba Benjamin said the AU’s efforts were a step in the right direction. “But they should direct this to Bashir who refuses to have any dialogue,” Barnaba told Reuters.

Talks brokered by the AU and led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki collapsed last month after Khartoum asked for time to review recommendations.

South Sudan then seized the disputed Heglig oilfield, on which Sudan is largely dependent for oil production, but after finding itself isolated, withdrew its forces last week.

Benjamin said for AU mediation to work, more international engagement was needed, calling on the United Nations Security Council and other international organizations to support it.

Sudan and southern Sudanese fought a protracted civil war until a 2005 peace agreement, which opened the way to South Sudan eventually declaring independence.

The latest tensions are affecting humanitarian aid. World Vision, which says it is one of the few remaining humanitarian groups in the border area, said it was relocating some of its staff. “It is already incredibly difficult to deliver humanitarian assistance in South Sudan and if widespread conflict breaks out, it will make it almost impossible,” Edwin Asante, the director for South Sudan, said.

(Writing by Yara Bayoumy and Ulf Laessing; Editing by Myra MacDonald)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/26/us-sudan-idUSBRE83P10D20120426

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South Sudan troubles not unique among new nations Huffington Post AP | April 25, 2012 11:25 AM EST | Associated Press South Sudan emerged into the world as a new nation less than a year ago and already it is at the brink of war with its archenemy Sudan, with soldiers from both sides carrying out incursions and Sudan …

Chinese Special Envoy to Visit Sudan, South Sudan AllAfrica.com Beijing — Zhong Jianhua, special representative of the Chinese government on African affairs, will soon visit Sudan and South Sudan to promote dialogue and negotiations between the two countries. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin annou-nced the …

Ex-Iowan in middle of civil war DesMoinesRegister.com A West Des Moines father fears for his son in South Sudan as a new round of fighting breaks out over oil. Last summer, George Cole-Duvall performed South Sudan’s new national anthem on his trumpet as the country was born after decades of civil war.

Ban Ki-moon, Shaquille O’Neal, Belgian Princess Celebrate World Malaria Day … San Francisco Chronicle (press release) Since last June, more than 130000 refugees-and counting-have fled to South Sudan and neighboring countries to escape fighting in the region. As the situation worsens, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is providing food, water, and shelter.

Sudan: African Union’s Position On Sudan – South Sudan Conflict AllAfrica.com Takes note of the paragraphs on the situation between Sudan and South Sudan, as contained in the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in Guinea Bissau, Mali and between Sudan and South Sudan, and the briefing given by former …

Mosaic News 4/24/2012: South Sudan’s Leader Says Sudan Air Strikes Are … linktv South Sudan’s leader says Sudan air strikes amount to declaration of war, Amnesty International highlights rising discrimination against Muslims in Europe, violence in Syria undeterred by UN observers, and more. Today’s headlines in full: South Sudan’s …

Region Heads to Discuss Entry of South Sudan AllAfrica.com By Nicodemus Ikonko, 26 April 2012 HEADS of States of East African Community (EAC) will converge in Arusha, Tanzania on April 28 this year in an extraordinary meeting to consider, among others, application by the Republic of South Sudan to join the …

Sudan refugees flee south to camps The Guardian The word Antonov strikes dread among refugees who have fled into this remote corner of South Sudan. Shortly after landing at the Jamam camp, about 75km west of the border with Sudan, we were told that some of the refugees had scattered, mistaking our …

South Sudan, Sudan trade fresh accusations Reuters By Yara Bayoumy and El-Tayeb Siddig | JUBA/KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Showing no sign of a let-up in tensions, South Sudan accused Sudan on Thursday of bombing a village in its oil-producing Unity state while Khartoum complained its soldiers had been beaten …

Official: No attacks in South Sudan for 2nd day U-T San Diego By MICHAEL ONYIEGO, AP BENTIU, South Sudan — A South Sudan official said Sudan has bowed to international pressure and didn’t attack the south Thursday after a military incursion and aerial bombardments by Sudanese warplanes earlier this week …

Official: Ominous calm returns to South Sudan StarNewsOnline.com AP BENTIU, South Sudan – An official says that for the second day there were no reported attacks by Sudan on South Sudan, following a week or military incursions by both sides and aerial bombardments by Sudanese warplanes. South Sudan government …