The Government of South Sudan accused the Sudanese government yesterday of violating the terms of a signed cooperation agreement between the two parties ensuring, amongst other things, arrangements for a demilitarised and stable border region. Meanwhile, Juba’s military spokesman, Philip Aguer, announced that the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) attacked an area of Upper Nile state yesterday.
Senior officials have pledged to formally complain about the alleged border violations to the UN’s mission to Abyei, UNISFA.
Aguer has claimed that SAF have deployed a heavy presence to Kuwek, an area which was supposed to be demilitarised in March, according to agreements signed in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
His statement came in the wake of Khartoum’s denouncement of cooperation agreements signed alongside Juba and reiterated his call for the withdrawal of SAF troops from South Sudan’s territory.
“What happened is (that the) SPLA withdrew from the safe demarcation line or safe demarcation zone that was suggested by the mediators in Addis Ababa. The SPLA have completely withdrawn from the 10th of March up to 22nd of March. Now the violation on the other side continued to take place and the recent violation was yesterday when SAF forces attacked Kuwek area. Kuwek area is in the Shilluk kingdom in Upper Nile region and we are going to protest formally to the UNISFA. So as from yesterday there is a presence of SAF forces in Upper Nile in a place called Kuwek. The move is totally un-accepted and the sooner they withdraw the better,” Aguer stressed.
However, some sources from Kuwek have denied the SPLA spokesman’s accusations and claimed that there is no such presence with the exception of police forces who remain at an agreed distance from the border.
While on citizens’ movement along the border, local sources have claimed that the situation is normal and that police forces from both countries come to the local markets to purchase food items without any resulting tension or instability.
“No, there is no presence of any armed forces. All forces have withdrawn from the area. Only we have police forces. Others are on the other river side but they do share the same water source and the same markets,” one Sudanese citizen revealed.
Both sides struck a cooperation agreement in September last year but were unable to agree on conditions surrounding its implementation until March 2013. Since then, formerly halted but much-needed oil production has resumed in the South although this has once again been called into uncertainty with the accusations made by either side.
Photo: Upper Nile (Wikipedia)