Tug-of-war for control over oil-rich Heglig pauses as UN calls for peace Sudanese soldiers celebrate retaking the oil-rich Heglig region i...
Tug-of-war for control over oil-rich Heglig pauses as UN calls for peace
Sudanese soldiers celebrate retaking the oil-rich Heglig region in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 20, 2012. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced on Friday that the Sudanese army had retaken the oil- rich Heglig region by force, and troops from South Sudan had fled the battle field, refuting Juba's allegation that its troops had started to withdraw from the region. (Xinhua/Mohammed Babiker)
KHARTOUM/JUBA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The tug-of-war over the oil-rich Heglig region between Sudan and South Sudan paused momentarily after Sudan announced it is reclaiming the region.This came amid protests from South Sudan and a call for peace talks from the United Nations (UN).Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Friday that the Sudanese army had retaken Heglig by force, and troops from South Sudan had fled the battle field, refuting Juba's allegation that its troops had started to withdraw from the region.Addressing a mass rally in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to celebrate the liberation of Heglig, called Panthou by South Sudan, al-Bashir said "your armed forces have recovered Heglig by force, and the remnants of the invaders have fled, and they are continuing to escape and we are pursuing them.""What the government of the South said that its forces were withdrawing from Heglig is not true. We have expelled them by force, and we will expel them from anywhere in Sudan," the Sudanese president said.Al-Bashir also pledged to free all areas which are still controlled by rebels in the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, both neighboring South Sudan, where the Sudanese government forces have been fighting the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North Sector since last year.Sudanese Defense Minister Gen. Abdul-Rahim Mohammed Hussein also announced on Friday that his army had taken control of Heglig, which belongs to Sudan but was seized by the South Sudanese army on April 10.The minister noted that the Sudanese army had used their "ability, visions and wisdom" to prevent the remaining oil facilities from being destroyed in the fighting.Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, Sudan's permanent representative to the UN, said at the UN on Friday that, upon being expelled from Heglig, the South Sudanese forces have "learned their lesson" and will not repeat such aggressive acts in the future.He said that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) drove members of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) out of Heglig, adding Sudan's military action in Heglig was an act of self-defense and legal under article 51 of the UN Charter.The South Sudanese government said on Friday that it had ordered its army to immediately withdraw from Heglig, two days after Khartoum declared war on Juba."The Republic of South Sudan announces that the SPLA troops have been ordered to withdraw from Panthou-Heglig," Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said when reading out a presidential statement.Benjamin said that the South Sudanese army would complete the withdrawal within three days according to the presidential order.Agnes Oswaha, acting deputy permanent representative of South Sudan to the UN, said on Friday that South Sudan is leaving Heglig, not because it has been defeated, but because it desires peace between Khartoum and Juba."Our withdrawal out of Panthou or Heglig is not out of defeat, but we, the people of South Sudan, this is our sign of commitment to peace," Oswaha told reporters outside the UN Security Council chamber.Oswaha said that South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit ordered the SPLA out of the border town of Heglig."An orderly withdrawal will be completed within the next three days or 72 hours," she said. "The Republic of South Sudan took this decision because it does not wish to see a return to war and seeks an immediate resumption of negotiations between the two parties."Kiir announced on March 26 that Heglig belonged to his country. However, the South Sudanese army attacked the Heglig oil field and seized it from the Sudanese army, which had before produced roughly half of Sudan's oil.The African Union (AU) quickly declared South Sudan's behavior "illegal" and demanded that it "immediately and unconditionally" withdraw its troops from the region.The UN Security Council called South Sudan's capture of Heglig "a very serious development," saying that South Sudan's army must immediately withdraw from the region.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called on Sudan and South Sudan to immediately resume talks mediated by the AU in order to settle the issue.He also called upon both governments to activate the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism to help ensure the security of their common border."All measures have been taken to ensure" that UN monitors are ready to be deployed, Ban said in a statement.On Friday, the Sudanese government set forth four conditions for the normalization of its relations with South Sudan, after announcing that it had reseized Heglig.The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "the preservation of normal relations with South Sudan, for which Sudan is desirous, will depend on the commitment of the government of South Sudan to the conditions set by the Sudanese government.""The conditions include an unreserved recognition of all agreements and understanding which have been signed, especially the six agreements on the security issues, the last of which is the nonaggression and cooperation agreement signed in Addis Ababa on Feb. 10, 2012," the statement said.The conditions also include a clear recognition of the border demarcation on Jan. 1, 1956 according to the concluded agreements, stopping South Sudan's repeated aggressions on the Sudanese territories, and withdrawing its troops from the states of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, among others.
Tug-of-war for control over oil-rich Heglig pauses as UN calls for peace
Sudanese soldiers celebrate retaking the oil-rich Heglig region in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 20, 2012. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced on Friday that the Sudanese army had retaken the oil- rich Heglig region by force, and troops from South Sudan had fled the battle field, refuting Juba's allegation that its troops had started to withdraw from the region. (Xinhua/Mohammed Babiker)
KHARTOUM/JUBA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The tug-of-war over the oil-rich Heglig region between Sudan and South Sudan paused momentarily after Sudan announced it is reclaiming the region.
This came amid protests from South Sudan and a call for peace talks from the United Nations (UN).
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Friday that the Sudanese army had retaken Heglig by force, and troops from South Sudan had fled the battle field, refuting Juba's allegation that its troops had started to withdraw from the region.
Addressing a mass rally in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to celebrate the liberation of Heglig, called Panthou by South Sudan, al-Bashir said "your armed forces have recovered Heglig by force, and the remnants of the invaders have fled, and they are continuing to escape and we are pursuing them."
"What the government of the South said that its forces were withdrawing from Heglig is not true. We have expelled them by force, and we will expel them from anywhere in Sudan," the Sudanese president said.
Al-Bashir also pledged to free all areas which are still controlled by rebels in the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, both neighboring South Sudan, where the Sudanese government forces have been fighting the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North Sector since last year.
Sudanese Defense Minister Gen. Abdul-Rahim Mohammed Hussein also announced on Friday that his army had taken control of Heglig, which belongs to Sudan but was seized by the South Sudanese army on April 10.
The minister noted that the Sudanese army had used their "ability, visions and wisdom" to prevent the remaining oil facilities from being destroyed in the fighting.
Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, Sudan's permanent representative to the UN, said at the UN on Friday that, upon being expelled from Heglig, the South Sudanese forces have "learned their lesson" and will not repeat such aggressive acts in the future.
He said that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) drove members of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) out of Heglig, adding Sudan's military action in Heglig was an act of self-defense and legal under article 51 of the UN Charter.
The South Sudanese government said on Friday that it had ordered its army to immediately withdraw from Heglig, two days after Khartoum declared war on Juba.
"The Republic of South Sudan announces that the SPLA troops have been ordered to withdraw from Panthou-Heglig," Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said when reading out a presidential statement.
Benjamin said that the South Sudanese army would complete the withdrawal within three days according to the presidential order.
Agnes Oswaha, acting deputy permanent representative of South Sudan to the UN, said on Friday that South Sudan is leaving Heglig, not because it has been defeated, but because it desires peace between Khartoum and Juba.
"Our withdrawal out of Panthou or Heglig is not out of defeat, but we, the people of South Sudan, this is our sign of commitment to peace," Oswaha told reporters outside the UN Security Council chamber.
Oswaha said that South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit ordered the SPLA out of the border town of Heglig.
"An orderly withdrawal will be completed within the next three days or 72 hours," she said. "The Republic of South Sudan took this decision because it does not wish to see a return to war and seeks an immediate resumption of negotiations between the two parties."
Kiir announced on March 26 that Heglig belonged to his country. However, the South Sudanese army attacked the Heglig oil field and seized it from the Sudanese army, which had before produced roughly half of Sudan's oil.
The African Union (AU) quickly declared South Sudan's behavior "illegal" and demanded that it "immediately and unconditionally" withdraw its troops from the region.
The UN Security Council called South Sudan's capture of Heglig "a very serious development," saying that South Sudan's army must immediately withdraw from the region.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called on Sudan and South Sudan to immediately resume talks mediated by the AU in order to settle the issue.
He also called upon both governments to activate the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism to help ensure the security of their common border.
"All measures have been taken to ensure" that UN monitors are ready to be deployed, Ban said in a statement.
On Friday, the Sudanese government set forth four conditions for the normalization of its relations with South Sudan, after announcing that it had reseized Heglig.
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "the preservation of normal relations with South Sudan, for which Sudan is desirous, will depend on the commitment of the government of South Sudan to the conditions set by the Sudanese government."
"The conditions include an unreserved recognition of all agreements and understanding which have been signed, especially the six agreements on the security issues, the last of which is the nonaggression and cooperation agreement signed in Addis Ababa on Feb. 10, 2012," the statement said.
The conditions also include a clear recognition of the border demarcation on Jan. 1, 1956 according to the concluded agreements, stopping South Sudan's repeated aggressions on the Sudanese territories, and withdrawing its troops from the states of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, among others.
COMMENTS