In Spite of Intense Pressure from the UN, EU and AU, South Sudan’s President Kiir refuses to pull out troops from Heglig
South Sudan’s President Kiir refuses to pull out troops from Heglig
April 12, 2012 (JUBA) — South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayadrit brushed aside calls to withdraw his army from the oil-rich region of Heglig after being asked to do so in order to avoid a return of war with the north.
- Salva Kiir
Kiir was reacting to international calls from the African Union (AU), United Nations (UN) and United States and . Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General also called him on Wednesday requesting the same.
In a remarkable shift from his “no return to war” previous stances, Kiir told the members of South Sudan parliament he would not order a withdrawal.
Kiir said that this message was delivered to all world leaders who contacted him including UN chief whom he said gave him “an order”.
“I told him you do not need to order me because I am not under your command. I am a head of state accountable to my people and do not have to be ordered by someone I do not fall under his direct command. I will not withdraw the troops,” he said
Kiir argued to Ban that the international community does not equally give same concern when Khartoum assaults them and gave an example when the Sudanese army moved into Abyei it in May 2010.
The South Sudan leader said he told Ban that if Khartoum does not pull out its army from Abyei he would send his troops to fight them.
He went on to recount events that led to Heglig’s occupation.
“I want to tell you clearly what happened at border. I think you all know that a summit was supposed to be held here in Juba on 3 April, 2012 but this did not take place because there were voices in Khartoum who felt the south Sudan was not secure. I told them no. South Sudan was more secure than any other country in the world for president Bashir”, Kiir said
He explained that he rejected international pressure calling upon him at the time to arrest Bashir if he comes to South Sudan because he could not see any logic to do so.
“I asked them why and they said because he is wanted by the international criminal court for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur for killing of 300,000 people. I told them why would I arrest Bashir for 300,000 people killed in Darfur while the international community did not bother to indict him for crimes he committed in the South where he killed over 2 million people”, Kiir told the house.
He said the conflict in Heglig began when Sudan Armed forces collaboratively with militia forces launched an attack on April 1st with the intention to extend tie-in pipe line to Unity state but that they were repulsed by the SPLA forces and were followed into Heglig.
“They went back to regroup and launched another attack on April 10th. They were again repulsed and followed into Heglig and the SPLA took control of the town. The SPLA are now in a complete control of the Heglig and beyond. They will not pull out. They will remain there so that this issue is resolve once and for all even though we did not want war as a resolve”, Kiir told the house amid applause chatting “SPLA, SPLA, SPLA”.
He said he did not sleep last night because he was receiving a lot of international calls asking him to consider withdrawing troops from the contested area but rejected them.
(ST)
http://www.sudantribune.com/South-Sudan-s-Kiir-refuses-to-pull,42219
| South Sudan, Sudan clash along disputed border region Washington Post Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, left, shakes hands with his Niger counterpart Mahamadou Issoufou during a farewell ceremony at Khartoum airport. Hostilities between Sudan and South Sudan have grown in recent months, even as the south has said it is … |
||
| South Sudanese education activist comes to Winston Prep The Hour At the time, Deng had no idea what his parents meant, but years later, after fleeing his home village of Ariang in what is now South Sudan at 10 years old after an attack during the country’s civil war, traveling across the Nile River and desert into … |
||
|
||
| Sudan halts talks with South after new clashes AFP Sudan’s parliament has called a halt to negotiations with South Sudan, official radio reported, as the foreign ministry accused Juba of the worst violation of its territory since independence in the oil-rich border region of Heglig. Duration: 01:05. |
||
|
South Sudan troops move into disputed oil town StarNewsOnline.com By MICHAEL ONYIEGO AP JUBA, South Sudan – Troops from South Sudan moved into an oil-rich border town claimed by Sudan as fighting intensified between the countries over who controls the area, officials said Wednesday. A South Sudan official said the … |
| Syria; Sudan/South Sudan; countering the LRA; Quartet meeting; and more UN Dispatch Sudan/S. Sudan: In a conversation today with the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate de-escalation of the situation between South Sudanand Sudan in order to avoid further bloodshed. |
| South Sudan troops capture disputed oil town of Heglig as battles rage on … Minneapolis Star Tribune Article by: MICHAEL ONYIEGO , AP JUBA, South Sudan – A Sudanese minister says troops from rival South Sudan have captured an oil-rich border town claimed by Sudan after a day of fighting. The Sudanese government admitted late Wednesday that the South … |
| Cambodia to join peacekeeping mission in South Sudan soon People’s Daily Online PHNOM PENH, April 11 (Xinhua) — Cambodian military police and military medics will leave Cambodia on April 16 on a peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, the United Nations Development Program- Cambodia said in a press release on Wednesday. |
|
BusinessWeek |
||
|
| South Sudan Parliament Backs Public Mobilisation Against External Aggression AllAfrica.com Juba — South Sudan said on Wednesday it would allow members of the two houses to go into recess in order to help in the public sensitisation and mobilisation against what it described as “external aggression”. During a debate on the national election … |
| We Cannot Abandon South Sudan – Kayonga AllAfrica.com By James Karuhanga, 12 April 2012 Rwanda’s terrible experience of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, is the main reason compelling the country’s armed forces to agree to help consolidate peace in the new nation of South Sudan. |
| Sudan, South Sudan veer toward war Ottawa Citizen The African Union has expressed concern over the conflict on the border between Sudan and South Sudan. Sudan and South Sudan edged more closely to all-out war on Wednesday than at any time since the South seceded last year, amid border clashes and … |
| South Sudan army heads for 1956 border Sudan Tribune By Bonifacio Taban Kuich April 11, 2012 (BENTIU) – Unity state’s information minister, Gideon Gatpan Thoar, told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that South Sudan’s forces now are not only in control of Heglig but have advanced 23km north of it. |
| Sudan Warplanes Bomb South Sudan Voice of America April 12, 2012 Sudan Warplanes Bomb South Sudan VOA News South Sudan says Sudanese warplanes dropped several bombs early Thursday in their first attack on a major southern town. There has been no immediate confirmation of casualties. |
| South Sudan says won’t withdraw troops Denver Post By MICHAEL ONYIEGO AP JUBA, South Sudan—South Sudan’s president said Thursday that the nation will not withdraw its troops that this week entered a disputed border region with Sudan.South Sudan President Salva Kiir spoke to parliament in the midst of … |
| South Sudan’s Kiir rejects calls to withdraw troops Ahram Online South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir rejected calls Thursday to pull out from contested border regions, but said he did not want war with Khartoum, whose warplanes bombed a Southern town for the first time. Three days of heavy fighting between rival … |
| South Sudan president says nation won’t withdraw troops from disputed border … CBS News JUBA, South Sudan — South Sudan president says nation won’t withdraw troops from disputed border region with Sudan. |
| SOUTH SUDAN OFFICIAL SAYS SUDAN AIR FORCE DROPPED Chicago Tribune SOUTH SUDAN OFFICIAL SAYS SUDAN AIR FORCE DROPPED SIX BOMBS ON THE SOUTH’S OIL PRODUCING UNITY STATE. |
| SOUTH SUDAN FORCES WILL STAY IN DISPUTED OIL Chicago Tribune SOUTH SUDAN FORCES WILL STAY IN DISPUTED OIL PRODUCING AREA OF HEGLIG UNTIL THREAT OF ATTACK BY KHARTOUM RECEDES – OFFICIAL. |
About Post Author
