Sudanese army rules out military confrontation with South Sudan
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November 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has renewed
denial of South Sudan allegations that its planes bombed a village in the
Upper Nile state and ruled out the possibility of war between the two
countries against the background of these southern accusations.
SAF's spokesperson, Colonel al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa'ad, underscored in a press
conference on Saturday that Sudan does not have hostile intentions towards
South Sudan, saying they do not expect any military conflict between the two
countries.
He said that these allegations don't necessarily reflect the real stance of
South Sudan's government towards Sudan.
The spokesman for the South Sudanese army (SPLA), Col. Philip Aguer, told
the independent Radio Tamazuj that several bombs had been dropped on
Wednesday on Maban county's Kortumbak area in the Upper Nile state, where
more than 120,000 refugees from the neighboring Sudanese Blue Nile state
have been sheltered
"It is only Sudan that is capable of using [an] Antonov in the region and
there is no doubt about that," he told Sudan Tribune when asked what
evidence existed that neighboring Sudan was responsible for the latest air
attack.
On 3 November, South Sudan also accused the Sudanese army of carrying out
aerial bombing against the town of Raja in Western Bahr el Ghazal state
killing 35 people and wounding 17 others.
However, Saad said Juba's accusations are unfounded; stressing that SAF has
nothing to do with ongoing military operations inside South Sudan's
territory.
SECURING ELECTIONS
Meanwhile, Saad expressed SAF's readiness to deploy troops to secure the
upcoming general election particularly in areas affected by war, pointing to
SAF's participation in securing the 2010 elections.
Sudan's general elections are set to be held in April 2015, but opposition
parties are refusing to participate.