[URL]http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2012/04/sudan-warplanes-launch-first-attack-on-south-sudan-town/[/URL]
[QUOTE]JUBA, Apr 12 – Sudanese warplanes launched their first attack on a major South Sudanese town on Thursday, with five bombs dropped on the capital of the oil-producing Unity border state, Southern officials said.“They dropped bombs in Bentiu town – apparently they were aiming for a bridge,” South Sudan’s deputy information minister Atem Yaak Atem told AFP.
Bombs were dropped at dawn targeting a strategic bridge on the edge of Bentiu, which lies some 60 kilometres (40 miles) from the frontier, on the third straight day of violence.
The latest clashes, the worst since South Sudan won independence in July after one of Africa’s longest civil wars, have brought the two former foes the closest to a return to outright war.
Parliaments in both countries on Wednesday urged their respective citizens to take up defences, but Atem said the South still did not want to go to war.
“Our position is not to go to war except in self-defence,” Atem said, adding that there were no reported casualties from Thursday’s raid.
Atem said the targeted bridge was near a United Nations compound, slightly outside the town and on the road leading north to the frontline.
“It doesn’t take us by surprise, as all along they have been looking for excuses to go to war,” he added.
“They never acknowledged the fact that South Sudan became independent… this (bombing) is to express their bitterness for the South going its own way.”
Khartoum has vowed to react with “all means” against a three-pronged attack it said South Sudanese forces had launched against Sudan’s South Kordofan state, including the Heglig oil field.
A statement on Khartoum’s official SUNA news agency warned of “destruction” in South Sudan.
“I think they want to disable communication and transport – they said they were going to destroy the South,” Atem added.
“They have attacked other places like villages and oil installations and oil fields outside towns, but Bentiu is the first town to be hit.”
The international community, including the African Union, United Nations and the United States, has called for restraint and voiced deep concern at the escalation of violence which saw South Sudan’s army seize the Heglig oil region.
UN leader Ban Ki-moon urged South Sudan President Salva Kiir to meet with his rival from the north, while the US State Department has urged both sides to end “all hostilities”.
“Both governments must agree to an immediate unconditional cessation of hostilities… and cease all support to armed movements from the other state,” said US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
But the unrest has prompted Khartoum to pull out of AU-led crisis talks aimed at resolving the protracted dispute with Juba over oil, border demarcation, contested areas and citizenship issues.
This week’s clashes follow border fighting that erupted last month between the neighbours. Each side has blamed the other for starting the hostilities.[/QUOTE]
World's youngest nation now almost at war. That was fast.
100% expected.
Why is south Sudan separate from normal Sudan?
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;35537979]Why is south Sudan separate from normal Sudan?[/QUOTE]
They fought for independence for years but finally became their own nation in 2011.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;35537979]Why is south Sudan separate from normal Sudan?[/QUOTE]
Civil wars over the past 50 years killed millions (not an exaggeration), in 2005 they signed a peace treaty with the condition that there was a referendum on independence. In 2011 they had the referendum and independence was approved by 98.83% and they became independent in July
There was also meant to be a separate referendum in Abyei, an oil-rich region, but Sudan never held it because obviously whichever state controls Abyei is going to be a lot richer than the other state. South Sudan said the region was rightfully theirs, Sudan said it was theirs, and shit got tense. There have also been a few other areas that they've argued over (any border region with oil basically), and if you look on most maps, Abyei is marked as a disputed region with a dotted line around it or something.
There have been pockets of border conflict over the past year, and it's now threatening to become a full-scale war
America has already said that they're friends of South Sudan...does this mean that America is going to move in soon?
Well, that's too bad. But no really surprising either. I don't expect anyone's going to step up about this either.
called this back in 2011
[QUOTE=MajorMattem;35539825]America has already said that they're friends of South Sudan...does this mean that America is going to move in soon?[/QUOTE]
Officially, no. I wouldn't doubt they send some advisers, though.
Sudan's President has an international arrest warrant on his head, having been indicted by the ICC for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. He is also believed to have embezzled $9 billion from state funds
South Sudan's President is this guy
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Salva_Kiir_Mayardit.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=mac338;35538133]They fought for independence for years but finally became their own nation in 2011.[/QUOTE]
And then began pushing down further on Sudanese territory. I think they recently attacked and took an oilfield. Sudan does have the causus belli.
EDIT
Well let's be honest. The entire situation there is a mess.
[QUOTE=smurfy;35540572]
South Sudan's President is this guy
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Salva_Kiir_Mayardit.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
Its not everyday you see a picture of a cool president like this.
[QUOTE=adam1172;35551382]Its not everyday you see a picture of a cool president like this.[/QUOTE]
edited,
woops
[QUOTE=smurfy;35540572]Sudan's President has an international arrest warrant on his head, having been indicted by the ICC for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. He is also believed to have embezzled $9 billion from state funds
South Sudan's President is this guy
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Salva_Kiir_Mayardit.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
I can't quite comprehend the conflicting awesome dress sense... cowboy hat... and suit?
[QUOTE=ayaki;35551444]cool? guy's a complete asshole.[/QUOTE]
Explains why he dresses like some greedy evil rich oilman.
[QUOTE=ayaki;35551444]cool? guy's a complete asshole.[/QUOTE]
You're missunderstanding, Sudan's president is the asshole, this guy:
[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Omar_al-Bashir%2C_12th_AU_Summit%2C_090131-N-0506A-342.jpg/320px-Omar_al-Bashir%2C_12th_AU_Summit%2C_090131-N-0506A-342.jpg[/IMG]
That guy is cool
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;35537979]Why is south Sudan separate from normal Sudan?[/QUOTE]
Ecause Britain drew and arbitrary border line after colonizing the region and ended up combining two people who didn't want to be combined.
[QUOTE=adam1172;35551382]Its not everyday you see a picture of a cool president like this.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=smurfy;35540572]Sudan's President has an international arrest warrant on his head, having been indicted by the ICC for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. He is also believed to have embezzled $9 billion from state funds[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Ridge;35556086][/QUOTE]
But that's a photo of the president of South Sudan, not "north" Sudan.
[QUOTE=Ridge;35556086][/QUOTE]
South Sudan you spunk
EDIT: not to you BrainDeath
Sudan is a fucked up place. We have [basically] three different views/cultures living in the same land. The north, which is Arab, wants Sudan to be a Islamic state. The south, which is christian, wants it to be a free republic. While Darfur is just struggling to stay alive from the north government who hires the Janjaweed to come and kill them.
The south like previously said was made and recognized as an independent country in 2011. Sudan agreed to a ceasefire that now has been breached.
The US should politically intervene in this but as for the country -- Not a good idea.
UN is useless.
[QUOTE=King Tiger;35554204]Ecause Britain drew and arbitrary border line after colonizing the region and ended up combining two people who didn't want to be combined.[/QUOTE]
All of Africa is fucked like this. Anyone who came to colonize Africa drew borders without any respect to tribal/ethnic boundaries.
[QUOTE=Pig;35557647]UN is useless.[/QUOTE]
Without international co-operation in organisations like the UN I'm fairly sure the world would not have been as peaceful as it is today. Just because it can't stop every conflict does not mean it's useless.
[QUOTE=Virtanen;35539979]called this back in 2011[/QUOTE]
You and most of the international community and observers. Where the borders were going to be drawn was already going to be controversial, along with property recognition, debt division, infrastructure, etc. plus the loyalties of local tribes. From Sudan's standpoint they were already going to lose the lion share of their natural gas and petroleum fields to South Sudan.
[img]http://www.zawya.com/eiu/images/SUDAN_Industry_overview_01May2008_1.gif[/img]
The South Kordofan province ended up lying, for the most part, on the other side of the borders agreed to upon in the 1956 agreement, though part of the independence agreement was to hold a referendum on this matter. Needless to say both sides accuse the other of infringing on treaty, South Sudan saying the Sudan government is oppressing the Nuba people who want to be with South Sudan and Sudan saying that South Sudan is causing instability against them. For what it's worth with regards to the latest actions, the UN took the rare move of condemning South Sudan for occupying parts of South Kordofan around the Heglig oil field, which is all that Sudan really has of its oil deposits currently as most of it ended up on the other side of the border.
[QUOTE=bohb;35557689]All of Africa is fucked like this. Anyone who came to colonize Africa drew borders without any respect to tribal/ethnic boundaries.[/QUOTE]
OK and Britain did this one.
Why cant they name it North Sudan.
Sudan having war with South Sudan sounds like a country having war with itself.
Wasn't this supposed to be a semi-peaceful separation?
The AU should just say "Sudan, stop that shit" a country that has its balls danging within reach of every African nation is not a healthy nation.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.
