Sudan denies bombing South Sudan village
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan accused Sudan on Saturday of bombing one of its villages just two weeks before a U.N.-imposed deadline on peace and oil negotiations between the two nations.
Military spokesman Col. Philip Aguer said Sudanese Antonov planes bombed the village of Rumaker in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state near the two countries’ border early Friday morning. Aguer said two civilians were slightly injured.
The Sudanese government in Khartoum, however, promptly rejected the accusation, saying its aircraft only attacked the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement within its own borders.
Sudan‘s SUNA state news agency quoted government spokesman Omar Dahab as saying that Khartoum had warned Juba that the rebel forces were in South Sudan planning operations against Sudan and that the government would strike them if they “infiltrated” the country.
Sudan made several bombing runs into South Sudan earlier in the year, bringing the two nations to the brink of war in April, but Friday’s attack is the first bombing reported by South Sudan since early May.
“We didn’t expect anything like this,” said Aguer. “It is a surprise.”
Sudan and South Sudan are engaged in negotiations
Category: South Sudan News
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