Sudan’s Bashir: No More Talks with South

Posted April 23rd, 2012 at 6:20 pm (UTC-5)
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Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, says there will be no further talks with South Sudan, as witnesses in the south say Sudanese warplanes have carried out bombings.

Mr. Bashir made the comments to soldiers Monday during a visit to the oil-producing area of Heglig, which the Sudanese army regained from southern forces on Friday.

Mr. Bashir said the south only understands the language of “guns and ammunition.”

Officials and witnesses in South Sudan say Sudanese warplanes bombed inside the south's Unity state on Monday, killing at least three people, including one boy. The bombs struck in and around the border town of Bentiu.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the Sudanese bombings and called on the government in Khartoum to cease all hostilities immediately.

The United States also condemned what it termed Sudan's military incursion. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. recognizes the south's right to self-defense, but urged Juba to “exercise restraint” in its response to the bombardments.

The deputy head of South Sudan's military intelligence, Mac Paul, said Sudanese forces dropped four bombs Monday. He accused Sudan of “continuous provocations” since the south withdrew its forces from the Heglig region in recent days.

“The decision that was taken by the government and the council of ministers for the (ruling party) SPLA to withdraw from Heglig. We withdrew but there has been serious provocations from the Sudanese army and its militia, both popular defense and southern militia towards our borders.”

South Sudan says it made an orderly and voluntary pullout from Heglig, following international pressure to withdraw. Sudan says it retook the area by force.

The two countries have been unable to resolve disputes over borders, oil and citizenship stemming from the south's independence last July.

The north and south previously fought a 21-year civil war that killed more than 2 million people. The war ended with a 2005 peace agreement that included an independence referendum for the south.