Juba denies reports of army reinforcement

South Sudanese Minister for Media and official government spokesman Dr Barnaba Benjamin has denied reports that his country had reinforced its military presence in the zone north of the Bahr al-Arab river, along its borders with Sudan. This region includes the village of Samaha: one of the disputed border areas between the two countries. “Sudanese Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein was just with us in Juba,” Benjamin told Arabstoday, adding “we held bilateral talks focusing on the security dossier.” Benjamin also expressed his country’s desire for better relations with Sudan and the implementation of the cooperation agreement signed by the two countries, including security-related articles. News media had reported remarks by Bahr al-Arab locality commissioner al-Daif Issa Elau referring to reinforcements by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and describing them as “extraordinary, fighting forces” placed by South Sudan north of Bahr al-Arab. He also claimed that the SPLA had crossed into Sudanese territories, adding “if these forces penetrate any deeper into the country, we will respond and they will find us with them at the right time.” Elau also claimed that this incident “indicates the ill-will that runs counter to the cooperation agreement that set dialogue as the method for conflict resolution.” The South Sudanese spokesman described Elau’s statements as “incorrect,” identifying it as part of “attempts to destroy the bilateral agreement and create a climate of tension in the relations between Juba and Khartoum.” Demanding “checking the facts” before making statements which he said were “harmful and potentially having the effect of forming a public opinion detrimental to peace, shared interests and social co-existence.” Benjamin referred to the agreement that took place during the Sudanese Defence Minister’s visit to Juba to resume negotiations over security issues in Khartoum. A source in East Darfur State also said that South Sudan had withdrawn its troops from the borderline, particularly from the disputed Samaha area, and into its own borders. The source also said that the East Darful government is planning a joint mechanism with the South Sudanese states of North and East Bah al-Ghazal to arrange the resumption of herding movement from the state of East Darfur and into South Sudanese territories. This is a crucial step for herders, allowing them greater freedom in their search for water and grazing lands for their cattle. The governor of East Darfur, General Mohammed Fadlallah Hamid has also stressed his state’s efforts towards the execution of a number of development and services projects in the border zone and linking them with roads in order to revive trade across the borders. The governor has also renewed his call on European Union’s Special Representative to Sudan, Rosalind Marsden, for the EU to put pressure on rebel groups in Darfur to join the peace process and support peaceful construction and development projects in his state.