Friday, October 26, 2007

Armed Forces Testing Each Other in Sudan

Moving Toward War
As readers of this blog know, I have a special interest in Sudan since we send our students to teach the biblical languages there. The breaking news from Sudan today is that northern and southern military forces appear to be involved in skirmishes, where several deaths and injuries are occuring. Clearly, prayers are requested and needed. Here is the report forwarded by Lauren out of there:

Sudan Armed Forces, SPLA clash in Southern Sudan, 10 killed
Friday 26 October 2007 04:30.

October 25, 2007 (JUBA) The Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) said soldiers from the SPLA and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) clashed in Bahr El Gahzal, and Bahr El Arab in southern Sudan.
According to the SPLA statement 9 SAF soldier and one SPLA soldiers are killed during the clashes.
Yasir Arman, a SPLM deputy secretary general, said that South Sudan president Salva Kiir Mayardit has instructed the SPLM forces everywhere to be committed to orders and remain quite.
Below the text of the SPLA press statement:
(ST)
SPLA
Press Release on the withdrawal of SAF from Rum Akeer
Northern Bahr El Ghazal State
The two Infantry Companies of the Sudanese Army Force (SAF) decided to draw northward from the old railway station of Rum Akeer of Aweil North County, Northern Bahr El Ghazal State on the 16th October 2007. It is worth noting that at 7 pm of the above mentioned date, a group of drunken soldiers from both SAF and Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) clashed in the market of Rum Akeer, where they were drinking alcohol resulting in the following causalities:
SAF side: One (1) killed and four wounded; SPLA side: Three (3) wounded
The withdrawing SAF Infantry Companies attacked our two Infantry Companies at Wahr Guet Base (known in Arabic as Bahr El Arab) in the morning and mid-day of 17/10/2007 with following causalities:
SAF Side: Eight (8) killed and unknown number wounded as the attackers succeeded to evacuate their wounded;
SPLA side: One (1) killed and two (2) wounded
The SAF units in El Muglad, Meiram and the northern bank of Wahr Guet, are very busy preparing to retaliate.
The Governor of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State, Col Madut Biar Yel and the SPLA Command in the State are doing their best to calm down the situation.
It is worth noting that Rum Akeer is one of the villages of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State where SAF is refusing to redeploy from despite the passing of the 9/7/2007 deadline of the SAF redeployment to north of 1/1/1956 border between Northern and Southern Sudan. Two Infantry Companies of SAF and one Infantry of SPLA Proper were deployed in Rum Akeer.
The causalities on the two sides are regrettable and lost to the Sudan. The incident is now being investigated by the joint committee from SAF, SPLA and United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) that left Juba to Northern Bahr El Ghazal State on Saturday 20/10/2007.
Signed:
Maj. Gen. Kuol Deim Kuol SPLA Spokeman
SPLA General Headquarters Juba, Southern Sudan

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