Sudan demands international pressure

The Sudanese government has demanded the international community to apply more pressure on Sudan People's Liberation Movement - North Sector [SPLM–N], describing "near-disastrous" conditions in the states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, controlled by the movement. Commissioner of Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission, Suleiman Abdel Rahman has stated that approximately 180,000 citizens affected by the armed conflict in the two states have fled to South Sudan. He added: "The international community must pressure rebels to open safe corridors that would allow for humanitarian aid to reach those affected in areas under their control" and accused "some international organisations" of collusion in allowing aid to reach rebels through South Sudan border crossings. Suleiman also criticised the foreign tours taken by SPLM–N to a number of countries including the US. He described the tours as part of "attempts to apply political pressure on the Sudanese government." Speaking to Arabstoday, South Sudan army spokesperson Colonel Phillip Aguer denied his government's involvement in supporting or funding Sudanese rebels. "This is an internal matter pertinent to Sudan and Khartoum knows the causes of the conflict full well." He added: "The South Sudan army [known as the Sudan People's Liberation Army, SPLA] is deployed all along the borders with Sudan, even on the border of South Kordofan, and it does not allow any activity to move from the southern towards Sudanese territories." He also said his country has lodged a request for an external mechanism to be created to supervise the borders in order to head off such accusations. When Arabstoday asked him whether Khartoum had upheld the proposal or turned it down, he said his country's negotiating team have the answer. Meanwhile, the South Kordofan cabinet convened Saturday in a session presided over by governor Ahmed Haroun to discuss security and humanitarian conditions in the state. Arabstoday spoke to spokesperson Rajab al-Basha over the phone: "Reports show that the situation has stabilised due to the plan to reinforce security, impose state power and pressure the rebels militarily." According to al-Basha, the cabinet recommended "the strict execution" of the security reinforcement plan as set by the security committee. Regarding humanitarian matters, the session resulted in a recommendation to continue to give support and financial and material aid to those in need in an effort to normalise the lives of those affected by the conflict in the state. Responding to a question by Arabstoday about humanitarian conditions in rebel-held areas, he said the meeting did not tough upon the issue but added that the Sudanese government is "committed to its responsibility towards its citizens." South Kordofan and the Blue Nile have been experiencing an armed conflict for the past two years led by the rebel SPLM – N. Khartoum accuses Juba of supplying the rebel with military support and providing movement leaders with a political cover. This, Khartoum argues, is evidence by the South Sudan's retracting its promise to sever military ties with SPLM–N leaders, including Malik Agar, Abdel-Aziz al-Helw and Yasir Arman. The local South Kordofan authority later issued a statement in which it warned against "plots aiming at tearing Sudan apart," condemned the use of armed force to reach power and appealed to militants to "defer to reason" and go to the negotiating table.