By Tamara Alfred
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

On Thursday, the Sudanese president vowed to “never give up” a disputed oil-rich region that has led to escalated tensions between Sudan and South Sudan and sparked fears of a return to war.

Clashes between the two nations soared in the past week after South Sudan declared the disputed Heglig region to be under its control.  Sudan also claims ownership of the region and has lodged complaints with the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU), urging both groups to pressure South Sudan to withdraw its troops from the territory.

“We will never give up an inch of our land,” Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said during a rally broadcast on state media.  “And we have said it before, whoever extends his hand toward Sudan, we will cut it off.”

President al-Bashir’s defiant speech continued: “We will punish them…and it will be the last lesson for them.  If they do not understand, we will make them get it by force.  We extended our hand before for peace and unity.  But they deceived us.  Heglig is the start.”

The international community has urged the two countries to return to the negotiating table amid the intensified tensions.  South Sudan split from Sudan in July 2011 under the terms of a 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of civil war.

“The last thing the people of these two countries need is another war – a war that could claim countless lives, destroy hope and ruin the prospects of peace and stability and prosperity of all Sudanese people,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

The UN Security Council issued a statement demanding “a complete, immediate and unconditional end to all fighting and a withdrawal of the SPLA [Sudan People’s Liberation Army of South Sudan] from Heglig and an end to aerial bombardments.

The United States (US) has also called for both sides to stop the hostilities.  “We condemn South Sudan’s military involvement in the attack on and seizure of Heglig, an act which goes beyond self-defense and has increased tensions between Sudan and South Sudan to dangerous levels,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.  “We also condemn the continued aerial bombardment in South Sudan by the Sudanese Armed Forces.”

Five people were killed and five others were wounded this past weekend after an airplane dropped bombs on a town in South Sudan.  Col. Philip Aguer, a spokesman for the SPLA, said that the aerial strike hit a market area in Rubkona in the early afternoon on Saturday.  Two other counties were reportedly also attacked that day.

“We will observe closely the behavior and attitude of the reaction of the government of the South to this call and if they don’t heed it, we will reserve our right to exercise the right of self-defense and we will chase them out,” Sudan’s Ambassador to the UN Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman said.

While South Sudan did not immediately respond, Maj. Gen. Mangar Buong, a deputy commander for the South Sudanese military vowed to hold their position.

Later, South Sudan’s Ambassador to the UN Agnes Oswaha blamed the Sudanese government for attacks of their forces at the border, provoking the South Sudanese actions at Heglig.

“South Sudan had no choice.  It had to defend itself to deter attacks on South Sudanese territory,” Oswaha said.  “South Sudan is prepared to withdraw troops as long as a mechanism is put in place that the area cannot be used to launch further attacks.”

Tensions have continued to run high since the separation last year.  Unresolved issues pertaining to the divorce include status of citizens, how much the landlocked South should pay to transport its oil through Sudan, and the division of national debt, among others, including the fate of disputed border areas.

Addressing a rally in Khartoum on Wednesday, al-Bashir accused South Sudan’s ruling party, the SPLM, of seeking to execute “the agendas of world powers to oust the government in Khartoum” before threatening to do it the other way himself.

“Either we end up occupying Juba [the capital of South Sudan] or you end up occupying Khartoum, but the boundaries of the old Sudan can no longer fit us together.  Only one of us has to remain standing,” Bashir said.

He further pledged to liberate South Sudan’s people from the SPLM, which he described as an insect that must be crushed.

“We have promised the South’s people to free them from the SPLM rule immediately and we bear a responsibility before the South’s citizens after we contributed to establishing the SPLM rule in the South,” he said.

Meanwhile, South Sudan government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin said that al-Bashir’s words were a warning that he would like to carry out the “genocide” in South Sudan as he is doing in the Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions of Sudan.

The violence has led to increase of rights groups warning of deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a new analysis that the countries are “teetering on the brink of all-out war from which neither would benefit.”

“The deteriorating situation right now is making the overall humanitarian issues very challenging,” said Alex Neve, secretary-general of Amnesty International Canada.  Reportedly, supply lines to refugee camps have been cut off, and a failure to get key supplies before the rainy season hits will lead to an even greater humanitarian crisis.

“Diplomatic pressure to cease hostilities and return to negotiations must be exerted by both government by the region and the United Nations Security Council, as well as such partners as the US, China and key Gulf states,” said the ICG.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Arab League calls emergency meeting on Sudan violence – 19 April 2012

CNN – Sudan president vows to ‘punish’ South Sudan – 19 April 2012

CNN – Official: 5 killed, 5 wounded in aerial attack in South Sudan – 18 April 2012

Sudan Tribune – Bashir Vows to ‘Free’ South Sudan’s People From SPLM – 18 April 2012