South Sudan Accuses Sudan of Declaring of War
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir said Tuesday that Sudan’s recent actions amount to a declaration of war against the South. Kiir’s comments, made during a visit to China, followed a series of bomb attacks in South Sudan’s Unity State blamed on Sudanese armed forces.
“It comes at a very critical moment for the Republic of South Sudan because our neighbor, Khartoum, has declared war against the Republic of South Sudan,” Kirr said while holding talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing.
Sudanese warplanes have continued dropping bombs on southern territory days after South Sudanese troops withdrew from an oil town at the center of recent clashes. At least three people have been killed in the air attacks, including a young boy.
“What happens in the next few days is very crucial on whether the two countries can avert the possibility of an outbreak of a full-blown conflict, or if they actually lead themselves headlong into a situation of all-out war,” said South Sudan’s Deputy Defense Minister Majak D’Agoot from the state capital Bentiu.