Sudan Army, SPLA Trade Accusations Over Troops Redeployment
July 18, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan armed forces (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army have traded accusations over the delay of troops redeployment of respective troops to northern and southern Sudan, the UNMIS said in a press briefing today.
The Sudanese army and the SPLA traded accusations over the redeployment of troops from the Upper Nile, the areas that produce Sudan’s vital 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil. The two parties agreed to submit the divergence to the Ceasefire Political Commission (CPC).
In a meeting held on Tuesday July 17 in Juba, the Ceasefire Joint Military Committee (CJMC) noted with concern that SAF has not fully redeployed by 9 July 2007 and continues to maintain approximately 3,600 troops in Upper Nile State, in violation of the CPA.
Under the peace deal, only the joint units should police the oil areas.
The SPLA contested the argument promoted by the SAF that since the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) have not yet deployed to protect oilfields areas, there is a requirement to maintain troops there to guarantee security. While the SAF stated that the SPLA is still maintaining a large presence in the areas of oil fields and has not redeployed to the designated Assembly areas.
A U.N. statement on July 8, signed by both the northern Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), said 66.5 percent of the original 46,403 northern troops in south Sudan had moved north. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) called for a full redeployment by July 9.
The SPLA considered non-completion of SAF redeployment a significant violation of the CPA and requested immediate redeployment of remaining SAF troops.
The SPLA in turn observed that the security of oil installations has not been handed over to the JIUs despite the fact that JIUs are located in these Areas.
The SPLA also noted that the status of SAF voluntarily demobilized soldiers remains contested and that the CPC is yet to take a decision on this matter.
The head of the U.N. mission in south Sudan, Peter Schumann, told Reuters last week that the militias " continue to receive payments from SAF so the question is to what extent they remain part of SAF or not," he said.
In light of the parties diverging stances on redeployment, the CJMC decided to refer the matter to the CPC for immediate resolution, given the gravity of the potential consequences on the timetable of the peace process. The CPC, which was to meet on 17 or 18 July, has again rescheduled its meeting which will now take place next week.
The SPLA has informed the United Nations that they have started re-deploying from the Nuba Moutains and the Bule Nile but UNMIS has yet to verify these movements.
In July 8 meeting, the United Nations said that the SPLA had not withdrawn troops from the central areas of Southern Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains.
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