"As our president (Salva Kiir) has said, we cannot be dragged into a senseless war, but we will be in position to protect our territory and integrity," South Sudan's Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told news hounds.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to
ArabizeDarfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it.
suspended an April summit with his Southern counterpart following the flare-up, prompting U.N. chief
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan...
to appeal for calm between the former civil war foes.
Khartoum said the attacks were in response to raids by Southern troops on Sudanese territory Monday.
Philip Aguer, a South Sudan army front man, said fighting continued Tuesday between Southern and northern Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) troops.
"Bombing has never stopped, ground festivities happened this morning, and we are expecting them (SAF) to attack us in other places," Aguer told news hounds, adding that casualties were feared.
"Definitely you cannot fight from afternoon up until morning without casualties," said Aguer, adding he was awaiting further details.
On Monday, Kiir said his troops had driven northern forces back across the undemarcated border and seized Khartoum's Heglig oil field, parts of which are claimed by both sides.
The proposed talks between Bashir and Kiir had been aimed at easing tensions that many fear have dragged the two neighbors back to the brink of full-scale war.