Region | Sudan
Heavy fighting erupts in Khartoum
Sudan's army and southern Sudanese forces engage in heavy fighting in the disputed oil-rich town of Abyei.
- Agencies
- Published: 12:49 May 20, 2008
- Image Credit: Gulf News archive
- A series of clashes erupted in central Abyei, which is claimed by both Khartoum and semi-autonomous South Sudan.
Khartoum: Sudan's army and southern Sudanese forces engaged in heavy fighting in the disputed oil-rich town of Abyei on Tuesday, aid workers said.
The fighting, which erupted last week after a local dispute, involved a series of clashes in central Abyei, which is claimed by both Khartoum and semi-autonomous South Sudan.
An aid worker said the fighting was “between SAF (Sudan's Armed Forces) and the SPLA (the southern Sudan People's Liberation Army). We think it was a counter-attack by the SPLA.
"We are doing everything we can to calm the situation."
The UN mission in Sudan confirmed the fighting but did not more details.
Majority of the UN staff has been evacuated from the region, but on Monday, it said it had started distributing food supplies to up to 50,000 people who had fled the fighting.
Attempts to reach a ceasefire between north and southern troops fighting over the disputed region have repeatedly failed.
A report by US campaign group Enough in January described Abyei as "Sudan's Kashmir" and said the conflict could escalate into all out civil war.
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