New fighting breaks out at south-north border, with many lives reportedly lost.

Mugled
Jan. 4, 08 (NSV)

In an effort to calm down the rapidly developing serious military situation at north-south borders, report reaching NSV is disturbing as worst may still happen. "Very many people died today, others are wounded and are getting treated. They attacked our army," a frightened villager told New Sudan Vision from the troubled areas.

The just ended tour of Mugled, Meiram, Aweil and Bentiu by top NCP and SPLM officials seems to be meaningless even if their unified message has been "let's keep peace." No one heeded the partners’s staunch as Misseriya are determined to penetrate into the south by force. This latest violence erupted around Wanjok that the Misseiya are claiming as their territory and falsely blaming SPLA of preventing them from occupying it with their cattle. Many lives are reported lost as intensive fighting is still being heard; "They are using heavy weapons," said a Mugled resident.

In a separate development from Mugled town, there is a confirmed report that 8 people have been arrested by security forces. The reason for their arrest was their outspokenness of the fighting between the Misseriya and the SPLA. "Citizens are being warned not to talk about what is happening at Bahr el Arab. They put them in containers," Musa Adam told NSV from Mugled town.

The big retinue from GoNU which visited the troubled areas was headed by Defense minister Abderahim Mohamed Hussein and Pagan Amum, SPLM's Secretary General and Cabinet Affairs minister. The delegation which included south Kordofan governor, Omer Suleiman, NCP's Dirdiri Mohamed Ahmed, Darfur's war crime suspect, Ahmed Haroun and other top GoNU officials visited Aweil where they met Northern Bahr el Ghazal governor Dut Biar and his entire cabinet.

Pagan Amum spoke strongly to the northern partners, saying “The aim of our return to GoNU is to keep this peace. It is not our intention to have war between SPLA and Miseeriya."

In Bentiu, the delegation met with governor of Unity state, Taban Deng and his security team.

Unity state is currently being occupied by about 12, 000 SAF soldiers. Both SAF and SPLA are downplaying the escalating situation between north-south borders. However, Misseriya leaders are still being seen recruiting and vow to fight SPLA around River Kiir.

NCP seem to be in a hurry for SPLA to move away from Kordofan while SAF are still occupying parts of southern Sudan.

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