17 South Sudanese 'killed by air raids'  

17 South Sudanese 'killed by air raids'  

Seventeen South Sudanese civilians have been killed during air raids by Sudan's military.

South Sudan's military spokesman Col. Philip Aguer said those killed were cattle herders in West Bahr al-Ghazal state, further west than other recent clashes.

Sudan has denied the allegations but Col Aguer said no other power in the region could carry out the bombing.

The south seceded from Sudan in July but there have been numerous clashes along their common border.

The UN estimates that several hundred thousand people have been displaced by fighting in the border areas of South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Unity state.

Col Aguer said "This attack in West Bahr al-Ghazal is a hostile aggression that Khartoum has been conducting against the civilian population."

He said Sudan's army had also bombed areas in Unity state since Wednesday.

“It wanted to draw up the north-south boundary by force and annex Unity state because it was rich in oil,” Col Aguer said.

 Pro-northern and southern groups have clashed in the past in West Bahr al-Ghazal state over grazing and water rights.

Sudan's army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad denied they had carried out the air strikes.
Mr Saad said South Sudan was, in fact, amassing troops in Unity state to launch attacks across the border.

Both countries accuse each other of backing rebels operating in their territory.

Sudan's foreign ministry spokesman Al-Obeid Meruh said that 350 members of a Darfur-based rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) had crossed into South Sudan on Wednesday.

He said the international community should put pressure on South Sudan's government "to stop supporting these troops and disarm them.”

Analysts said various mediation efforts to end the conflict in Darfur, and to ease tension between Sudan and South Sudan, have so far failed.

BBC/Adekusibe/Cokey