South Sudan denied reports that SAF, the Sudan Armed Forces, have withdrawn from Abyei in response to the international call for both countries’ armies to pull out of all disputed areas and return to talks.
Former US President Jimmy Carter announced this week after meeting Sudanese President Omar al Bashir that Sudan agreed to pullout its troops from Abyei area.Addressing the press this evening in Juba, Government spokesperson Barnaba Marial Benjamin said there is no base to say that SAF fully withdrew from Abyei.
He said SAF redeployed two platoons dressed in police uniform at Langar and two others at Agany, about 10 and 22 kilometres north of Abyei.
Dr Marial added that one battalion of Sudanese Police Reserve and militias used to attack Northern Bahr El Ghazal are about five miles from Diffra and Atilla.
He called on SAF to withdraw fully from Abyei and stop escalating its aggression against the Republic of South Sudan.