Government says in “full control” of Blue Nile

Sudanese armed forces are in full control of the Blue Nile area, southeastern Sudan, despite rebel claims to the contrary, according to the official spokesman of the armed forces, Staff Lt-Gen Muhammad Bashir Sulayman. The rebel forces had “collapsed” because of a successful security operation carried out by the army in the area, official Sudanese media quoted him as saying on Tuesday. According to Sulayman, a rebel “infantry platoon” had surrendered to the army with all its equipment in the Yaradda area [11.15N 34.55E], after the government Had taken control of Mantopia, Mahayliq and Mazbaqah. A number of field commanders from the rebel movement had defected or surrendered, and would be treated well, the army spokesman said.

The spokesman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in Nairobi, Samson Kwaje, rejected the government statement, saying that the SPLA had repulsed a government offensive in Blue Nile. He told IRIN that the SPLA remained in control of the key towns of Kurmuk, Qaysan and Ulu, held since January 1997. According to Kwaje, government action in Blue Nile was linked to oil concessions in Adar Yill, northeastern Upper Nile, recently given to a Chinese company. The SPLA spokesman said the government wanted to “cleanse” the area, which borders southern Blue Nile, for oil purposes. The Sudan government has denied that it has a “displacement policy” in oil areas.