Sudan, South Sudan move closer to war: South Sudanese leader Salva Kiir (shown above), in China to meet with President Hu Jintao, said Tuesday that his country’s “neighbour in Khartoum has declared war on the Republic of South Sudan.” This follows a comment by Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir last week that suggested they would crush the “insect” government to the south. The two countries — as a country, South Sudan is less than a year old — are locked in a deadly battle over a contested border, augmented by concerns over the valuable oil supply in the region. (photo by Phil Moore/AFP; EDIT: Removed use of phrase “civil war,” which was accidental. Apologies.)
» A bad harbinger? Months after Sudan split in two, the attack on a South Sudanese refugee camp — filled with many fleeing from Sudan proper — could prove dangerous to the fragile new nation. The two countries have a long, troubled history together, with the most recent civil war (which led to the split earlier this year) ending in 2005 after 22 years. ”Whatever allegations Khartoum labels against the Republic of South Sudan are baseless, but intended to justify his pending invasion of the south,” said Salva Kiir, South Sudan’s first president, who says that while peaceful solutions are best, “we will never allow our sovereignty to be violated by anybody.”
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