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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council expressed concern onThursday over a lack of access for aid to Sudan's border states ofSouth Kordofan and Blue Nile, where fighting has been ragingbetween the Sudanese army and rebels. Sudan and South Sudan came close to all-out war last month whenborder fighting escalated in the worst violence since South Sudan'ssecession in July. Khartoum accuses Juba of supporting rebels inSouth Kordofan and Blue Nile. Juba denies the claim. The 15-member Security Council was briefed by senior U.N. officialson compliance by the former civil war foes with a May 2 resolutionthreatening sanctions if they failed to halt the escalatingconflict and resume talks on a strong of disputes. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said that whilethe situation between the two countries appeared to be "in a betterplace" than before the resolution, they were "seemingly on a hairtrigger, so this is still quite a dangerous, quite a precarioussituation, along the border." She told reporters there was dire concern about the gravehumanitarian situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. "What we are seeing in terms of those refugees who have made itacross the border ... is absolutely alarming. Those are the healthyones, comparatively, that are able to make it out," she said. "Thisis indeed an exceedingly worryingly situation." "There has been no progress in terms of the government of Sudanallowing open humanitarian access, including into rebel areas,"Rice said. Sudan's U.N. ambassador, Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, called onSouth Sudan to stop supporting rebels in South Kordofan. This would "enable the government of the Sudan and theinternational community to channel the relief assistance to theneedy people affected by the aggression caused by the rebel forcesin South Kordofan," he told reporters. RESUMPTION OF TALKS WELCOME Sudan and South Sudan are at loggerheads over the position of theirborder, how much the landlocked south should pay to transport itsoil through Sudan, and the division of national debt, among otherissues. While the Security Council also welcomed the withdrawal of securityforces by both countries from another disputed border territory,Abyei, it said "full withdrawal must include police forcesincluding oil police." South Sudan has accused its northern neighbor of keeping dozens oftroops in the region dressed as police. Sudan seized Abyei a yearago after an attack on a military convoy, blamed by the UnitedNations on southern forces. The Security Council welcomed the resumption of talks on Tuesdaybetween Sudan and South Sudan and called on both sides maintainmomentum towards meeting their outstanding obligations under theresolution. Rice said the states had not started discussing the contentiousissue of oil revenues. The Security Council passed the resolution after the African Unionsought backing for its demand for Sudan and South Sudan to ceasehostilities, withdraw troops from disputed areas and resume talkswith the aim of resolving all outstanding disputes. Osman warned on Thursday that Sudan would continue to fight todefend its territory if necessary. "South Kordofan and Blue Nile is under the full sovereignty of theRepublic of Sudan. (No one) can impose on us anything when we fightpeople who are destabilizing our peace and security inside ourterritories," he told reporters. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by David Brunnstrom ). I am an expert from uv-flatbed-printer.com, while we provides the quality product, such as ECO Solvent Printer Manufacturer , Heat Transfer Press Machine, Water Based Inkjet Printer,and more.
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