20110314
xinhua

KHARTOUM, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday refuted the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) accusations that the party supported armed militias to topple south Sudan government before July 9, 2011.

"The SPLM accusations of the national congress of involvement in Malakal incidents and other parts of south Sudan are mere allegations that the movement has kept on repeating to conceal its internal problems," said Salah Abdalla Gosh, Sudanese Presidential Adviser for Security Affairs and an NCP leading member, at a press conference here Sunday.

He added that the NCP has been following with concern the increasing south-south tension, affirming that there was dialogue within the joint NCP-SPLM political committee on how to investigate on the SPLM accusations.

He further affirmed that his party would continue the dialogue with the SPLM through the joint existing institutions, saying that "dialogue is the best means to verify information and find solutions for the problems that may arise now and then."

"The NCP believes that the principles agreed upon with the SPLM, which stand on security and stability, constitute the base which governs relations between the north and the south," he said.

The SPLM on Saturday decided to suspend dialogue with the NCP on outstanding issues, accusing the party of seeking to topple south Sudan government before July 9, 2011 and of supporting the armed militias in the south.

Tens of people were killed in recent clashes between the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and a rebel militia in Upper Nile State in south Sudan and in other battles between the Mesiria Arab tribe and SPLA fighters at the country's disputed oil-rich area of Abyei.

In January 2011, the southerners voted for separation of South Sudan in a referendum on self-determination for the region, where the NCP and the SPLM embarked on negotiations on the outstanding issues between them including the Abyei question.