05 Oct 2009

Sudan's semi-autonomous region in the south has blasted the central government for what it describes as the escalation of violence in the country.

The United Nations records suggest that the tribal cattle raids in the south are increasingly taking the form of organized crimes claiming 1,200 lives only this year.

The past three days have seen the killing of at least 23 people in the marshy Jonglei state in the south.

"President Salva Kiir held a press conference and blamed the Sudanese army for that action in Jonglei by forming militia groups and giving them orders to attack citizens," said Atem Simon, a communications officer for Kiir's Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) party that has claimed autonomy in the south.

"He said ... there is no doubt that these arms are coming from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)," Simon told Reuters.

Sudan's central government denies claims by the south that it is provoking violence between the north and south.

Sudan blames the violence on the rebels that declared war on the country on December 23.


presstv