Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — Sudan and its new southern neighbor have reinforced
troops along their contested border.

The Satellite Sentinel Project said Sudan and South Sudan deployed their
militaries in at least 14 locations along the border. The U.S. group, which
monitors the border region through satellite imagery, said the two
militaries were operating in violation of security agreements.
“Despite their pledges to the contrary, DigitalGlobe satellite imagery acquired in May and June 2013 over portions of the demilitarized zone border proves that both countries were still in violation of their bilateral agreement in at least 14 locations within the zone,” the report said.

SSP, which acquired satellite imagery acquired in June, said the Sudan People’s Liberation Army maintained military installations or checkpoints along nine locations in the border’s demilitarized zone. The imagery also showed five locations by the Sudanese Army, including main battle tanks and artillery.

In September 2012, the two Sudans agreed to create a demilitarized
buffer zone along their shared border in an effort to reduce the likelihood
of conflict. The accord also included the establishment of a joint
border-verification mechanism to track compliance and investigate alleged
violations.

“The presence of either side’s military or armed civilians within the
exclusion zone is a clear violation of the terms of the agreement,” the
report, titled “Troops in the Demilitarized Zones,” said. “The governments
of Sudan and South Sudan bear the obligation of ensuring that no troops or
armed elements of any kind are present within the demilitarized buffer
zone.”

Over the last two months, the regime of Sudanese President Omar Bashir
repudiated the border agreements. Juba and Khartoum had pledged to withdraw
all of their troops from the border in April.

“At this particularly sensitive moment, the persistence of military
installations within the demilitarized zone is destabilizing,” the report,
dated June 14, said. “If the two countries return to war, these bases will likely become
flashpoints.”

  deploy forces in buffer zone, Juba, Khartoum, Omar Bashir, Sudan, Sudan and South violate border agreement, Sudan People’s Liberation Army