South Sudan said Thursday it would follow United Nations orders to return to talks with arch-rival Sudan after weeks of bitter border conflict, despite Khartoum’s apparent rejection of the UN resolution.
“We are ready to go for talks anytime… If we don’t implement and comply with the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) resolution, the conflict may escalate,” said Deng Alor, South Sudan’s Minister for Cabinet Affairs. “Nobody is interested in war… Let us resolve these issues peacefully and let us avoid any armed conflict, because you know, we have had enough of it,” he told reporters. A May 2 Security Council resolution called for Sudan and South Sudan to cease hostilities along their border and settle unresolved issues after the South’s separation last July following a 1983-2005 civil war. On Wednesday, Sudan’s army said it had fought with South Sudan along the disputed border, while the South said it had come under renewed Sudanese air attack, violating a UN ceasefire.