Sudan opposition calls for dialogue with South
Wounded Sudanese soldiers recover in a Khartoum hospital on Tuesday, after a spike in violence along the southern border last week.
They were hurt in fighting with South Sudan over the disputed Heglig oil field.
South Sudan took control of the contested oil-producing Heglig region last week, prompting Sudan's parliament to brand its former civil war foe an "enemy", and to call for a swift recapture of the territory.
But South Sudan insists Heglig is rightfully theirs, and it says it won't withdraw its troops unless the United Nations deploys a neutral force to monitor a ceasefire.
The UN Security Council has demanded South Sudan withdraw immediately from the vital oil field and for Sudan to stop air strikes.
The leader of Sudan's opposition UMMA party called for dialogue.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) NATIONAL UMMA PARTY LEADER, AL-SADIQ AL-MAHDI, SAYING:
"We want to get to the cause of this dispute which lead to these problems between us and our sister state in the South. I hope we will succeed in defusing the crisis and open the way to a comprehensive and just peace agreement. This can not be achieved unless these forces pull out immediately."
The Heglig field is vital to South Sudan's economy - once producing half of the fledgling nation's oil.
Reports of new clashes this week have stoked fears of a return to all out war, as Sudan and South Sudan struggle to reach a deal soon on disputed issues, such as demarcation of their border, division of debt and the status of citizens in each other's territory.
Travis Brecher, Reuters
They were hurt in fighting with South Sudan over the disputed Heglig oil field.
South Sudan took control of the contested oil-producing Heglig region last week, prompting Sudan's parliament to brand its former civil war foe an "enemy", and to call for a swift recapture of the territory.
But South Sudan insists Heglig is rightfully theirs, and it says it won't withdraw its troops unless the United Nations deploys a neutral force to monitor a ceasefire.
The UN Security Council has demanded South Sudan withdraw immediately from the vital oil field and for Sudan to stop air strikes.
The leader of Sudan's opposition UMMA party called for dialogue.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) NATIONAL UMMA PARTY LEADER, AL-SADIQ AL-MAHDI, SAYING:
"We want to get to the cause of this dispute which lead to these problems between us and our sister state in the South. I hope we will succeed in defusing the crisis and open the way to a comprehensive and just peace agreement. This can not be achieved unless these forces pull out immediately."
The Heglig field is vital to South Sudan's economy - once producing half of the fledgling nation's oil.
Reports of new clashes this week have stoked fears of a return to all out war, as Sudan and South Sudan struggle to reach a deal soon on disputed issues, such as demarcation of their border, division of debt and the status of citizens in each other's territory.
Travis Brecher, Reuters