Khartoum — South Sudan's army said it fought heavy battles with militia in the oil-producing Unity state on Thursday, the latest clashes in an upsurge of violence in the region soon to become the world's newest nation.
Southern Sudanese this year voted overwhelmingly to become an independent state on 9 July and secede from the north they have fought for all but a few years since 1955.
But the violence has soured relations with Khartoum, who the south says is arming militias, stalling talks on the mechanics of separation. Leaders from the north and south are meeting on Thursday to try to overcome the impasse caused by the violence.
South Sudan's army (SPLA) spokesman Philip Aguer said the 1000-strong militia had moved from Khartoum last month saying they would join the south's separate army but refused to meet southern officials and had begun to illegally tax civilians.
"They came under the pretext that they were coming to join the SPLA but they spent more than one month guarding against integration," Aguer said. "It was just buying time to recruit more soldiers and receive arms from Khartoum."
He said the fighting had dislodged the militia from their base but that they had yet to receive casualty estimates.
"There will be heavy casualties because they were well armed and the SPLA force which eventually took them on was also well armed," he said.
Aguer said the militia attacked the SPLA during a visit to investigate the taxation complaints early on Thursday.
"The SPLA responded by attacking their base this morning in heavy clashes for four hours, dislodging them," said Aguer.
The United Nations and the northern Sudanese army were not immediately able to comment on the clashes, but the north denies southern accusations that it arms militias there.
Thursday's fighting will add to international fears of a breakdown in law and order in the south which has long suffered from tribal and ethnic divisions. Critics say the south risks becoming a failed state which could destabilize east Africa if it is unable to maintain security.
Many flashpoints remain over the south's impending secession including demarcating the border, sharing wealth from the oil which lies mainly in the south but is reliant on infrastructure in the north and the disputed central region of Abyei where troops have been seen amassing from both sides.
