Sudan warplanes drop bombs on South Sudan

Sudanese warplanes launched their first attack on a major South Sudanese town, amid fears the two sides are sliding closer to a full-blown war.

AFP is reporting that five bombs have been dropped in Bentiu town, the capital of the oil-producing Unity border state.

"They dropped bombs in Bentiu town.  Apparently they were aiming for a bridge," South Sudan's Deputy Information Minister Atem Yaak Atem is quoted as saying.

On Wednesday it was reported that South Sudan's forces had gained control of the town of Hedlig, and All Africa says forces have now advanced 15 miles further north. 

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Sudan's government has complained to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and to the African Union, which has been leading negotiations between the two nations on security, economic and border issues, The Standard newspaper in Kenya says.

The Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Rahma Mohammed Osman reportedly told reporters: "I think this is the most serious (incident) after South Sudan's secession and it affects our main oil production area . . . We are calling for the international community to put pressure on South Sudan to withdraw its troops from Heglig without any conditions."

An article in the Sudan Tribune claimed South Sudan was running out of patience with the international community’s "moral equivalence" in regard to the disputed territory of Abyei.

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