By FRED OLUOCH

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South Sudan has refuted claims it is ferrying fuel to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), one of the two warring parties in Sudan.

According to a leaked United Nations Panel of Experts report released on Friday, fuel trucks are moving from the capital Juba to Wau, the northwestern city and capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal State. From Wau, the oil is transported to RSF-controlled areas in South Darfur State through Raja and Kafia-Kingi.

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But Foreign Affairs minister James Morgan said on Monday that the allegations are unfounded.

“It is important to note that since the eruption of conflict in the sisterly Republic of Sudan on April 15, 2023, the government of the Republic of South Sudan has maintained a position of neutrality and has kept its borders open. Our commitment to peace and stability in the region remains unwavering,” he said in a statement.

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The UN report claimed that the trucks travel to Wau every week. “From Wau, fuel was transported in civilian cars such as Land Cruisers to Raja, then to RSF-controlled areas in South Darfur, through Kafia-Kingi,” the report stated.

However, the UN panel absolved the South Sudanese government, saying it played no role in the fuel transportation, attributing it rather to local South Sudanese army officers within Wau.

The Foreign ministry said the allegations do not contribute to solving the conflict in Sudan, but jeopardise peace efforts.

“President Salva Kiir Mayardit has consistently called upon the Sudanese parties to observe a ceasefire and create a conducive atmosphere for the cessation of hostilities,” Mr Morgan said.

RSF and the Sudan army have been fighting a vicious war since April that has left at least 13,000 people dead and displaced more than seven million, according to the UN estimates.

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