A top
South Sudan
official said
South
Sudan
's president spoke to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
over the phone earlier Wednesday about the severity of the escalating crisis
between
Sudan
and
South
Sudan
.
The South Sudanese minister of information, Barnaba Benjamin Marial, also said
Ban would arrive in
Juba
Friday, although this was
later denied by the U.N. which said the secretary-general would be in
Europe
.
Sudanese and South Sudanese troops have engaged in border clashes this week,
prompting the international community to fear that the two formerly united
countries would return to war.
Marial said
South Sudan
wouldn't be "dragged
into a senseless war" with
Sudan
,
though he added that
Sudan
hadn't communicated to the government an intention to declare war.
Relations between the two countries, which separated in July, have soured in
recent months over disputed border territories and oil transit fees. In
January,
South Sudan
shut its roughly 350,000-barrels-a-day oil
production after accusing
Sudan
of
stealing its oil. Sudan denies the accusation.