S.Sudan rulers accuse Bashir of plotting to overthrow themBy AFP | Saturday, March 12  2011 at  18:32

South Sudan's ruling party said Saturday it has suspended talks with Khartoum after uncovering a plot overseen by President Omar al-Bashir to topple it ahead of southern independence in July.

"We have details of a conspiracy to overthrow the government of south Sudan under the supervision of President Omar al-Bashir," said Pagan Amum, the secretary general of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), adding that prompted the decision to suspend the talks.

Mr Amum told a news conference in the Sudanese capital that his party had the names of those involved in the conspiracy, which it has asked the UN Security Council to investigate.

He said the south was considering cutting off oil supplies to the north in response to the alleged plot

"The plan, which seeks to cause serious instability in the south, is to be implemented by the national intelligence inside the army and by the security advisers to the president," he added.

Mr Amum has been leading the negotiations in Ethiopia and Sudan with the Bashir's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) on a raft of outstanding issues to be resolved ahead of southern independence on July 9.

Accused

The south had contacted the UN Security Council to probe the "crimes against humanity" committed by rebel militias the south's Jongeli and Upper Nile states this week, which he again accused of Khartoum of orchestrating.

The senior SPLM official said a part of the NCP's plan involved using Arab Misseriya nomads in the flashpoint border region of Abyei against the south.

"For all these reasons, the SPLM is suspending discussions with the NCP until they stop these activities, or until they are investigated by the Security Council," Mr Amum said.

Southern president "Salva Kiir has directed me to look into the possibility of halting the export oil through the north and to investigate alternative transportation routes," he added.

Around 80 per cent of Sudan's crude production, of around 475,000 barrels per day, is pumped from the south.

Renegotiating a revenue sharing formula is one of the various issued that Juba and Khartoum are trying to resolve ahead of July, when the south is due to gain full international recognition, after its people voted overwhelmingly for independence at a January referendum.

Other issues include Abyei's future status, borders, citizenship and debt.