Heglig Crisis

Heglig Crisis
Date26 March – 26 September 2012
(6 months)
Location
Along the entire Sudan–South Sudan border, although the main fighting took place at Heglig
Result

Sudanese victory[2]

  • Agreement on borders and natural resources signed on 26 September[3]
Territorial
changes		 South Sudanese withdrawal from Heglig[4]
Belligerents
 South Sudan
JEM[1]
SPLM-N[1]		  Sudan
Commanders and leaders
Salva Kiir
(President of South Sudan)
South Sudan James Gatduel Gatluak
(Commander of the 4th Division)[5]		 Omar al-Bashir
(President of Sudan)
Sudan Ahmed Haroun
(Governor of South Kordofan)
Strength
SPLA and Mathiang Anyoor:
unknown (at Heglig)
Overall:[6]
140,000 soldiers
110 tanks
69 artillery pieces
10 helicopters		 SAF:[7]
2,000 (at Heglig)[8][9]
Overall:[6]
109,300 soldiers
17,500 paramilitaries
390 tanks
115 light tanks
490 armoured personnel carriers
778 artillery pieces
63 combat airplanes
29 helicopters
Casualties and losses
31 killed (South Sudanese claim)[10]
1,200 killed (Sudanese claim)[9]
106 wounded[11][12]
Several captured[13]		 256 killed (South Sudanese claim)[14]
100 wounded[15]
50 captured (Sudanese claim)[8]
1 MiG-29 shot down[16]
29 civilians killed[17]
The casualty numbers are based on the warring parties claims and have not been independently verified.

The Heglig Crisis[18] was a brief war fought between the countries of Sudan and South Sudan in 2012 over oil-rich regions between South Sudan's Unity and Sudan's South Kordofan states. South Sudan invaded and briefly occupied the small border town of Heglig before being pushed back by the Sudanese army. Small-scale clashes continued until an agreement on borders and natural resources was signed on 26 September, resolving most aspects of the conflict.

  1. ^ a b McCutchen, Andrew (October 2014). "The Sudan Revolutionary Front: Its Formation and Development" (PDF). p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Sudanese forces 'liberate Heglig town' - al Jazeera English". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  3. ^ "Sudan-South Sudan peace accords hailed". Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  4. ^ Thon Agany Ayiei. "Heglig Conflict Revisited: Why did South Sudan withdraw from Heglig (Panthou)?". The New Sudan Vision. Archived from the original on 9 November 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  5. ^ "Sudan vows response after surprise loss of oil-rich town to SPLA". Sudan Tribune. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  6. ^ a b "FACTBOX-How Sudan and South Sudan shape up militarily". AlertNet. Reuters. 19 April 2012. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  7. ^ "Sudan 'arming civilians' to fight South Kordofan rebels". BBC. 13 April 2012. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  8. ^ a b Moore, Solomon (15 April 2012). "Sudan, South Mass Troops Near Border". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Over 1,000 S. Sudanese killed at Heglig: commander". Hindustan Times. Agence France-Presse. 23 April 2012. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012.
  10. ^ 3 killed (26–28 March),[1] Archived 8 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine 1 killed (12 April),[2] Archived 26 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine 19 killed (13 April),[3] Archived 15 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine 1 killed (14 April),[4] 7 killed (18 April),[5] Archived 29 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine total of 31 reported killed
  11. ^ Holland, Hereward (31 March 2012). "Sudan, South Sudan accuse each other of border attacks". Timescolonist.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  12. ^ "South Sudan says Heglig oilfield reduced "to rubble," Sudan denies". Arab News. Reuters. 16 April 2012. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  13. ^ Holland, Hereward (27 March 2012). "South Sudan oil field bombed, Sudan says hopes to avert war". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  14. ^ 1 killed (6 April),[6] Archived 5 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine 240 killed (13 April),[7] Archived 15 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine 15 killed (18 April),[8] Archived 29 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine total of 256 reported killed
  15. ^ "Nearly 100 Sudanese soldiers hurt in recent clashes with South Sudan". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  16. ^ Ferrie, Jared (4 April 2012). "South Sudan Shot Down Sudanese War Plane, Minister Says". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  17. ^ 15 people were reported killed in air-strikes by 12 April,[9] Archived 21 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine and another 16 on 25 April,[10] Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine of these 2 were reported to be soldiers [11] Archived 26 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine[12] giving a total of 29 reported civilians killed
  18. ^ The Heglig Oil Conflict: An Exercise of Sovereignty or an Act of Aggression? Archived 25 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine by Nicasius Achu Check and Thabani Mdlongwa, pp 3. Retrieved 19 May 2014.