Sudan claims to be approaching Heglig

The Sudanese army said it has taken control of areas surrounding Heglig not more than a few kilometres away. Sudanese military spokesman Al Sawarmi Khaled Saad told reporters in Khartoum the army was close to Heglig, and is aiming not just to take over the area but also to destroy South Sudan’s forces in the area. South Sudan’s military spokesman Philip Aguer told Radio Dabanga that the Sudanese army is still around 30 km from Heglig and said Juba is still completely in control of the area. He said Sudan’s claims that the army was close to the area were false and misleading to convince parent’s to send their children to fight and become martyrs in Heglig, which is South Sudan’s territory.Juba says Khartoum bombed oil fields South Sudan’s minister of information Barnaba Marial Benjamin has accused Sudan of bombing the oil fields in Heglig. He told reporters in Juba that the Sudanese army shelled the facilities and rolled in tanks to destroy the infrastructure. President Bashir told the Sudan news agency SUNA that Khartoum would not negotiate with Juba unless it withdraws its forces from Heglig.