Arrested foreigners arrive in Khartoum, S.Sudan denies aiding them

Three foreigners whom Sudanese authorities arrested for illegally entering an oil-producing border area arrived at the military airport in Khartoum on Saturday, a Reuters witness said.    

Sudan said it had arrested a Briton, a South African and a Norwegian in part of the disputed Heglig area, scene of recent fighting between Sudan and South Sudan. Sudan said they had been seen entering with a soldier from South Sudan.    

The witness said two Western men and two African men arrived on a civilian plane at the airport.    

One of the Western men was wearing a t-shirt that said "Norwegian People's Aid. Mine Action South Africa," the witness said.  

In response, South Sudan's army said that the arrested foreigners were not helping its forces, contrary to accusations by Khartoum.  

"That is rubbish and just a lie," the spokesman for South Sudan's army (SPLA), Philip Aguer, said.    

Aguer said SPLA sources in Bentiu, the capital of South Sudan's Unity State, told him that a U.N. truck had got lost in the disputed border area and were "caught by the Sudanese Armed Forces".    

"The humanitarian truck ... should have been allowed free passage," Aguer said.       

Reuters