afrol News, 27 August - Hundreds of Sudanese war veterans protesting against a seven-month delay in paying their monthly allowances have sealed the Sudan-Kenya northern border, preventing movement of goods and people along the Lokichoggio/Juba highway.

A district officer in the area Geoffery Wafula told Kenya national television that the protesting veterans involved in the decade-long liberation struggle in Southern Sudan set up blockade in the area.

Officials from Kenya and the Sudanese People's Liberation Army have failed to convince the veterans to lay down their arms and open the border, Wafula said.

A high-level delegation from Sudan is expected to discuss with their Kenyan counterparts to thrash out the border crisis.

In a separate development, Sudanese government troops at the Kalma refugee camp, 25 km from Nyala. The attack ensued after refugees armed with sticks, knives and spears resisted the government's attempts to enter the camp, let alone search for drugs and weapons.

The situation escalated into confrontatin and exchange of gunfire for two hours, resulting to the killing of 64 people and wounding of 117 others.

Sudanese troops said they were prompted to return fire after attackers using women and children as human shield fired at them from behind.

The UN-AU peacekeeping mission in Sudan strongly condemned the "excessive and disproportionate use of lethal force by the government security forces against civilians, which violated their human rights and resulted in unacceptable casualties."

By staff writer

© afrol News

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