Rival victory claims along Sudan's border

Authorities in the war-torn Sudanese state of South Kordofan said rebel forces suffered huge losses, though the rebels have denied the claims. South Kordofan Gov. Ahmed Haroun said rebel forces were killed when they tried to stage a raid on the city of Talodi. "Hundreds of soldiers from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North were killed during an attack on the city of Talodi this morning," he was quoted by the BBC as saying. SPLM-N rebels hold considerable territory in South Kordofan and capturing Talodi would be a major victory, the British broadcaster adds. Rebel spokesman, however, said "many" government troops were killed in the raid. South Sudan became an independent nation in July as part of a peace agreement signed in 2005 that ended one of the bloodiest civil wars in human history. Border conflicts and issues over revenue generated from oil sales threaten the fragile peace, however. Human rights groups said border conflicts show signs of ethnic cleansing. Haroun is wanted by the International Criminal Court for his role in the genocide in Darfur, where he once served as governor.