Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Deng Dau Deng. | Photo: MFA&IC/ File

South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed allegations that the country closed the northern border with Sudan amid the inflow of refugees and returnees fleeing the two months conflict.

The government said in a press statement, that the directive of President Salva Kiir to keep the border opens for displaced civilians remains unchanged.

“Ever since the eruption of conflict in the sisterly Republic of Sudan on April 15, the government of South Sudan has kept its borders opened,” says the letter bearing the stamp of the foreign ministry.

“As directed by H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit on the first day of the conflict, the borders with Sudan have remained open to facilitate the evacuation of foreign nationals, humanitarian activities and also provide safe passage to South Sudanese returnees as well as to Sudanese citizens in distress.”

“That open door policy remains in place. Any other speculation swirling around about the change of this policy are simply false and misleading.”

It further says while the border remain opened for humanitarian and commercial purpose, the government will ensure that the policy is not exploited for “any unlawful activities.”

Sudan hosts the second largest South Sudanese refugee population of over 800,000 people after Uganda.

South Sudan is being confronted with a surge of civilians fleeing the deadly power wrangle between the Sudanese army led by General Abdal Fattah Al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces of General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Unlike South Sudan, Egypt in the far north announced new border policy with Sudan on June 11, amid an intense conflict between rival military forces.

The new policy adopted by Cairo requires all Sudanese citizens to obtain visas before crossing the border – justifying it as a crackdown on illegal activities.

– Fighting rages –

Explosions rocked Khartoum on Thursday as the two-month conflict rages on with each side accusing the other of attacks on civilians.

Witnesses who spoke to AFP news agency reported artillery fire in the east of the capital, while others in the northern suburbs said the force of heavy shelling from an army barracks shook the walls of houses.

The latest in a series of ceasefires that have all been systematically violated ended on Wednesday morning, and fighting resumed within minutes.

Almost 600,000 people have fled Sudan for neighbouring countries, the International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday.

More than two million are displaced inside Sudan, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.