LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Addressing the Khartoum parliament, speaker Ahmed Ibrahim al-Tahir accused South Sudan's ruling party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, of posing a security threat to the north.

"We declare that we will confront the SPLM until we end its rule of the South, and will work to gather our resources to realize this aim," he said.

"We are in a battle that does not finish with the recovery of Heglig, but with an end to the danger that comes from South Sudan."

The assembly described the SPLM government as "an enemy," but did not spell out the full implications of the decision.

Barnaba Marial Benjamin, South Sudan's information minister, called the decision "ludicrous . How can they call us an enemy?"

South Sudan has claimed Heglig is part of the South and says it will not withdraw its troops unless the United Nations deploys a neutral force to monitor a ceasefire.

South Sudan accused Khartoum of reducing the oil facility "to rubble" in an air strike, an accusation denied by Sudan.

"If any damage has occurred in Heglig it may have been on the part of the army of South Sudan," Abdallah Ali Masar, Sudan's information minister declared.

The United Nations has condemned South Sudan's occupation of the town. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for South Sudan to withdraw troops and use "legal and diplomatic" measures to address the status of the town.

"He calls on both parties to end the fighting immediately and to respect international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians," a statement by Annan's spokesman said.

"He calls on the Government of Sudan to cease immediately all aerial bombardment of South Sudan territory. He also calls on the Government of South Sudan to withdraw immediately from Heglig and to use legal and diplomatic instruments to address its arguments on the status of Heglig."

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