Khartoum allied militia attacks South Sudan police post
Aug 27, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Government allied militia under the command of Tawm al-Nur in a joint operation with Ambororo nomads from western Sudan have attacked a police post in Basala, west of Wau in Western Bahr al-Ghazal, Wau County Commissioner, SPLA Lt-Col Anthony Charles Ngbrende told Khartoum Monitor.
Commissioner Ngbrende said the allied militia launched the offensive two days ago but he did not disclose any loses in lives or properties.
He said one of the assailants was captured during the shoot-out and he is under police custody in Wau for investigations. He was in possession of an identification card issued by the command of the pro-government militia known as “Peace Forces”.
“Some valuable documents were also retrieved from one of the militia culprits,” Commissioner Ngbrende said.
The commissioner said the assault coincided with the recent arrival of about 6,000 returnees in Basala.
Commissioner Ngbrende further said the Ambororo are causing insecurity in the area and that “the only thing to do is to fight these intruders and drive them out from western Wau because these areas are under the SPLA control”.
The Ambororo are heavily-armed nomads hailing from western Sudan and who enter some parts of southern Sudan seasonally in search of pasture and water for their livestock, while the “Peace Forces” represent a militia group in Western Bahr al-Ghazal who receive their support and logistics from the Sudanese government and they were fighting the SPLA alongside the Sudanese Armed Forces during the civil war in southern Sudan. Their commander, Tawm al-Nur, has been absorbed in the rank of major-general in the regular Sudan armed forces but he still maintains his command of the militiamen.
(Khartoum Monitor/ST)