South Sudan army says Bor recaptured from rebel forces

January 18, 2013 (JUBA) – The spokesperson of the South Sudanese army (SPLA) said Saturday that government forces recaptured Bor, the capital of its largest state, from rebels.

“Government forces have today [Saturday] defeated the rebel forces in Bor,” Col. Phillip Aguer briefly told Sudan Tribune, without giving further details.

Mutineers from the army took control of Bor barely two weeks after conflict broke out in the capital, Juba between members of the presidential guard in mid-December, but government forces reclaimed control of the strategic town on 24 December.

A week later, however, armed Luo-Nuer youth, popularly known as the White army, entered Bor area and fought alongside the rebels to regain control of the town.

UGANDAN ARMY INVOLVED

Paddy Ankunda, the Ugandan military and defense spokesperson also confirmed the recapture of Bor, describing it as a “big relief to trapped Ugandans [and the] international community.

“Africa’s intercontinental force, UPDF, captures Bor town from Riek [Machar] rebels”, said Ankunda, who earlier predicted that the town, under rebel control since 31 December, would fall to pro-government forces.

Located about 200km from Juba, Bor was the center for much of the conflict during the 1983-2005 Sudanese civil wars in which about 2.5 million South Sudanese died.

More than 1,000 people have been killed and over 400,000 displaced in over a month of the South Sudanese conflict, according to United Nations.

(ST)