S. Sudan army parades war captives with Sudanese flag

September 22, 2014 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese army (SPLA) paraded war captives on the state-run South Sudan Television (SSTV) on Sunday.

It’s claimed the prisoners were captured during recent clashes in Upper Nile state between the SPLA and rebel forces allied to former vice-president Riek Machar.

The rebel fighters were reportedly given a Sudanese flag to hoist in the event of decisive rebel gains in the area.

“As you can see, they say they were given this Sudanese flag to raise in Renk and other places in the event they (rebels) gain control over them,” SPLA spokesperson Colonel Philip Aguer said in a statement broadcast by SSTV on Sunday.

Video footage of the three captives dressed in Sudanese military uniforms was also broadcast.

According to reports, the captives claimed that rebel forces in the area had made an agreement with the Sudanese government to help them capture some contested areas and annex them to Sudan when they take power.

However, Aguer said government troops had managed to repulse the clashes, capturing three prisoners during the military offensive in several areas around Renk town, which serves as the administrative headquarters of Upper Nile state’s Renk county.

Khartoum and Juba used to trade accusations of support to rebel groups from both sides. However this is the time time that South Sudanese officials say that Sudan uses rebels to seize disputed areas.

Last April, Sudanese foreign ministry accused the South Sudanese army of using combatants belonging to a Darfur rebel group, Justice and Equality Movement.

BATTLE FOR OIL

Located in the north eastern part of South Sudan, close to the international border with Sudan from which the South broke away following a 2011 referendum, Upper Nile has witnessed fierce military confrontations since the country erupted in violence in mid-December last year.

The crisis, which flared after political differences in the country’s ruling party (SPLM) turned violent, has pitted government troops against rebel forces, who are battling for control of strategic areas.

Government troops based in Upper Nile continue to exert efforts to retain control over the area, while rebels are attempting to push out the latter in order to advance on oil fields located south-east and east of the town in Paloich.

The rebels believe that the government in Juba is using oil revenues to fund foreign military support for its campaign and is pushing for the removal of the Kiir-led government to be removed and replaced by leadership that would champion democratic reforms, which it claims are being resisted by Juba.

Observers say that if the oil fields fall under rebel control, the government would no longer be able to fund its external military campaign and would subsequently be forced to enter into negotiations with the opposition group in good faith to reach a peaceful resolution to the more than nine-month-long conflict.

DANGEROUS PRECEDENT

Some analysts have warned that a change of government would be unconstitutional and that it risks setting a precedent of introducing change by force should rebels manage to seize control of the country.

“Yes, there is a strong feeling for reforms from [the] wider spectrum of our people, but I personally think constitutional changes by force would set [a] bad precedent, besides [the] high cost in [the] Upper Nile region,” Juba-based political commentator Anthony Sebit said on Monday.

“I think it would be better to pressure the two main warring parties that this conflict can be resolved through dialogues because the issues raised are political in nature and political issues are resolved through dialogue,” he added.

Mawien Dut, a native of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, warned that rebel forces would face fierce opposition to any attempts to capture Renk, given its importance as a source of government revenues.

“I don’t know how the rebels are thinking. If the fight is purely rebels without external support, I think it will not be easy for them to take it and celebrate,” he said.

“If the rebels accept to engage in only [a] death fight, the country will lose lots of lives on both sides … even greater than the more than [the] 2.5 [million] lives lost during the past war with Sudan,” he added.

(ST)