Sudanese army reportedly lost 34 military in Malakal fighting
Nov 30, 2006 (MALAKAL) — Major fighting between SPLA and Sudan Armed Forces in Malakal seems to have ended, with heavy casualties among civilians and soldiers. The Sudanese army lost 34 officers and soldiers.
Malakal fighting ended with heavy casualties among the civilians and SPLA and SAF. In a meeting yesterday when the UNMIS commander who came from Khartoum, the SAF said they lost thirty soldiers and four high-ranking military officers. SPLA are yet to know their exact numbers because they are still counting the platoons; Sudan Radio Service reported.
50 wounded SPLA soldiers were today airlifted to Yei, while 108 SAF wounded were airlifted to Khartoum, the Sudan Radio service reported.
We have not been able to obtain estimates of civilian casualties.
However, civilians have lost property estimated to be worth millions of Sudanese dinar, particularly in the Madiria Market, Asosa and Baam areas of Malakal. Witnesses say some traders were shot dead as they were trying to protect their property from looters.
Reports from Malakal indicate there is still widespread looting taking place, and casualty figures are expected to rise.
A ceasefire was declared on Wednesday evening after United Nations officials, along with high-ranking SPLA and SAF commanders, arrived in Malakal to ease the tensions.
Sudanese First Vice President Salva Kiir has cut short a visit to South Africa to monitor developments in Malakal, newspapers said.
CAUSES OF THE CLASHES
The UN revealed in a statement this morning that they have not confirmed what caused the fighting to erupt, but according to an SPLA officer in Malakal, Gak Chol, last week both the SAF and the SPLA agreed that militia leaders Gabriel Gatwic (Tanginya), and Mabor Dhol would leave Malakal and go to Khartoum as part of their militias’ joining the SAF. The CPA requires that all armed groups join either the SAF or SPLA.
However, according to Chol, both Dhol and Gatwic did not go to Khartoum. In response, the SPLA attacked Mabor Dhol at his residence. Dhol’s and Gatwic’s militias then launched attacks on the SPLA in defense of their leaders.
Joint Integrated Forces commander Marial Chanuong said that the two sides are still discussing what steps must be taken to restore peace, law and order.
Not included in the peace deal however was the South Sudan Defence Forces (SSDF), a southern movement backed by Khartoum and to which Gabriel Tanginya belongs.
Its members were required by the peace agreement to align with either the Sudan armed forces or the SPLA but the militia is not entirely disbanded and has been a source of instability in some regions.
The Upper Nile state is one of Sudan’s key oil-producing states.
A Sudanese army spokesman denied any involvement of the regular army in the clashes that rocked Malakal from Sunday to Tuesday and forced the UN to evacuate some of its staff.
UN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
According to the UN mission in Sudan, spokesperson, Radhia Achouri, the security situation in Malakal has been largely restored to normalcy, following joint intervention by senior level representatives from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLM) and the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS); Radhia Achouri, UN spokeswoman in Khartoum, said.
SAF and SPLA, together with UNMIS, moved swiftly to put an end to the hostilities. A delegation from the Ceasefire Joint Monitoring Committee (CJMC) comprising high-ranking officers from SPLA and the SAF as well UNMIS Force Commander went to Malakal yesterday 29 November in a bid to help restore calm and to assess the situation on the ground.
An emergency CJMC meeting held the same day unanimously condemned the violence as a major ceasefire violation and expressed deep shock at the heavy loss of lives and property. In addition, the CJMC demanded an immediate ceasefire by both parties, as well as the disengagement and the redeployment of troops to their respective positions prior to the clashes. The CJMC decided also that a joint investigation will conducted in order to identify those responsible for the CPA violation and bring them to account.
Furthermore, the CJMC decided to request immediate humanitarian assistance to help in addressing the needs that have arisen as a result of the clashes.
Implementation of the CJMC decisions is underway. The SAF and SPLA members of the CJMC, as well as the Force Commander, remain in Malakal and will continue to consult with the local parties.
The United Nations and other international aid organizations have acted immediately to provide the assistance requested. Other specialized teams will be deployed to Malakal in the next twenty four hours.
UN Hospital in Malakal has been treating some of the people injured during the clashes. A medical team from the hospital in Kadugli has been put on stand by for immediate deployment to Malakal. Surgical supplies provided by UNMIS are on their way to Malakal today. Furthermore, UNMIS Engineers in Malakal are supporting the efforts of the local Government to bury the bodies of those killed during the clashes.
The UN Deputy Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Southern Sudan and the Head of the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Juba, together with and interagency team, will head tomorrow morning to Malakal to assess the humanitarian needs and to supplement the assessment team that is already in place.
The objective is to provide an immediate response to the needs of the civilian population. There are locally stored humanitarian supplies to address some of the needs. Additional supplies will be brought from Juba as requested following the humanitarian assessment.
(ST)