S. Sudan rebels claim control over Bentiu amid government denials
October 29, 2014 (KAMPALA) – South Sudan’s rebel SPLM in Opposition faction announced on Wednesday that its forces were in control of Bentiu, the oil-producing capital of Unity state, accusing pro-government troops of disowning a ceasefire agreement inked on 23 January.
He said government’s continuous attacks on their positions north of Bentiu constituted a violation of the ceasefire deal and resulted to the response by the opposition forces.
“The government troops were attacking our various positions in the northern part of the state between last week and this week. We were responding in self-defence. We cannot wait for the enemy to kill us, so we have decided to [launch] counter attacks,” said Gew by satellite phone.
He further accused the government of preferring military action rather than negotiation.
“Our leadership opted for peaceful dialogue to settle our disputes with the government, but some individuals within the government are not happy about peace because they know when peace comes they will be victims of arrest for [the] murder of civilians at the beginning of the crisis,” he said.
Gew said it was not the first time the South Sudanese army and their foreign allies have launched attacks on rebel positions while engaged in ongoing peace negotiations between the warring parties in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
“Bentiu, Nasir, Bor and Malakal were under our full control between April and May; Look what the government did and they provoked us in those areas,” he said.
The opposition faction, which is under the leadership of former vice-president Riek Machar, claimed to have flushed out pro-government forces at about 3pm (local time) in Unity state’s twin towns of Rubkotna and Bentiu, adding that it’s troops are now continuing to deal with remnant government forces in the west of Rubkotna county.
Several aid workers and residents residing in United Nations camps in the area separately confirmed the fall of Bentiu to rebel forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Peter Gatdet.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside camps manned by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were reportedly celebrating and dancing to welcome the rebel forces.
ARMY DISMISSES REBEL CLAIMS
However, government military spokesman Col Philip Aguer on Wednesday confirmed heavy fighting was taking place inside Bentiu town, but denied that the rebels had overrun the town.
Aguer said government troops managed to defeat the rebel forces after several hours of fierce battles.
Fighting has continued for the past three days in northern areas of Bentiu, including its oil fields.
It remains unclear who instigated the latest outbreak of violence, as both sides accuse each other of responsibility.
MACHAR NEVER ORDERED ATTACK
The spokesperson for rebel leader Riek Machar also accused government forces of allegedly violating the cessation of hostilities agreement by provoking rebel forces in Unity state, resulting in the capture of the oil-rich town on Wednesday.
“It has become a habit that government forces attack our positions and rush to blame the violations on us. How do they explain shelling our defence positions for the last three days?” James Gatdek Dak said, adding that rebel forces had the right to self-defence and to pursue their attackers.
He dismissed allegations that the opposition forces were ordered by Machar to attack Bentiu, saying they were simply responding to continuous shelling by the government troops.
Dak also accused the government of compromising the sovereignty of South Sudan by inviting a foreign army from Uganda to take charge of the country’s security.
Government and rebel forces have been engaged in an armed struggle since a political dispute in the country’s ruling party in mid-December last year turned violent.
The conflict was initially contained in the capital, Juba, but quickly spread to other parts of the country, sparking fears of a full-scale civil war during the dry season.
Unity state has been a flashpoint for violence, changing hands several times since the conflict broke out, killing thousands and displacing over a million people.
(ST)