South Sudan’s warring parties clash around Bentiu town
March 23, 2015 (BENTIU) – Fighting between the South Sudanese army (SPLA) and the rebel forces led by former vice-president Riek Machar reignited on Monday around the oil-rich Unity state capital, Bentiu, with the opposition group accusing the government of being on the offensive.
He claimed that forces loyal to president Salva Kiir have launched an offensive to the south and east of the state capital Bentiu in areas which have been held by the rebels.
“This morning we came under heavy attacks from Juba faction in multiple frontlines surrounding the state capital. We have all repulsed several attacks retreating the government toward Bentiu town,” he told Sudan Tribune by satellite phone from around Bentiu.
Baluang also added that the government attacked their position in the west of Rubkotna town, a twin town, about 5km north of Bentiu capital, further claiming their forces pushed the pro-government troops back into the heart of Rubkotna town.
The latest fighting, he said, resumed in the area after the rebels laid a deadly ambush against government troops, just some 10km north of Rubkotna town.
The government’s military spokesperson, Col Philip Aguer, on Monday confirmed the clashes, but accused the rebels of shelling Bentiu town, adding that government troops had responded and repulsed opposition forces.
Another source from Bentiu who spoke on condition of anonymity said there was indication that the rebels were planning an imminent retaliatory attack on government in the south and east of Bentiu capital, as well as north and west of Rubkotna town.
He said a large number of rebel forces were intercepted on Monday as they were advancing towards the capital Bentiu from the northern direction.
The source also accused pro-government forces of allegedly preventing civilians from fleeing into the United Nations protection camp in the twin towns when the capital came under intensive shelling by the rebels.
“Today it has been a horrific shelling in Bentiu town, we have tried this afternoon to go to UN camp in Rubkotna, but pro-government [forces] blocked our ways. We do not know what to do by now,” he said.
He warned that should anything happen to their family members it was the government that would be responsible for denying them access to safer sites.
The two belligerents have been accusing each other of being on the militarily offensive in various frontlines in Upper Nile and Unity states for the past week following the collapse of the peace talks in Addis Ababa on 6 March.
Upper Nile province, which is the richest region in South Sudan with oil, has been the scene of fighting for over a year between the rival forces.
The stalled peace process under the auspices of the East African regional bloc of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is however expected to resume in April with expanded mediation beyond players in the continent to try to end the more than 15-month-long conflict.
(ST)