S. Sudan’s warring parties trade accusations over renewed fighting

By Tesfa-AlemTekle

March 23, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese rebels led by former vice-president Riek Machar have accused president Salva Kiir’s government of attacking and burning down the villages of Nordang and Pananyang in oil-rich Upper Nile state’s Nasir county as fighting continues to escalate between the warring parties.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, Dickson Gatluak, a press assistant in the rebel group, said the attacks carried out during the past week in the state left many civilians killed and forced 400 households to flee their homes.

According to Gatluak, the aim of the attack by the government was to push back the local defense also known as the white Army away from the vicinity of the Nasir town. He said the attack was also intended to raid cattle.

Meanwhile a security official in the opposition group said fighters from the Ethiopian rebel group, Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF)and the South Sudanese army (SPLA) were teaming up to launch further attacks on rebel-held positions.

The rebel official who asked anonymity claimed that joint forces from an Ethiopian rebel group, UPDF and South Sudan Tiger division were being flown from Juba international airport to Blue Nile region and then to Kigille north of Mai-wut county near the Ethiopian border.

This, he said, was to launch military operations in Mai-wut and pagak towns located in eastern part of the upper Nile state.

He alleged that similar preparations were under way to attack rebel-held area of Lou Nuer in Jonglei state.

“They are also preparing to fly some forces to Jonglei state to make an attack on Greater Akobo in Lou Nuer areas,” he said.

Last week, spokeperson of the rebel’s military wing (SPLA-IO) Colonel Lony T Ngundeng accused the Kiir regime of spending huge amount of money to hire foreign fighters that would fight against rebels alongside government forces.

“Our oil money is being given away to foreign troops by president Salva Kiir because he doesn’t have forces enough to confront us,” he told Sudan Tribune.

Ngundeng alleged the presence of more than 7,000 Uganda troops on the ground in both Jonglei and Upper Nile states.

REBELS BLAMED FOR CLASHES

Fresh fighting is also reported around Unity state’s capital, Bentiu, on Tuesday with the rival forces accusing each other of renewing the fight.

Rebels claimed government forces moved out of their base in Bentiu towards Nhialdiu area, a rebel held territory in Unity state, resulting into clashes between the two forces on Tuesday.

The clashes took place at around 8.00am (local time) on Tuesday and went on until 9.45am, they said.

However, spokesperson of the South Sudanese army (SPLA) Colonel Philip Aguer told reporters on Tuesday that government troops acted in response to the rebels attack on Bentiu town.

“This morning [Tuesday] forces of Riek Machar tried to carry out an attack on Bentiu from the southern side but the SPLA went out and the two forces met and clashed on the way to Nhialdiu and the SPLA forces defeated the rebels,” he said.

Aguer did not say whether the government forces followed the rebels to their positions after the clashes or retreated to their base inside Bentiu town from which they went out to allegedly preempt armed opposition attack.

He also said clashes which started on Monday around Bentiu town were a result of an offensive by the rebels, further accusing the opposition forces of planning further attacks in Upper Nile.

“The rebels of Riek Machar have been on offensive since the peace talks collapsed. Yesterday (Monday) they shelled the positions of forces in Bentiu but situation there is now calm now. I have not received any report of shelling or fighting now,” he said.

“In Upper Nile, they are preparing to attack our forces in their defensive positions in northern Upper Nile, especially in areas under Manyo county. Our forces are ready to face them,” he added.

He denied that government troops have burnt down civilian settlements in Upper Nile.

“This is a just a propaganda by the rebels. The SPLA has a constitutional mandate to provide security and protect civilians and their properties, how then can we destroy the same properties we are mandated to defend and protect from any harmful action and damage,” Aguer said.

This is not true. These are the behaviours and actions of the rebels,” he added.

Upper Nile state’s information minister, Peter HothTuach, said in a separate interview that he was not aware of the villages claimed to have been burnt down by the government troops in Upper Nile state.

“I am not aware of these reports. Which villages are these?” said Tuach.

(ST)