South Sudanese rebels shoot down helicopter gunship
May 17, 2015 (JUBA/ADDIS ABABA) – Opposition forces led by former vice-president, Riek Machar, said they have shot down a helicopter gunship on Sunday which tried to bomb their forces that control the Upper Nile state’s capital, Malakal. South Sudan army also admitted that the rebels have captured Malakal, but vowed to retake it “within days.”
“Our gallant forces shot down a helicopter gunship on Sunday which came to bomb our troops that have controlled Malakal town since Saturday,” Machar’s spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.
“It was downed at 4:10pm by our forces under the overall command of Major General Johnson Olony,” he said.
Dak said the destroyed gunship was identified as belonging to the Ugandan air force, adding that the picture of its wreckages will be availed to the public any time soon.
The rebel leader’s spokesperson also said their forces also captured Akoka late Saturday, another previously government-held town, north of Malakal. Akoka had been a government’s strong-hold which is closer to the main oilfields of Paloich. Its capture by the rebel forces poses a direct threat to the oilfields in the state.
Dak said a joint force of the opposition forces and the defected force under the command of General Olony have remained in full control of the state capital, in addition to other recently captured towns including Anakdiar and Kodok.
The rebel’s spokesperson further added that hundreds of government’s troops from various locations in the state also defected to the rebel group in the last two days following the capture of Malakal.
The rebel group also said to have captured from the defeated government troops on Saturday 7 tanks and 5 trucks mounted with heavy machine guns.
JUBA ADMITS REBELS CONTROL MALAKAL
South Sudan army (SPLA) has admitted that the rebel group captured Malakal on Saturday and are in full control of the town, despite previous denial.
South Sudanese army’s chief of general staff, General Paul Malong Awan, while addressing soldiers on Saturday at the military headquarters in Bilpam, admitted that Malakal had fallen under the control of the rebel forces but said he was working to retake it soon.
In his speech broadcast by the state-run South Sudan Television (SSTV), the top army chief told the troops in the capital, Juba, not to be demoralized by the capture of Malakal by the rebels, assuring that the army will recapture it.
“I have a confidence in you [pro government forces] that Malakal will be under our complete control soon. And I want to assure the public through this address not to worry about it and to tell them that it [Malakal] will be in our complete control within day,” General Awan said, generating applauds and singing of war songs.
The loss of the strategic capital of the oil-rich Upper Nile state to the rebels coincided with day the historical movement and army (SPLM/SPLA) was formed on 16 May in 1983, which the army commemorated amidst defeat, but the chief of general staff congratulated his troops for the day.
“I want to congratulate you on this day, because without you, there would have been no an independent country called republic of South Sudan. This country has claimed a lot and we will not allow anybody to mess with what we have achieved with the blood of our people,” he said.
Military sources also said six officers including a Colonel were killed in Malakal on Saturday when the rebels stormed the town and captured it.
Colonel Philip Aguer, who on Saturday denied having lost Malakal to the rebels, blamed General Olony for establishing contacts with the opposition forces led by former vice president, Riek Machar, while negotiations were ongoing to bring him to Juba.
“While the government and political leadership was in negotiations with Johnson Olony to come to Juba, he was already in contacts with Sudan and the rebels of Riek Machar,” Aguer said.
“He was talking with Taban Deng Gai, Gabriel Tanginye and Khartoum had lifted their wounded soldiers from recent clashes in Malakal. We have credible information and reports that the rebels of Riek Machar have acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Sudan, including tanks and multiple rocket launchers. This is unacceptable,” the military spokesperson further lamented.
However, Mabior Garang de Mabior, SPLM-IO chairperson for information and public relations committee in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune dismissed the accusations that both the opposition group and General Olony’s soldiers were joining ranks and file in order to collaborate with Khartoum.
Government previously used the militia from the Shilluk ethnic group under the command of General Olony which they armed to fight against the rebel group dominated by fighters from the Nuer community.
The allies turned enemies when Olony’s deputy in command was killed by pro-government forces under unclear circumstances over tribal land disputes between Shilluk and Dinka ethnic groups.
General Olony’s defection to the rebel group became clear on Friday although the two groups had been in contact since late April.
(ST)