Ugandan army denies losing helicopter to South Sudan rebels
May 17, 2015 (JUBA/KAMPALA) – The spokesperson for Uganda’s People Defense Forces (UPDF), Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda has dismissed claims that its helicopter was allegedly shot down by South Sudanese rebels in the Upper Nile state capital, Malakal.
“Our gallant forces shot down a helicopter gunship on Sunday which came to bomb our troops that have controlled Malakal town since Saturday,” James Gatdet Dak, the spokesperson for South Sudan’s rebel leader, Riek Machar told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.
“It was downed at 4:10pm by our forces under the overall command of Major General Johnson Olony,” he added,
But the Uganda army spokesperson described the rebels’ claim as a “bad lie”
“All Ugandan air crafts are accounted for Uganda has no air crafts in South Sudan. Claims by Riek Machar rebels to have hit one are a bad lie”, Ankunda said on Monday.
The South Sudanese army (SPLA) spokesperson, Col. Phillip Aguer separately told Sudan Tribune that the rebels’ claim regarding the chopper was “ rubbish and baseless propaganda”.
“The general command of the SPLA would like to assure the general public of our readiness and capability to defend this country. The rebels of Riek Machar will be defeated with their propaganda”, he said by phone.
Gordon Buay, a South Sudanese representative in the US, also dismissed the rebels’ claim.
“It is a lie. There is nothing like that. No helicopter has been brought down by the rebels. All that they have reported is propaganda. It does not carry any truth”, Buay told Sudan Tribune.
According to Buay, Uganda troop are only present in Juba and the Jonglei state capital, Bor.
SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS FIGHTING
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) strongly condemned the large-scale attack by the country’s armed opposition forces in the Upper Nile state capital on 15 May.
“The members of the Security Council condemn in the strongest terms the repeated violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement … and underscored that there is no military solution to this conflict,” the 15-nation UN body said in a statement.
Members of the Council called on all the parties to engage meaningfully in the peace process so as to bring about a political solution to the crisis and an end to the conflict.
It further renewed its calls for the parties to the conflict to allow and facilitate the full, safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel, equipment and supplies to all those in need and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance in accordance with relevant provisions of international law and UN guiding principles of humanitarian assistance.
The UN says over 2 million people have been displaced, 1.5 million internally, and 500,000 in neighbouring countries as a result of the South Sudan conflict and that more than 2.5 million people face severe food insecurity, especially in greater Upper Nile region.
(ST)