South Sudanese rebels overran key town in Eastern Equatoria
August 18, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese rebel forces have on Tuesday overrun key town in Eastern Equatoria state after they allegedly came under attack by government forces in intense battles confirmed government sources and residents in the area.
Forces under the overall command of Major General Martin Kenyi, deputy chief of general staff for morale orientation loyal to the former vice president Riek Machar, captured Pageri town on Tuesday before they tactically withdrew several hours later.
Rebels said government forces attacked their position on the morning of Tuesday, prompting their forces to fight back and repulsed the attackers, resulting to brief capture of the town, north east of the border town of Nimule.
In a press statement issued by the opposition’s military command, the rebel group accused the government of trying to derail the peace agreement which the rebel leader signed on Monday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
“The regime in Juba rejected to sign the peace agreement because it has chosen war over peace. We call upon the international community to put pressure on Salva Kiir to stop attacking our positions and sign the peace agreement,” partly reads a press statement issued by the rebels’ deputy chief of general staff for operations, Major General James Koang Chuol Ranley.
He said a number of weapons and other war equipment were captured from the government’s forces when the town was overrun.
Opposition leader’s spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, in a separate interview confirmed the incident but said their forces tactically withdrew from the town hours after its capture from the government.
“Yes, positions of our forces in the area came under surprise attack in the morning by government troops. Our forces responded by repulsing the attackers and captured Pageri town in the process. They controlled the town for many hours before they tactically withdrew,” Dak told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.
Dak also added that government forces were carrying out and planning further offensive on positions of the opposition group in other parts of the country in an attempt to spoil the peace agreement.
Local government officials and residents confirmed to Sudan Tribune the fighting in a series of interviews on Tuesday but said that the town came under heavy attack by the opposition forces at around 7:00am before eventually fell under the control of the rebels at around 8:30am when government forces decided to withdraw.
“Our forces based on directives from the general headquarters decided to pull out of the town on tactical reasons. It was not defeat. In fact those who came do not [have] any capability to defeat our forces. We just did not want the civilians in town to be caught up in the cross fire,” a local commanding officer told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.
“Just wait and see what happens next,” he said, before the alleged tactical withdrawal of the opposition forces.
Magwi county commissioner, Ben Kingston, and the spokesperson of the government forces, Colonel Philip Aguer, also confirmed the incident, saying the town came under attack on Tuesday morning, forcing civilians to flee to Nimule town because the militants took advantage of absence of the government forces there.
Aguer’s statement to the media contradicted claims by military sources, including the overall local commander of the government forces in the area that they pulled out their forces on the directives given to them by the general headquarters to avoid civilians being caught in the cross fire.
Government critics say the incident may have been a plot by some government officials opposed to the recent agreement with a view to delay signing by president Salva Kiir or to derail its implementation.
The clashes occurred less than 24 hours after president Kiir refused to sign the peace deal inked by his arch rival, Machar.
(ST)