Juba forces accused of fresh attacks in S. Sudan’s Unity state
September 7, 2015 (NYAL) – South Sudanese rebels in Payinjiar county of the oil-rich Unity state have accused pro-government forces of launching another offensive against their bases on Monday evening through river Nile.
Payinjiar county commissioner John Tap Puot told Sudan Tribune that a huge convoy of South Sudanese army (SPLA) have attacked their bases along the Nile at 5:00 pm. He said the government forces were repulsed and being chased towards Shambe port, south of Taiyar port.
“Yes, our forces have clashed this evening with convoy loaded with armed forces coming from Jonglei, toward our direction. We have repulsed them back from where they started their journey,” Puot said.
He further said that government forces were using two barges and several gunboats when they started attacking their locations on Monday.
However, commissioner Puot said there was no reported causalities on their side, but claimed a huge loss on forces loyal to president Kiir when they exchanged fire.
He blamed the failure to respect the ceasefire on South Sudanese president Kiir whom he said either blessed the ongoing violations by his forces or lost command control of his forces.
GUNSHIPS ATTACKS IN UPPER NILE
Meanwhile, Captain Paul Malieth, an opposition spokesperson for rebel army’s Special Division One under the overall commands of Major General Johnson Olony, has accused government forces for bombarding civilians populated areas of Owaji, Lelo and Tangbuong in another oil-rich Upper Nile state on Monday between 3:00-4:00pm.
“We condemn this in [the] strongest terms possible the barbaric attacks by pro-government [forces] on our positions through use of gunships,” he said.
He called on IGAD and the wider international community to put pressure on president Kiir’s government to respect the permanent ceasefire and implementation of the peace agreement.
(ST)