South Sudan army accuses Khartoum of backing clashes in Unity state Article Comments (3) Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Ngor Arol Garang April 22, 2011 (WAU) – South Sudan’s army on Friday, accused the central government in Khartoum of backing ongoing clashes in Unity state by forces loyal to renegade general Peter Gatdet. Villagers living in a small village in the northern part of Unity State in Southern Sudan stand next the only road connecting their village on November 11, 2010 (Getty) The accusation came following eruption of heavy fighting in Mankien and areas around Mayom County in Unity state. Officials from the affected areas in an interview with Sudan Tribune estimate that 85 people, mostly innocent civilians, have been killed. Several others are also reported to have sustained severe injuries as many more were displaced in the clashes. Yak was one of the militia commanders absorbed into the southern army Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in 2006 - as part of a 2005 peace deal the SPLA became the only legal army of South Sudan. After the signing of the 2006 Juba declaration 6,000 soldiers, predominantly from the South Sudan Defence Forces (SSDF) were integrated into the SPLA. The SSDF was headed by General Paulino Matip who like Gatdet fought against the SPLA backed by Khartoum for periods of the civil war. Matip is now deputy commander in chief of the SPLA. Following completion of the integration process in 2007, Gatdet along others were commissioned and given assignments. He was one of SPLA field commanders assigned to strategic and hotpot areas of Abyei, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and areas of Unity and Upper Nile states. In March the SPLA announced that Gatdet had defected after obtaining permission granting him leave to travel to Nairobi, Kenya. However, the South Sudan government said that Gatdet instead went to Khartoum from where he formally announced forming his movement the SSLA on 11 April. On Thursday armed elements loyal to him clashed with forces belonging to the SPLA in an attempt to establish a base in his home county of Mayom, resulting into killing an estimated 85 people, the state government said Friday. Speaking from Bentiu town, capital of Unity state, Gatuak Tut, an administrative officer in the state ministry of local government said that heavy fighting began on Thursday and resumed on Friday. "It has forced thousands of civilians trapped in the area to flee," said Tut. He said that witnesses had reported the use of heavy artillery. SPLA spokesperson Phillip Aguer, in an interview with Sudan Tribune from Juba on Friday accused Khartoum of backing the clashes in the area. He claimed that government armed Arab militia known as the Popular Defence Forces (PDF) had participated in the attack launched by forces loyal to Peter Gadet. "There was a fighting yesterday in Mankien. It was an attack jointly launched by the Popular Defence Forces in collaboration with armed elements loyal to Peter Gadet. There was another attack and fighting this morning but they were repelled. The SPLA is now in control of the area," said colonel Aguer. The senior military officer said he was still gathering information regarding casualties. "I still do not have details of these clashes. What I can tell you is that they have been repelled. They are no longer in the area. The SPLA is now in control and it is obvious that this fighting is organized by Khartoum. The government in Khartoum is the one arming and supporting Gatdet with weapons used in this attack," the SPLA spokesman said. Aguer said Gatdet did not take any arms from the SPLA when he defected in March, saying that this meant that his arms must have been provided by Khartoum. “Khartoum just wants to create instability in the south by directly arming and supporting dissidents like Gatdet to create chaos in the south so that they tell the world we are not capable of managing our own affairs," explained senior military officer. He accused Gatdet’s forces of killing injured people in the area around Mankien. Bol Gatkuoth, a spokesman of the newly formed rebel group in the oil-producing region of South Sudan named as South Sudan Liberation Army, claimed in a separate interview with Sudan Tribune on Friday it captured one of the SPLA strategic military barracks in Unity state on Thursday and were still fighting to take over Mayom. "We started our operations in areas around Mayom yesterday resulting into the fall of Mankien to our forces and subsequent movement to Buong. Buong is one of the SPLA post near Mayom town and one of the payams [districts] with a military base in Mayom". "We destroyed four cars and information is still coming hopefully with more victories. We are determined to take Mayom by all means possible. At the moment our forces have captured weapons and ammunitions stores and dozens of SPLA were killed. The operation is still going on under code named "Free Unity State Campaign", claimed Gatkuoth He claimed their movement is fighting due to corruption and bad governance in the government of South Sudan. "Public resources are openly being misused by individuals within the system. Our reasons are clear and simple. South Sudan has becomes a property of individuals who have refused to accept the rule of law”, he said. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. 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