S. Sudan: Nine killed and over 80 wounded in clash between SPLA and
Gatdet’s militia
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By Bonifacio Taban Kuich
May 20, 2011 (JUBA) - The rebel South Sudan Liberation Army led by
Peter Gatdet Yaka has attacked South Sudan’s army (SPLA) in Mankien
Payam [district] of Mayom County in Unity state on Friday morning at
around 6:00am Sudanese local time.
At least nine people died and 88 were wounded sources told Sudan
Tribune on Friday.
Gatdet who was a general in the SPLA took up arms against the South’s
ruling SPLM in April citing corruption and tribal favoritism as his
reasons. The SPLA claim Gatdet is being used by Khartoum to
destabilize the region ahead of its independence in July. Both Gatdet
and Sudanese government deny this.
In a phone interview with Sudan Tribune from an anonymous location in
South Sudan, Bol Gatkuoth Kol the spokesman of SSLA said that 10 of
their soldiers had been wounded and four killed. He said that they had
captured Mankien including areas of Ruathnyibol.
SPLA Major. General Koang Chuol operation officer for Division (4) of
Unity State confirmed that Gatdet’s militia attacked their base in
Mankien on Friday morning but denied they had taken the town.
The military spokesman said, the militia had pushed the SPLA out of
town for about only 20 minutes before the SPLA was able to recapture
the Mankien.
Choul said that the SPLA had forced the SSLA force southwards towards
the border with Warrap state. Five SPLA soldiers died and 21 were
seriously wounded, he said.
However, a nurse from Mayom County hospital, whose name would cannot
be mentioned for security reasons, has told Sudan Tribune that 84 SPLA
soldiers were seriously wounded.
The nurse said that five members of the security services had died at
Mayom hospital, three SPLA soldiers and two police officers who had
stepped on a mine while, trying to reinforced SPLA in Mankien.
Chuol warned civilians south of Mankien to move away from the area to
avoid being caught up in what he described as a war zone. He said that
anyone in the area would be considered to be on the side of the SSLA.
“Anyone found in those areas with militias will be push[ed] away with
rebels and would be termed as siding with them”. He urged civilians to
move east of Mayom to find safety and security.
Chuol said that civilians who remain to look after their property
would not be considered as part of our supporting the SSLA but those
who flee with the militia would be treated as one of the rebels by the
South Sudan military who were pursuing them.
Cattle Raiding and Disarmament
In a phone interview with Sudan Tribune from an anonymous location,
Bol Gatkuoth Kol the spokesman of SSLA said that the fresh attacks
against the SPLA was due to their disarmament campaign in Mayom
County.
Kol said that the SPLA had disarmed civilians in Mayom but had not
disarmed civilians from neighbouring Warrap state allowing raiders to
steel cattle and other property.
He accused the South Sudan government of not doing anything to prevent
cattle raiding from Warrap state into Mayom county of Unity state.
“Our coming to the area was to help the civilians to protect their
properties from being taken by those gangs of Warrap”, said Kol.
But Maj. Gen. Chuol of the SPLA dismissed the claims of militias. He
said the SPLA was the army of the whole of South Sudan and provided
security to all citizens regardless of their tribal affiliations.
Chuol repeated the SPLA’s claim that the attacks in South Sudan are
backed by the northern army, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), in order to
destabilize the region before it official independence on July 9,
2011.
Gatdet is a one of the militia commanders, absorbed into the Southern
army in the 2006 following the 2005 peace deal between the SPLA and
SAF that made the former rebels the official army of South Sudan.
He officially announced his defection in March and formed SSLA. On 11
April 2011 he released the Mayom Declaration.
The head administrator of the disputed Abyei region said that the SSLA
offensive against Mankiem was "coordinated" with Khartoum. The ruling
National Congress Party and the SAF have always denied they are
backing any of the seven rebel groups currently operating in South
Sudan.
(ST)
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