Death toll of Mayom clashes put at 75 amid mutual claims of victory Article Comments (15) Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 29, 2011 (JUBA) – Saturday’s fighting between South Sudan army and rebel forces around Unity State’s western town of Mayom has resulted in the death of over 70 people, according to state officials who also denied rebels’ claim of capturing the town. A photo of the aftermath of previous clashes in Mayom (http://www.southsudanadvocates.org/index.html) Meanwhile, rebel forces asserted claims of controlling Mayom, and warned that their forces were now moving to attack the neighboring state of Warrap. The attack on Mayom, which lies 93 km from Bentiu, the provincial capital of the oil-rich Unity State, was first reported on Saturday morning by the rebels, South Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SSLM/A), which claimed it captured the town after four hours of fierce clashes with South Sudan’s forces known as Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). However, state officials denied the fall of Mayom, claiming that the official army had repulsed the attack and inflicted heavy losses of lives among the rebels. Gideon Gatpan, the official spokesman of Unity State’s government, told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that the attack of SSLA forces led by James Gai Yoach had occurred at around 6 am and the ensuing clashes lasted for one hour before rebel forces were “repulsed.” According to Gatpan, SPLA forces had killed more than 60 rebel fighters, including a high-profile colonel known a Ruathdeal Gatwei Thong, and captured one soldier. Gatpan also claimed that SPLA forces on Friday chased away “a group of renegades” who were planting landmines around Mayom. The spokesman also said that 15 civilians were killed and 18 others sustained injuries in the attack. He however gave no figure of causalities among SPLA forces. He further said that one of the wives of the SPLA’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Gen. Paulino Matip Nhial, was killed in the attack. "The situation is under control ... The rebels are still being chased away," Gatpan said in an aside with AFP. He also suspected that the attack was motivated by the rebels’ desire to disrupt the disarmament process in unity which, according to him, has collected 1,000 guns, over half of them in Mayom. Mayom County has been the epicenter of rebel groups’ activities in Unity. Predominantly populated by the Nuer Bul community, Mayom is the subject of a disarmament campaign that started in 2010. South Sudan alleges rebels supported by Khartoum Meanwhile, SPLA’s spokesman Philip Aguer told AFP that six SPLA soldiers and three police were killed. He also said SPLA forces captured three more fighters in the east of Mayom County. According to the military spokesman, the rebels were organised and trained in South Kordofan, a north Sudanese state bordering South Sudan, saying that they were “supported by Khartoum.” "In Heglig (a small town in South Kordofan), they were given a lot of land mines on the 26th of this month, and then they started moving immediately" to the south, Aguer was quoted by AFP. "it’s obvious it’s from there (South Kordofan). They have a camp in Nyala [a town in Sudan’s western region of Darfur]" Aguer also said rebels led by Commander Matthew Pul Jang had come from Sudan to support other militia leaders in South Sudan, and had clashed with SPLA forces Friday in Tor Abith and Tumur. South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in July this year, has repeatedly accused Khartoum of supporting rebel groups within its territories. Similarly, Sudan accuses Juba of supporting its erstwhile allies who are fighting Khartoum’s army in Sudan’s border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. Rebels claim advance towards Warrap, warning NGOs to leave A statement released by the SSLA on Friday reiterated claim that the group wrestled control of Mayom and its forces were advancing to ’liberate’ the neighboring state of Warrap. The rebels also said they captured Tomor town and were now advancing towards the state capital Bentiu. According to the SSLA, its forces had killed ’700 SPLA soldiers, captured 23’ and destroyed a great amount of SPLA weaponry. The group also warned UN and NGOs’ staff to vacate their offices in Warrap State ’within three days’ and urged civilians ’to evacuate all towns and move to villages in order to be safe.’ ’SSLA forces, under the command of Maj. Gen. Bepean Machar, are now going towards Warrap State to liberate it from corrupt government in Juba. Within a few days, the people of Warrap will be liberated from abject poverty, corruption and abuse of human rights,’ the rebels said. The group issued a similar warning on Friday, advising NGOs and UN to leave Unity State within a week ’for their own safety.’ The rebel group accused Juba of having no intention to seek a negotiated settlement to the crisis, saying that Salva Kiir’s government ’believes in military solution to end the war in South Sudan.’ Juba has reportedly rejected an offer by the US government to mediate between it and rebel groups. ’The people of South Sudan should know that the government in Juba rejected the US State Department’s proposal to mediate peace in South Sudan at the end of September,’ the rebels said. The SSLA asserted that it will only accept to sit for talks with Juba under the mediation of either the European Union or the US government. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" 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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