Four rebels surrender in Unity state as landmine fears grow ArticleComments (0). Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Bonifacio Taban Kuich November 9, 2011 (BENTIU) — Authorities in Unity state have confirmed that four members of a rebel group in the oil producing area surrendered to the South Sudanese army (SPLA) on Wednesday. ’A cache of more than 250 anti-tank mines in possession of forces loyal to Athor, seized in March 2011 in Jonglei state.’ (Small Arms Survey)Rubkotna county commissioner, Simon Jalduong Matuek, told Sudan Tribune that the four men handed themselves in voluntarily and told authorities that the group was planning to lay landmines in the area. According to Matuek, the men told the authorities that their group had split into small groups with the intention of planting landmines around roads in the area. On Monday 7 November a Toyota land cruiser hit a mine in Nhialdiu payam [district] killing one person and injuring another, the commissioner said. A week earlier the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) attacked Nhialdiu Payam but had failed to take the town from the SPLA. Two militiamen were killed as they fled the area commissioner Matuek said. ’125 newly manufactured Chinese Type-56-1 assault rifles (copy of the Russian AKS-47), seized by SPLA forces during fighting in Riyak payam, Mayom county, Unity state. Identical rifles were in the possession of Gadet’s soldiers in videos posted on the Internet. The SPLA also seized identical rifles from Athor’s forces in Jonglei state in the same month.’ (Small Arms Survey)When the SSLA rebels attacked the town of Mayom recently, local authorities said around 80 were killed, most of whom were rebels, according to the SPLA. Matuek said the rebel group do not have many men and that their main threat is by laying landmines. He said that there were plans to position more soldiers along roads to counteract this. Rubkotna’s commissioner added that the United Nations Mine Action Organization had been asked to return to Nhialdiu payam to clear the freshly laid mines. It was only two months ago the organisation had declared that roads leading to Tharjath and Nhialdiu were clear of mines. South Sudan’s government has accused Khartoum government of supporting rebel groups in Unity state an other parts of newly the four month old country. Relatively new Chinese weapons have been seized from rebel groups in South Sudan, according to a Small Arms Survey report last month. Khartoum has been repeatedly denied that they help any of South Sudan’s rebellions and in turn accuse the SPLA of arming rebels in the border areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, which are now in north Sudan but fought with the SPLA during the two-decade long civil war. (ST) Photos of the seized weapons from South Sudan rebels. -- 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]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
