Warrap, Unity and Lakes peace talks blighted by new clashes
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February 2, 2012 (JUBA/BENTUI) - On Thursday the Unity state minster
for information and communication, Gideon Gatpan, said 15 people were
killed in Mayiandit in a coordinated attack by Unity state forces who
came on machine-gun mounted vehicles.
JPEG - 35.8 kb
Unity state minister of information, Gideon Gatpan Thaor, addressing
the press about the attack on Mayiandit County. 3 Feb.2012 (ST)
Cattle-rustling friction between the states of Warrap, Unity and Lakes
has increased with an attack on peace talks in Unity to discuss an
incident in Warrap, which was allegedly carried out by Lakes
authorities.
Tonj East county commissioner and others officials from Warrap State;
and the Mapel county commissioner came to Mayiandit on Tuesday meet
with the Mayiandit commissioner and a team from state capital, Bentiu,
to discuss an attack in Warrap on 30 January.
According to South Sudan’s Interior Minister, “over 40” people were
killed in the Warrap attack which was perpetrated by a Unity state
militia “armed by the government of Khartoum”. North Sudan denies the
allegation that they back rebel groups in South Sudan and counter that
Juba helps it former allies in North Sudan. Juba also denies this.
Gatpan also described the suggestion by Warrap state governor, Nyadeng
Malik, that the attack on Warrap, was carried out by a Unity state
militia as propaganda.
The commissioner of Mayiandit county in Unity state, Gatdit Jeah Deng,
described an attack in his state on Wednesday as an attempt to kill
him by the Lake state government.
UN and non-governmental organisation brokered peace conference being
held in Mayiandit were allegedly attacked by members of the Lakes
state security services.
Mayiandit borders Mapel county to the south-west and Tonj East county
of Warrap state in the west.
Deng claims nine police and ten civilians were killed and 20 seriously
injured in the attack. He said that the attack was “war by the Lake
State and Warrap State government”.
He explained that the attack took place despite the fact that Unity
state authorities have been targeting cattle rustlers in their state
to ensure that stolen cattle are returned to their rightful owners in
Warrap and Unity.
He said eight cattle rustlers were captured in Mayiandit and 100 heads
of cattle stolen from Warrap state during the 30 January attack.
Deputy governor of Unity state, William Dawut, told Sudan Tribune on
Sunday that he intended file a court case against the commissioner of
Mapel County. He said their forces captured a Toyota land cruiser
mourned with heavy machine gun from Rumbek’s security forces.
Unity state authorities captured two cattle rustlers from Warrap state
during the fighting, the Unity State police commissioner Major General
Maduk Nyiong said during an emergency of council of ministers held in
Bentiu on Thursday.
In September 2011 Warrap state rustlers allegedly killed around 46
people and stole more that 1,000 heads of cattle in Mayiandit.
A sticking point of the peace talks was Warrap’s demands for eight
captives involved in the attack on their state, to travel to Warrap.
Unity refused to allow the culprits leave the state.
Deng said Unity had handed over the cattle without incident but that
the culprits should be judged in his state.
Deng said two of his bodyguards and a bodyguard from the Unity State
Police Commissioner were killed, and member of staff from the UN
Mission in South Sudan were seriously injured in the attack.
The Lakes state minister of local government and law enforcement,
Mabor Mayen Wol, travelled to Rumbek North county in Lakes state to
hold talks with the commissioner of Rumbek North county to discuss the
clashes which occurred in Mayendit county of Unity state on Wednesday.
A Lakes state policeman who sustained injuries in this incident,
Augustino Mayok, told Sudan Tribune that his team were escorting their
commissioner to the meeting when they were ambushed “by those police
and their military element”. Mayok said their sergeant, Marial Magany,
was killed instantly.
The commissioner of Rumbek North county, Isaac Mayek Noah, said that
he and the commissioners of Tonj East and Tonj north were called by
the Mayendit commissioner to attend a peace meeting in his county. He
said that meeting was to be attended by Government of South Sudan’s
Minister of Interior Affairs. They were told to attend despite the
minster’s last-minute cancellation.
(ST)
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