S. Sudan rebels say they are in full control of Malakal, army denies claims
- Article <http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article50011#tabs-1> - Comments (25)<http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article50011#tabs-2> [image: email]Email<http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?iframe&page=enviar_email_articulo&id_article=50011> [image: print]Print<http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?iframe&page=imprimable&id_article=50011> [image: pdf]Save<http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?page=spipdf&spipdf=spipdf_article&id_article=50011&nom_fichier=article_50011> [image: separation] [image: increase] <http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article50011#> [image: decrease] <http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article50011#> [image: separation] [image: separation] ------------------------------ February 19, 2014 (JUBA) - Rebel forces led by South Sudan's former president, Riek Machar, say they are now in full control of Malakal, the capital of oil-rich Upper Nile state, following fierce battles on Tuesday morning with government troops and their foreign allies. [image: JPEG - 12.6 kb]*Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth, the commander of rebels forces in Upper Nile state (FILE)* Rebel military spokesperson Brig Lul Ruai Koang told *Sudan Tribune* on Tuesday that forces loyal to president Salva Kiir were flushed out from Malakal town and were being pursued towards Akok county. It's the third time Malakal, a strategic town located about 497km from the South Sudan capital, Juba, has fallen to rebel forces since conflict broke out in the country over two months ago. Koang accused the government and its allies of provoking the rebels prior to the recapture of the state capital. "The government troops and its allies today(Tuesday) in the morning launched unprovoked, simultaneous attacks on our defensive positions, 7km south and 5km east of Malakal town. The attacking forces were repulsed, pursued and flushed out of their last stronghold north of Malakal town," said Koang. He also accused neighbouring Uganda of military involvement in the battles, saying its jet fighters had dropped several bombs on rebel positions around Malakal. "While close combat engagements were ongoing, Kiir's troops received massive air support from Uganda warplanes. Our gallant forces under the direct command of Maj. Gen. Chayuot Manyang and under the overall command of Maj. Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth are still chasing the remnants of government troops towards Akoka county," Koang said. He added that rebels were yet to ascertain the number of casualties on the ground from both sides. *ARMY DISMISSES REBEL CLAIMS* The spokesperson for the South Sudan army (SPLA), Phillip Aguer, has dismissed the rebel claims as "untrue", adding that fighting was still ongoing in the town, but did not elaborate further. Government spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth also denied the claims, instead accusing the rebel SPLM/A In Opposition forces of violating a ceasefire agreement signed with the government in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on 23 January. "I don't think the rebels control Malakal. In any case, we would have flushed them out long ago if we never respected the ceasefire agreement," he told reporters on Tuesday. A source from the state government told *Sudan Tribune* that rebels appeared to have acquired improved weaponry, revealing that for the first time they had posed a direct threat to the tanks used by the government troops, many of which were destroyed in the battles. The rebels also reiterated their accusations directed towards the Ugandan army (UPDF), alleging that the "negative role" played by the UPDF in the internal South Sudanese conflict was a major factor in Kiir's decision to resist political reforms within the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). However, Ugandan officials have maintained they are footing for the bill for the country's military deployment in South Sudan, arguing that they are there to prevent internal fighting escalating again, as well as protecting their national security interests by ensuring the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) does not resurface in South Sudan. *US EMBASSY CONDEMNS ATTACK* Meanwhile, the United States embassy in Juba has condemned the Malakal clashes, describing it as a blatant disregard of the cessation of hostilities agreement signed by both sides/ "The fighting in Malakal endangers the lives of civilians and threatens further instability in Upper Nile State," it said in a statement issued on Tuesday. "Armed conflict and violence will not solve this crisis," it added. The statement also called on both sides to immediately abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement and engage in serious negotiations at ongoing peace talks in Addis Ababa. "It is of paramount importance for the government to name and send immediately its representatives to the joint technical committee so that the Monitoring and Verification Teams can begin their work of monitoring the agreement under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)," the embassy stressed. "Continued military conflict will only prolong the violence and worsen the humanitarian crisis that threatens to consume the country," the statement adds. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14ooS3mRZ2R7oQfBx2OLzmrfOp%2B93rik9xn-Ai7ankN7g_w%40mail.gmail.com. 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