South Sudan Army Kills 20 Rebels, Captures Weapons
At least 20 rebels and four Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers have been killed in a tense battle leading to the recapture of Boma town from the David Yau Yau led rebels, army spokesperson has confirmed. 20 May 2013 SPLA spokesperson Col. Philip Aguer confirmed the capturing of Boma town from the rebel group in eastern part of Jonglei state on Sunday adding that only 12 soldiers were wounded in the battle.[Gurtong | File] By Jacob Achiek Jok BOR, 20 May 2013 [Gurtong] –Col. Philip Aguer confirmed the capturing of Boma town from the rebel group in Eastern part of Jonglei state on Sunday adding that only 12 soldiers were wounded in the battle. He said that he was among the SPLA delegation that visited Boma town and that the army has restored law and order in the town. “The SPLA has restored law and order in Boma town, the SPLA entered Boma this morning [Sunday] and we have now taken control over it”, said Aguer. He said that the army captured many weapons and will make an identification to find out the source and the countries in which they were manufactured. Aguer said that they have captured food items and drinks indicating they were from Eritrea and will try and establish whether Eritrea has a hand in supporting the rebels against the South Sudan government. Busines people in eastern Jonglei, both from Pochalla and Akobo say they only get some of their goods from Ethiopia and not from Eritrea. Peter Tut Nyang, a former trader in Akobo, now living in Bor said the South Sudan traders in Jonglei have no route to Eritrea, urging the South Sudan government to investigate the how these Eritrean food items got into Pibor Boma town. Western Envoys in South Sudan on Saturday released a joint statement through the United States (US) Embassy, calling for an end to the violence in the volatile Jonglei State. “We are deeply disturbed by mounting reports of abuse of civilians, including killings, beatings, and looting and destruction of homes and humanitarian facilities. We urge all parties – including the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and other state and non-state armed actors – to ensure that all civilians, regardless of ethnic group, are protected during armed conflict,” the statement read. The Ambassadors said that they are “increasingly concerned about continued violence in Jonglei State” and express condolences to the families of all casualties. They also called on the government to bring those who committed atrocities to account – including members of the security forces – through transparent judicial processes. The release said that they urge all parties to enable humanitarian space in Jonglei, including ensuring safe and unfettered access for humanitarian workers and United Nations representatives to provide assistance and protection to all affected populations, and to enable all wounded to access medical care. It said that the worsening situation in Jonglei State requires a political and not a military solution. “We underscore the need for dialogue between all parties to begin at once. We commend the government of the Republic of South Sudan for its recent offer of amnesty to South Sudanese armed groups, and we urge the groups’ leaders to accept the pardon immediately,” they said. The officials also remind the government that ending the conflict in Jonglei State requires meeting basic needs and addressing the grievances of communities, distinct from meeting demands of rebel leaders. The leaders applaud state and national government officials, military officers, and religious and community leaders for their outreach to the youth of Jonglei in urging restraint and stemming inter-communal conflict in recent weeks. They urged the stakeholders to return to the agreed resolutions of the All Jonglei Peace Conference, and that they will offer their support for the immediate implementation of the measures therein. The diplomats said that they are prepared to support humanitarian assistance to all affected populations across Jonglei State, and to increase development alongside improvements in security. Reflecting on the bold and inclusive resolutions reached at the Conference, diplomats call on all parties to support the core commitment by the communities of Jonglei to “peace, reconciliation and tolerance.” Posted in: Home, Governance -- 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]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
