Upper Nile Government Refutes Reports On SPLA Withdrawal From Renk

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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On Wednesday, the Nation Mirror newspaper reported that the SPLA has withdrawn from Renk town.

As of 28 September 2014 Renk county and the oil-producing parts of Melut County have remained under SPLA control. The area is currently defended by troops from the SPLA’s 1st Division.

The Minister for Information and Telecommunication, Hon. Peter Hoth Tuac says the reports on the SPLAwithdrawing are untrue.

“The SPLA is in control of Renk town and there has been no attack in town. The national army has nothing called withdrawal in mind. I just don’t know where people get such information of SPLA withdrawing from Renk?”

Hoth said that an incident of looting occurred at a trading centre at the border between South Sudan and Sudan but there were no military confrontation between the SPLA and the SPLA-IO.

“Yes some looting happened and we accused the rebel fighters of Riek Machar of doing that. They came to the place called Omshadat and looted commodities that were to be transported to South Sudan through Renk. They scared the citizens and went away with their properties.”

“Sources on the ground have clearly told me that it was only about 12 soldiers that carried out the looting. The trading centre is not a military garrison so there was no fighting reported. We condemn the looting of the people’s properties and our SPLA forces are ready to protect the citizens and properties of Omshadat trading centre.” he said.

Hoth accused Sudan of supporting the SPLM in Opposition fighters.

“Our President Salva Kiir just doesn’t want to destroy the bilateral relations with Sudan. However, Sudan is supporting Machar’s rebellion. We have seen anti-government forces coming and returning to the same direction. That means they have military support in those
areas,” Hoth said.

Renk County was the site of most intense military clashes in Upper Nile. Renk is an important transport site for trade with Sudan. It is also home to a number of mechanized agricultural projects that make it one of South Sudan’s most productive food-producing counties. 

It is close to the oil pipeline that runs from the Paloich field in Melut County.