Desperate Situation In Upper Nile As War Intensifies Towards Oil Fields

 

By Ariik Atekdit

JUBA, 20 May 2015 [Gurtong] – Upper Nile State Minister for Information, Hon. Peter Hoth Tuach has said that they have for the second time been displaced from Melut town to Paloch for safety reasons.

The Minister said that on Tuesday the SPLM in Opposition forces started shelling the town and on Wednesday morning the war intensified with gunshots being heard in Paloch town centre.

“Our people are in very desperate situation. War migrated from Melut County yesterday. We were attacked at 6:30 pm. Our citizens are being displaced once again to Paloch and their humanitarian situation is terrible. They are trekking from Melut to Paloch for their safety. There is no water or food and the children and vulnerable people are suffering from the sun’s heat. It is very bad here,” Tuach stated.

“This war is going to be very bad especially when it is driving near to the oil wells. The international staffs in the oil field are being evacuated. Melut is now turned into a battle field,” Tuach said.

Fighting broke out 5 days ago in Malakal when Gen. Johnson Olony and his forces crossed to the rebel side and launched an offensive attack on Malakal chasing away the SPLA government forces from the state capital last weekend.

Earlier this week the opposition forces have burnt down Bienythiang, Akoka County’s administrative headquarters as they travelled to the northern part of the state aiming to capture the oil infrastructure.

Though the government says oil wells in Paloch have not been captured by the opposition forces; the distance between Melut town and Paloch is about 1 hour drive – estimated to be only 20 kilometers away.
“We are urging humanitarian organizations to intervene to assist the lives of the IDPs in Paloch. They need food, water and shelter,” Peter Hoth Tuach appealed.

Other sources say that anti-government forces are gaining momentum against government because of poor management and wrong strategic planning by commanders in the field.

Olony’s forces are also said to be using a streamer in the river, full of heavy artilleries against the government SPLA forces.

Olony’s forces known as Agwlek have travelled a very long distance to the far north of Upper Nile, however sources said he was travelling in the river living the government forces around Malakal before they could hear an attack on the oil hub County of Melut.

“Olony has rebelled with heavy artilleries. He was the Commander for operation in Upper Nile State. This means that he is powerful in terms of weapons. During the time he captured Malakal, his forces looted all the military stores and drove them to the west of the White Nile within the Shilluk land, now he is using those artilleries in the river against the SPLA forces on the land,” said an SPLA officer who refused to be named.

Gen. Olony, a former militia commander fighting against the government of South Sudan fed out of SPLA and the government after, youth of Akoka County killed his fellow Major General, James Obowgo on April 1st in Akoka County. Olony blamed the government for mismanaging the death of his deputy until he was buried without SPLA coming to take the responsibility of the burial.

Until April 21st, bodyguards of Upper Nile Governor, Simon Kun Puoch clashed with those of Gen. Johnson Olony ending up with Olony capturing Malakal and controlling it for about three days before government forces came back to Malakal.

The recent confrontation in Upper Nile State is being coordinated by Gen. Olony Thubo’s forces with those of Gen. Gabriel Gatwec Chan (aka Tanginyae) from SPLA-IO.

Gen. Tanginyae has been fighting for the rebel movement of Dr Riek Machar since the war began in South Sudan in the areas northern Jonglei state based in Fangak.