Calm Returns To Unity State After Sudan Bombardment

With 1,000 people displaced and at least 5 killed after Sudan Armed Forces, SAF offensive attacks in Unity State over the weekend, calm has returned to the oil rich State according to the Assembly Speaker.

On Saturday evening, Hon. Simon Maguek Majak, the Speaker of Unity State Legislative Assembly, USLA said that calm had returned to the oil-rich State since Khartoum’s recent air raid into Yau, a village on the border.

Speaking to the media after conclusion of the Fifth Speakers’ Forum in Juba, Hon. Maguek said Khartoum targeted Yau because the SPLA’s Division 9, under command of James Gaduel Galuak was stationed there. He did not immediately confirm any casualties, but he added that the air raid caused a lot of damage in the area.

According to earlier reports by Gurtong correspondents, over 851 persons are reportedly displaced and five killed in the oil rich Unity State as authorities confirmed over the weekend.

“The bombardment was launched by the Sudan Armed Forces-SAF,” the Unity State Minister of Information Hon. Gideon Gatfan told Gurtong from Bentiu Capital of Unity State. He further disclosed that the attacks were launched in Jaw sub-County of Parieng County bordering Southern Kordofan

“We have Antinov bombardment in Jaw area which killed five people and displaced 851 persons from the sub-County,” the Minister said. Adding that; “they were targeting the location of the Sudan Armed Forces, SAF.”

Bonifacio Taban, a local journalist on the ground in Bentiu exclusively confirmed that, hundreds of civilians are witnessed to have taken off to Panyang sub-County as a move to escape from the bombardment. Taban revealed that, at least 11 people were wounded as a result of the incident.

Gurtong also learnt from the SPLA Spokesperson Col. Philip Aguer while speaking to the BBC that, the bombing of Unity State was a move to seize the region’s oil. "SAF aircraft bombed the area of Jaw, in Unity State, many times on Thursday," he exclusively confirmed on Friday.
"This area is deep inside South Sudan and it’s a move by Khartoum to control the area and create a de facto border to control our oil fields," added Philip.

According to the Unity State Minister of Information, the State government condemned the act saying it was a total violation of the peace accord. “It is a serious violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, CPA,” Hon. Gideon added.

These attacks however, are not news in the State according to the information Minister. Several insecurity threats had been relayed earlier since the conduct of the South Sudan Referendum.

These attacks happen in the wake of similar shootings in Southern Kordofan by SAF early last week. The Southern Kordofan fighting erupted in its capital Kadugli and its surrounding areas.

Both sides traded blames for starting it. The clashes came after northern officials demanded that all the SPLA soldiers had to move south-north border despite the SPLA soldiers in South Kordofan and Blue Nile State not being South Sudanese.

Southern Kordofan, an oil-producing State which lies in Northern Sudan territory, has long been seen as a flashpoint since its home to thousands of fighters who fought alongside the South against Khartoum during the last civil war.

South Sudan is wary of being embroiled in a war that could derail the region’s official independence day of July 9, 2011 and as such insisted that it has no intention of going to war with the North despite the recent military escalation.

Unity State is one of the frontline States that South Sudan President Salva Kiir said were being targeted by Khartoum, in his speech at the opening of the Speakers’ Forum on Wednesday.

“Of course, the government in Khartoum is trying to organize to attack us. You might have heard from the speech of the President of GOSS that the frontlines States are the target of the government in Khartoum,” said Hon. Maguek. “It’s actually recruiting militias to attack our people in Unity State, or our people in Warrap, or our people in Northern Bhar El Ghazal or our people in Upper Nile,” he decried.

“Since Wednesday,” Hon. Maguek said, “SPLA in Unity State has been “containing the situation” since renegades started fighting this March in Mayom County. He said the militias were being supplied by Khartoum. “By now the area is cleared of the renegades. They have been driven back to a place called Timsah,” he said, adding the rebels use the area as springboard for launching attacks on the SPLA forces.

Article viewed at: Oye! Times at www.oyetimes.com