Band Of Over 200 Fleeing Rebels Attack Aweil Centre And West Counties

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Authorities in Northern Bahr El Ghazal state (NBGS) confirm that rebel-aligned forces attacked and overran Aweil Centre County clinic at Awada payam on Thursday 10th July. The reports confirm that the rebels looted the clinic, which is run by International Rescue Committee (IRC), an international NGO. The rebel forces abducted two people and killed a policeman who was guarding the facility.

The abductees have been identified as Garjuak Nyangwa and Deng Uguak Chan; they remain in the hands of their abductors. Sources added that one person escaped abduction and has been able to describe what he witnessed and how he escaped the abduction.

Santino Mayuat Ngong, an MP in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state Transitional Legislative Assembly representing constituency no. 21, confirmed an incident where two residents of Aweil centre have been abducted by rebels, one killed and other figures remain unconfirmed. He provided some detail of the composition of the attacking forces.

“…they came from Western Bahr el Ghazal. The number of rebels, the people say, are approximately over 200. They came to the place called Awada [a payam in Aweil centre county], where they looted all the properties of IRC at the clinic, and they also looted 5,000 SSP in the safe and captured two and killed one person whose name did not appear. The names of the people I have now are Garjuak Nyangwa; brother to Hon. Benson Upuothmala and Deng Uguak Chan who are now with the rebels as abductees.” He confirmed.

It is believed that the same group of same rebels also attacked parts of Aweil West County, namely Nyinbuoli Boma and Akuang-ayat at Marialbaai, where they clashed with SPLA forces on the ground. According to an official source on the ground, the fighting started on Monday evening and continued until Tuesday afternoon. 

It is reported that 29 of the rebel forces were killed in the fighting, including their commanding officer brigadier Gatluak, a Colonel, James Jok Mal Machar, and 27 ordinary soldiers. From the government side, 4 soldiers and a young girl of 11 years were injured, making a total of 5 injured people now hospitalized at Aweil civil Hospital. It is considered possible that other casualties remain undiscovered in the thickly forested area where the fighting began. 

The same source disclosed that the rebels are new defectors from SPLA’s Division five in Western Bahr el Ghazal state (WBGS). This intelligence is in accordance with reports from WBGS last week, which claimed that rebel fighters had been flushed out of forest hide-outs there and were moving in the direction of NBGS.

Garang Kuach Ariath ,Commissioner of Aweil West County, confirmed that his county had witnessed heavy clashes with rebels who were trying to escape using the Aweil West route towards the North.“In an area called Mayom-Bol, part of Aweil North, [where fighting occurred] we have four who were wounded and they were taken to Aweil Civil Hospital but those were not big wounds, very small injuries. From their side, there are 29 killed including one brigadier and one colonel and the rest are ordinary soldiers.” He stated.

The Commissioner confirmed that there are two senior defected officers still leading the platoon towards the border with the Sudan, with SPLA in pursuit “The Brigadier is called Gatluak and the Colonel is James Jok Mal Machar. There were three brigadiers but now they remain two brigadiers and our forces are still following them up to the end of their destination.” He said.

The Commissioner dismissed reports of displacement and panic among the residents of Aweil West, especially in Nyinbuoli and Akuang-ayat where the incident first started, saying the situation is under control. “The situation is very stable since yesterday and before yesterday it was very stable, no problem”, he said. Latest reports add that the fighting has ceased in Aweil West as the rebels are reportedly withdrawing in an attempt to escape toward Sudan in an attempt to join other rebel forces at the border.

Unconfirmed reports allege that there have been a number of defections are being reported in NBGS, with top officials and legislators suspected of having switched their allegiance to the rebels, headed by former Vice President Dr. Riek Machar. 

Another confirmed report says that a former soldier known as Deng Geng, who is believed to be an ally of the mutinied General Dau Aturjong Nyuol, has also rebelled in Aweil North amid fears he has been joined by youth. General Aturjong contested for NBGS governorship in 2010 but lost to the incumbent governor Paul Malong, who is now the chief of General staff in the national army. 

No representative from the rebel side was available for comments, verifications and justifications on the reported NBGS attacks.