South Sudan rebels say killed 'many' government soldiers

[Hindustani78]

South Sudan rebels say killed 'many' government soldiers | Zee News
Last Updated: Monday, May 18, 2015 - 18:27

Juba: South Sudanese rebels killed "many" government soldiers in three days of fighting in Malakal, the capital of oil-producing Upper Nile State, a rebel military spokesman said on Monday.


The rebel forces brought down a government helicopter gunship that had been sent to attack rebel positions in the town on Sunday, Lony Ngundeng told Reuters.

"The government forces have lost many soldiers," he said.

Government spokesmen were not immediately available to comment.

The world`s newest state, which declared independence from Sudan in 2011, was plunged into conflict nearly 18 months ago between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebels allied with his former deputy, Riek Machar.

Several ceasefires have been agreed and broken and each side accuses the other of violating one announced in early February.

The conflict reopened ethnic fault lines between Kiir`s Dinka people and Machar`s forces, who are largely ethnic Nuer.

IGAD, the regional group that acts as the mediator in the crisis, said the rebels had ganged up with the Shilluk militia of General Johnson Olony to attack the government`s positions in and around Malakal.

It was not immediately clear if Olony, a major general in the government`s army, had officially defected to the rebel side. Ngundeng said the rebels and Olony`s forces jointly controlled the town.

"The IGAD Mediation is deeply frustrated by the spread of violence to Upper Nile and strongly condemns this serious violation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement," the group said in a statement. It urged the warring parties to end the killings.

Malakal is the operations hub for aid agencies in the state, where an estimated 245,000 people have been displaced by fighting.

The United Nations Security Council also condemned the renewed fighting.

"The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the repeated violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement accepted and signed by the Republic of South Sudan and the SPLM/A (in Opposition) on 23 January 2014," it said in a statement on Sunday.

Reuters

 

[That Guy]

What do you know? Independence didn't really change anything. Who would have thunk it?

 

[Hindustani78]

What do you know? Independence didn't really change anything. Who would have thunk it?

Here its more about the oil wealth.

Muammar Gadaffi was in favor of the division of Sudan as well as Nigeria.

 

[Hindustani78]

South Sudan rebels say they captured oil refinery in Upper Nile | World | Saudi Gazette


JUBA — South Sudan's rebels captured a refinery near a key oilfield in Upper Nile State, where fighting has flared up in recent days, their spokesman said on Tuesday.

The rebel group SPLM/SPLA also told all oil companies operating in Upper Nile state they should shut down and evacuate their staff immediately because of ongoing clashes with government soldiers, spokesman James Gatdet Dak said in a statement.

"In response to the government's full-scale offensive on our positions in the three states of greater Upper Nile region, we have decided to take control of the oilfields and deny Salva Kiir from using the oil revenues to perpetuate the war," he said.

 

[Hindustani78]

Last Updated: Saturday, May 23, 2015 - 00:32
UN accuses South Sudan of targeting base protecting civilians | Zee News


Khartoum: The United Nations on Friday accused South Sudan`s rebel and government forces of targeting one of its bases sheltering civilians during a flareup of fighting, and demanded that those responsible face justice.


Senior peacekeeping official Edmond Mulet told reporters that 22 shells had hit the base in Melut, in Upper Nile State, over the past two days, killing eight civilians, in what could amount to a war crime.

Mulet said he had been in touch with both the government and the rebel sides to urge them to "stop targeting UN premises and our protection sites" and stressed that the field commanders "know where the protection site is."

A formal note has been sent to the UN Security Council over the violence targeting the UN base at Melut, which is sheltering 1,600 civilians.

A UN investigation is under way to determine who fired at the compound, said Mulet, the assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping.

"We want to know who is responsible," Mulet said.

The base is being protected by some 150 UN police and military personnel, but most of the non-essential civilian staff have been evacuated.

UN officials have asked the government of President Salva Kiir and rebel chief Riek Machar to "re-direct their fire" and reminded them that targeting UN premises is a violation of international humanitarian law, he said.

On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon branded the upsurge of fighting in Upper Nile and Unity states as "unacceptable" and called on all sides to immediately halt fighting.

The world`s youngest nation, South Sudan has been torn by conflict since December 2013 when Kiir accused Machar of attempting a coup.

The Security Council threatened in March to impose sanctions on those who obstruct peace and adopted a resolution that sets up a committee to begin work on the measures, but no action has been taken.

The United Nations is seeking to beef up African mediation efforts after several failed attempts at reaching a peace deal, with the European Union, China, the United States and Britain expected to step in.

South Sudan is a top-agenda issue at the African Union summit to be held in Johannesburg on June 14-15.

The war has left over half of the country`s 12 million people in need of aid, with 2.5 million people facing severe food insecurity, according to the UN.

AFP

 

[Saif al-Arab]

@ebray @Saho @Belew_Kelew @Aegis DDG

What is the situation in South Sudan and what are they fighting for? Apparently everything would be fantastic as soon as they got their independence from Northern Sudan.

Also can you guys update us on the events in Darfur? We never hear anything about it anymore. Are people still fighting?

In short what is going on?!

Those the conflicts in Southern Sudan impact Ethiopia and Eritrea in any way?

 

[Shan-e-ibrahim]

They want to do partnership with IS, hence advertising themselves.

 

[Belew_Kelew]

@ebray @Saho @Belew_Kelew @Aegis DDG

What is the situation in South Sudan and what are they fighting for? Apparently everything would be fantastic as soon as they got their independence from Northern Sudan.

Also can you guys update us on the events in Darfur? We never hear anything about it anymore. Are people still fighting?

In short what is going on?!

Those the conflicts in Southern Sudan impact Ethiopia and Eritrea in any way?

I will try to input as much as i can and the other might want to add their point a view as well.

South Sudan is a complicated area with more than 60 of tribes occupying the area, The 2 you need to know is the Dinka and Nuer. Both of these two are the biggest tribes in south sudan. they always had problems from hundred of years ago mainly because of land due to grazing and the other usual stuff. when the british left sudan it did 2 things that made sure there was going to be a conflict in the future it united "sudan" putting muslim north with animist south, for years the british before they left made sure they raised the mistrust between the southern sudanese tribes, and secondly they implanted the seeds of hate between the north and south.

As sudan started to help the ELF & EPLF to gain eritrean independence the ethiopian countered by helping the SPLA of south sudan fighting the north to gain independence. However within the spla which was dominated by the Dinka tribe and the Nuer, between them there was alot of hate and mistrust buried and only allied themselves for the sake of the bigger enemy in north sudan.

The Nuer tribesmen inside SPLA historically have/had better relations with the Eritrea and at some stages with north sudan while the dinka have better relation with ethiopia. once south sudan became independent this is when the challenge started, no more big enemy in north sudan and the nuer felt that the dinka were taking control of the whole country through corruption and dominationg the political arena, the nuer felt if we don't act now we will be second class to the dinka and it will get worse and worse for us by our historical mistrusting neighbouring tribe the dinka and we must act now. while the dinka saw it as an attempt by the traitors nuer tribe to take advantage and claim power un-democratically. Both feared a dictatorship by the other hostile tribe.

So the problem started when the dinka claimed the nuer tried to topple the president through a coup while the nuer refuted that and said it was an excuse by the dinka to remove all the nuer power by killing them or imprison them so the dinka can remove the last people keeping them in check of taking complete control. It's not quite clear who started it but what happened after proves the hatred still exist between those two Nilo tribes they butchered each other is worst possible way. You can't even imagine how they were killing each other they would knock on doors and ask if you are a nuer or a dinka and if you are the wrong tribe they would start with your babies inserting machete through the babies mouth all the way and splitting the baby in half. in other instances starting with taking out the eyes and cutting fingers and toes one by one.

Anyway the foreign countries interfered and tried few cease fire agreements, especially the americans who saw their hardwork getting undone by silly old tribal rivarly, but the clashes kept going not long after especially to capture the key oil region of unity state where the majority of south sudan oil reside. Both have deep mistrust with each other, the dinka helped by uganda, ethiopia and kenya while the Nuer under Machar were accused to get help from mainly North sudan and in some reports Eritrea supplied weapons to them. Alot of peace talks were held but the problem remains that those two do not rust each other at all and for them to be sharing the longest border in the term of tribal border makes it worse.

In my view i do side with the Nuer, i think they are smart enough to detect a long term of dinka domination that their kids and grandkids would suffer if left unchallenged, I know both the dinka and nuer people very well and i would be worried if a dinka is left alone with complete power, however the dinka are favourite by the west because they are easy to manipluate and are also stubborn as hell, Nuer are more open minded and for me realistic and smart. Dinka can destroy south sudan with sole power. One more thing to mention out of the 60 (Non dinka) tribes in south sudan No one likes the dinka and almost every non dinka would prefer a nuer.

To answer to your other question if those war would impact on Eritrea or Ethiopia, i would say not Eritrea soo much maybe Ethiopia as one of the province in ethiopia "gambella" is inhabited by mainly Nuer people and was historically part of the nuer control.

Here its more about the oil wealth.

Muammar Gadaffi was in favor of the division of Sudan as well as Nigeria.

Yeah Sudan and libya under Gaddafi had alot of hate, mainly of the chad war.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

I will try to input as much as i can and the other might want to add their point a view as well.

South Sudan is a complicated area with more than 60 of tribes occupying the area, The 2 you need to know is the Dinka and Nuer. Both of these two are the biggest tribes in south sudan. they always had problems from hundred of years ago mainly because of land due to grazing and the other usual stuff. when the british left sudan it did 2 things that made sure there was going to be a conflict in the future it united "sudan" putting muslim north with animist south, for years the british before they left made sure they raised the mistrust between the southern sudanese tribes, and secondly they implanted the seeds of hate between the north and south.

As sudan started to help the ELF & EPLF to gain eritrean independence the ethiopian countered by helping the SPLA of south sudan fighting the north to gain independence. However within the spla which was dominated by the Dinka tribe and the Nuer, between them there was alot of hate and mistrust buried and only allied themselves for the sake of the bigger enemy in north sudan.

The Nuer tribesmen inside SPLA historically have/had better relations with the Eritrea and at some stages with north sudan while the dinka have better relation with ethiopia. once south sudan became independent this is when the challenge started, no more big enemy in north sudan and the nuer felt that the dinka were taking control of the whole country through corruption and dominationg the political arena, the nuer felt if we don't act now we will be second class to the dinka and it will get worse and worse for us by our historical mistrusting neighbouring tribe the dinka and we must act now. while the dinka saw it as an attempt by the traitors nuer tribe to take advantage and claim power un-democratically. Both feared a dictatorship by the other hostile tribe.

So the problem started when the dinka claimed the nuer tried to topple the president through a coup while the nuer refuted that and said it was an excuse by the dinka to remove all the nuer power by killing them or imprison them so the dinka can remove the last people keeping them in check of taking complete control. It's not quite clear who started it but what happened after proves the hatred still exist between those two Nilo tribes they butchered each other is worst possible way. You can't even imagine how they were killing each other they would knock on doors and ask if you are a nuer or a dinka and if you are the wrong tribe they would start with your babies inserting machete through the babies mouth all the way and splitting the baby in half. in other instances starting with taking out the eyes and cutting fingers and toes one by one.

Anyway the foreign countries interfered and tried few cease fire agreements, especially the americans who saw their hardwork getting undone by silly old tribal rivarly, but the clashes kept going not long after especially to capture the key oil region of unity state where the majority of south sudan oil reside. Both have deep mistrust with each other, the dinka helped by uganda, ethiopia and kenya while the Nuer under Machar were accused to get help from mainly North sudan and in some reports Eritrea supplied weapons to them. Alot of peace talks were held but the problem remains that those two do not rust each other at all and for them to be sharing the longest border in the term of tribal border makes it worse.

In my view i do side with the Nuer, i think they are smart enough to detect a long term of dinka domination that their kids and grandkids would suffer if left unchallenged, I know both the dinka and nuer people very well and i would be worried if a dinka is left alone with complete power, however the dinka are favourite by the west because they are easy to manipluate and are also stubborn as hell, Nuer are more open minded and for me realistic and smart. Dinka can destroy south sudan with sole power. One more thing to mention out of the 60 (Non dinka) tribes in south sudan No one likes the dinka and almost every non dinka would prefer a nuer.

To answer to your other question if those war would impact on Eritrea or Ethiopia, i would say not Eritrea soo much maybe Ethiopia as one of the province in ethiopia "gambella" is inhabited by mainly Nuer people and was historically part of the nuer control.



Yeah Sudan and libya under Gaddafi had alot of hate, mainly of the chad war.

Cheers Belew and thanks for the detailed explanation. Always a pleasure to learn something new. Going to make a quick research about this area of the world and the conflicts there.

@Belew_Kelew also are there any Afro-Asiatic speaking peoples in Southern Sudan?

 

[Hindustani78]

@ebray @Saho @Belew_Kelew @Aegis DDG

What is the situation in South Sudan and what are they fighting for? Apparently everything would be fantastic as soon as they got their independence from Northern Sudan.

Also can you guys update us on the events in Darfur? We never hear anything about it anymore. Are people still fighting?

In short what is going on?!

Those the conflicts in Southern Sudan impact Ethiopia and Eritrea in any way?

Its mainly about sharing the oil wealth and oil deals with other countries.

Eritrea and Ethiopia both are having thier disputes but Eritrea do have ports in Red Sea and on other sides Yeman houthis are there. Dahlak Islands are even key in that region.