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Fighting in South Sudan's Raga kills at least 14
At least 14 people have been killed in South Sudan after new fighting erupted between government forces and the main rebel group.Lam Paul Gabriel Lam, the SPLM-IO rebel group's spokesman, told Reuters news agency on Saturday during the last two days the army has bombed rebel-held areas around Raga - a northwestern town near the border with Sudan and Central African Republic. "Yesterday our forces decided to go and raid Raga," he said. "Around 14 people were counted killed but many are injured. We had one soldier killed with some injuries." Santo Domic Chol, the government's military spokesman, said he was in Raga and would provide information later on. The outbreak of violence in the eastern Jonglei region came after fierce clashes in southern Pajok and western Wau in the past two weeks. According to a tally of UN figures and deaths that witnesses reported to AFP, 101 people were killed in the two towns. The United Nations, which has a large peacekeeping force in the East African nation, confirmed the latest outbreak of violence. The surge in fighting in eastern South Sudan has forced 60 aid workers to flee, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said on Saturday.Moustapha Soumare, the special representative for the UN secretary-general in South Sudan, on Saturday called for a halt to fighting, urging "all parties, to prove their commitment to peace". South Sudan drops poisonous gas on rebel-held territories South Sudanese government has dropped containers of toxic gas on rebel-held areas in Bieh State, a senior rebel military source told the South Sudan News Agency on Saturday. The official who declined to be named because he is not authorized to speak said the government used at least three military helicopters to drop the poison gas. “After days of failed attempt to capture our areas in Waat, the genocidal regime in Juba decided to use poisonous gas on our gallant forces and civilians. The gas is suffocating people. People affected by this gas attack are experiencing severe coughing,” the officer told the South Sudan News Agency. Lt. Col. Lam Paul Gabriel with the SPLA-IO military command also released a statement, confirming the gas attack. “After failing to defeat the SPLA-IO forces with regular weapons, the Juba government Militias under the command Governor John Gony Biliew of Akobo State and Majiok Gatluak Thoa of Bieh State used poisonous gas that blindfolds, weakens, makes someone loses focus and causes sneezing while attacking SPLA-IO positions and civilians in the IDP Camps,” Gabriel said the gas use has been systematic, saying, “This criminal acts of cowardice by the Juba Government started on 11th April 2017 in Yuai, proceeded to Waat on 14/04/2017 and still going on with an aim of reaching Akobo.” Gabriel said rebel forces have tactically withdrawn from Waat Saturday night to focus on civilian evacuations. “There are many civilians casualties in Yuai and Waat due to this act of terrorism by the Juba regime,” he said. The armed opposition calls on the African Union (AU), Troika countries and the international community to immediately send investigators to Bieh and Akoba states to investigate what it described as “this use of poisonous gas by the Juba regime.” The SPLA-IO urges the international community to send a medical team to the affected areas to treat those affected by the alleged gas attack. One senior rebel official in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, told the South Sudan News Agency today that the armed opposition intelligence branches have evidence showing Ugandan government is secretly assisting South Sudanese government in the gas campaign. Posted by: Pappy 2017-04-16 |
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