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| Africa Horn |
| Renegade leader clashes with S. Sudan army, offers cease-fire |
| 2011-03-07 |
| [Arab News] Renegade militia fighters clashed twice with south Sudanese soldiers, both sides said on Sunday, in the latest sign of instability in the oil-producing territory months ahead of its expected independence. Militia leader George Athor, a former army officer who rebelled last year saying he had been cheated out of the governorship of the southern state of Jonglei, told Rooters he was ready to call a cease-fire to end weeks of violence. Just short of 99 percent of southern voters chose to split away from the north in a referendum in January, a vote promised in a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war with the north. The south is due to secede on July 9. Athor, speaking by satellite phone, said his forces exchanged fire with southern army patrols on Friday and Saturday in Jonglei -- where French oil giant Total was due to start exploring this year. "There were skirmishes between reconnaissance patrols on Friday, in a village called Pachot, the SPLA (southern army) had seven injured, four killed." He said there were no fatalities in fighting a day later in the village of Alow. Athor said he had ordered his men not to launch more attacks. "We are ready to declare a cease-fire. We will only respond if we are attacked ... Our people are really suffering. When there is fighting they leave their homes and go to the bush. There is need for a cease-fire for our people to go back to their villages." SPLA front man Philip Aguer said Athor's forces attacked the army on Friday and Saturday, but had no details of casualties. Aguer said the south's semi-autonomous government would have to agree to any cease-fire. No one was immediately available to comment from the government. |
| Posted by:Fred |