The capital of Unity State has fallen to the SPLM/A-in-Opposition, marking the end of a three-month period of control by SPLA troops loyal to President Salva Kiir, who are now regrouping elsewhere.
The opposition faction first claimed capture of the town on Monday night, saying they took control of Bentiu after a two hour battle, but later explained that some fighting continued within the city this morning.
Brig. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, the opposition group’s military spokesman, announced in a statement today that their forces “completed mopping and cleaning up operations in and around Bentiu this morning while other combat units are in hot pursuit of government generals running towards JEM/SPLM-North controlled areas on South Sudan-Sudan borders in the north.”
He was apparently referring to Pariang County to the north, which remains under government control, bordering the Sudanese region of South Kordofan State, which is controlled in part by SPLM-N.
Local sources in Bentiu confirmed to Radio Tamazuj the fall of the town to the opposition forces. Additionally, one medical source stated that the rebel forces this morning killed five people at the hospital in Bentiu.
According to a government military source in Unity State, some SPLA troops withdrew to Nhialdiu, a town to the southwest of Bentiu.
To the north of the state capital, an eyewitness in Pariang County said he saw SPLA troops moving south along the Jau-Pariang road in the direction of Bentiu, presumably rushing to reinforce the troops forced out of Bentiu.
He saw several Land Cruisers, a large truck for carrying troops and two tanks carried on Ural trucks.
Col. Philip Aguer, spokesman of the South Sudanese army (SPLA), could not be reached for comment on the latest developments.
UN sources, meanwhile, report that more than 9,000 civilians are now seeking refuge in the UN’s Bentiu base.
Peacekeepers have been deployed also to protect civilians hiding in a hospital to prevent a repeat of past hospital massacres, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Toby Lanzer told the AP news agency, explaining that hundreds of women and children are sheltering at the hospital.
According to the opposition’s statement today, Maj. Gen. James Koang Chuol is the commander responsible for retaking Bentiu. He is the same commander of the SPLA 4th Division who defected in December and declared himself military governor of the state.
Elsewhere it was reported that Maj-Gen Peter Gatdet Yaka also led the operation to retake the town. However, the SPLM/A-IO military spokesman told Radio Tamazuj that he was not involved in directly commanding the operation to take Bentiu.
Although a native of western Unity State, Gatdet was stationed in Jonglei when the war began and led the back-and-forth fight for control of Bor. He is not currently in Unity State, according to Lul Ruai.
Meanwhile, the rebels have warned all oil companies still working in the state to leave. In a statement, they urge the companies to “immediately embark on gradual and voluntary closure of oil production and to evacuate all their staff within one week.”
“Failure to comply with this request, the oil companies risks forced oil shutdown and the safety of their staff,” adds the statement.
Meanwhile, in the northwest of Unity State, Mayom County was reported to be calm. The commissioner told Radio Tamazuj there were no clashes in the county today.
Asked about the whereabouts of the governor, who hails from Mayom County, the commissioner said he did not know.
Photo: Soldiers in Bentiu, 12 January 2014 (Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin/AP)