South Sudanese government and rebel troops clashed in two counties of Unity State over the weekend. Military spokesman on both sides admitted to suffering dozens of casualties.
Weirial Puok Baluang, the press secretary of the rebel ‘governor’ of Unity State, told Radio Tamazuj yesterday that fighting between government and rebel troops in Koch and Leer areas over two days left many dead and wounded from the two sides.
The rebel spokesman said there was fighting in several areas of Koch and Leer on Friday and Saturday, claiming to have briefly captured Leer yesterday before making a tactical withdrawal the same day.
He acknowledged the deaths of at least 11 fighters from their side in Koch County and 7 in Leer County while claiming the killing of more than 40 government troops.
Weirial said that government forces now control Leer after the withdrawal of the opposition forces but stressed that they had captured heavy weapons from the government.
For his part, the government’s military spokesman Philip Aguer confirmed in a press statement on Saturday that the rebels attacked their positions, acknowledging the loss of 14 soldiers and wounding of 42 others while claiming to kill 38 rebels.
The latest fighting comes in spite of a peace deal signed by Salva Kiir and Riek Machar in August.
Casie Copeland, an analyst for the International Crisis Group, said Friday that the new clashes represent a new push by the rebel SPLM/A-IO in Unity State, saying they are “re-supplying.” SPLM/A-IO lost territory in Leer and Koch counties during a government offensive earlier this year.
Photo by Jérôme Tubiana for Foreign Affairs: A child in Leer, 2014