South Sudan government forces and rebel troops clashed near the town of Nasser in Latjore State on Monday morning as the two sides engage in peace talks in Addis Ababa to end the ongoing civil war in the world’s youngest nation.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj this morning, rebel spokesman William Gatjiath Deng accused the government on Monday of violating the ceasefire agreed in December last year. He pointed out that the government forces attacked their positions at Nyatot and Torpuot areas this morning.
Gatjiath pointed out that the attackers were repulsed around 10 pm.” We are giving the government forces a hot pursuit now,” he said.
The rebel spokesman said three soldiers were killed and four others were wounded from their side.
SPLA spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said fighting occurred in the town of Nasser. He accused the rebels of abducting one government soldiers in the town of Nasser on Sunday.
“The fighting was inside the town. It is the rebels who attacked us in the town of Nasser this morning,” he said.
But the government-appointed minister of information in Latjor State Peter Hoth Tuach confirmed that clashes erupted between the two rival forces in the state this morning.
He pointed out that the fighting was in Nyitot area, and not within the town of Nasser. “The fighting was not inside the town of Nasser, it was outside Nasser,” he said.
The government official claimed the fighting erupted after government soldiers had been kidnaped by the rebels on Sunday.
South Sudanese opposition groups at the ongoing peace talks in Addis Ababa Monday morning walked out of the talks with the government delegation in protest. They said the government attacked SPLA-IO defensive positions near the town of Nasser today morning.