An opposition faction that recently broke away from the South Sudanese rebel SPLM-IO and rejected the country’s new peace agreement has claimed responsibility for fighting earlier this week.
Earlier it was reported that government and rebel forces clashed at Tonga in western Upper Nile state Monday evening. A spokesman of SPLA-IO accused government troops of using barges to attack their positions.
He said the opposition fought in self defense and sunk some of the boats. Meanwhile, SPLA has not confirmed the loss of any military barges.
A spokesman for General Peter Gadet’s group, Col. Lony Thichiot Ngundeng, said that their forces attacked the barges commanded by Brig-Gen. Gabriel Tang Ginye, his second in command in Zeraf River, Brig. Gabriel Puok Ngunoak, Brig. Obach Jago, Brig. John Kuol Kher, and Col. James Nuoat Puot.
Lony said their attack was prompted by attacks carried out from the barges against innocent fishermen farther upstream: “They started random bombardment and shooting of innocent Nuer people in Panyijar County – Tangyaar and Adok including killing of all Nuer fishermen around the Nile shore.”
He explained, “Our forces launched defensive attack against government incursion in Nuer areas between Wathkech and Tonga, two barges on government side were destroyed…”
One steamer was also captured, he said, while other boats were lost in the wilderness and sank.
The rebel spokesman emphasized that Riek Machar has no control over the forces that launched these attacks and “has become part of the Juba-led government after signing the compromise peace agreement.”
Peter Gadet’s faction is now calling itself the “South Sudan Armed Forces (SSAF)”. Lony’s press release was issued on SSAF letterhead.
File photo: An aerial view over the Fangak area