South Sudanese government and opposition forces clashed yesterday evening and today in Melut in Upper Nile State near the oil-producing Paloich area. Some foreign and national oil workers have evacuated, according to a government source.
Reached by phone, the defected army commander Major General Johnson Olony claimed that his forces have taken control of Melut.
However, Upper Nile State Information Minister Peter Hoth Tuach said that fihgting was still continuing throughout the night and today in Melut and SPLA Division 1 had rushed reinforcements to the area. “We are getting reinforcements from all directions with full commitment and determination to defeat them. General Stephen Buay is reinforcing our forces in Melut with tanks and more forces,” he said, referring to SPLA’s 1st division commander.
The minister was speaking by phone from the oil town Paloich, located east of Melut. He also confirmed that some oil workers have evacuated from the area. “Some are evacuating – local and international oil workers. They are leaving Paloich,” he said this afternoon.
Some oil workers have remained behind, however, and the production has not been shut down, he claimed. “The production is still on, but we don’t know what will be happening tomorrow.”
For its part, the UN Mission in South Sudan today condemend “heavy fighing in the vicinity of its base in Melut.”
“Two mortar bombs landed within the UNMISS compound and the protection of civilians’ site yesterday evening, resulting in the deaths of 4 civilians,
including a woman and a child and severely injuring another 8 civilians who are currently receiving treatment for their wounds,” UNMISS stated in a press release.
Until the outbreak of the recent fighting, UNMISS had been protecting almost 1,000 civilians on its base in Melut. A further 270 displaced persons arrived yesterday on the UNMISS base while another 250 to 350 are currently staying in an area adjacent to the compound. More people fled toward Paloich, however. According to the state information minister, he saw about 4,000 to 5,000 people who had fled Melut in bad condition.
“There is massive displacement of civilans especially women and children. They are walking on foot to Paloich,” he said, stressing that people are living in the open in Paloich and they are thirsty and hungry.
Meanwhile, another government source today said that the rebel forces were controlling Melut town, but were not controlling the oil fields at Paloich. Sources also reported fighting in Kaka between rebels and government today, without providing details.
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