South Sudanese rebels loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar announced that they captured Nhialdiu area, about 15 kilometres away from Bentiu town in Unity State on Monday.

Wirial Pok Baluang, press secretary of the rebel-appointed governor of Lich (Unity) State, told Radio Tamazuj that the opposition fighters captured Nhialdiu area on Monday morning.

“We have captured the strategic town of Nhialdiu which is near Bentiu. The attackers have run to Bentiu now, we are in Nhiladiu as I speak, Lieutenant Colonel Lok Tang is in Nhialdiu with his forces now,” he said.

The rebel official accused Salva Kiir’s forces of having attacked their positions in the area.

For his part, SPLA spokesman Col. Philip Aguer confirmed that SPLM/A-In Opposition forces had captured Nhialdiu area. He accused the SPLA-IO rebels of violating the ceasefire agreement signed by the two warring parties.

“Yes, they have managed to capture part of Nhialdiu, but SPLA forces are still fighting for self-defense,” he said. “We know that there is an agreement on ceasefire, Nhialdiu is an area controlled by the SPLA, and the rebels know very well that they are violating the ceasefire agreement,” he added. 

Aguer yesterday pointed out that the rebel forces managed to take control of part of Nhialdiu area in an attack from 9:00 am until 10:00 am on Monday, claiming clashes were still continuing.

He denied claims that they attacked the rebel positions in Unity State. These accusations come after the IGAD Monitoring and Verification Team accused the SPLA-IO rebels of violating the ceasefire agreement and transitional security arrangements by seizing a UN barge and detaining several UN workers in Kaka area in Upper Nile State.

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