The South Sudanese SPLA-IO faction says that it has withdrawn from Rubkona on the northern bank of the Bahr al-Ghazal River, after attempting to take both Rubkona and its twin city Bentiu since Wednesday.
In a written statement yesterday, SPLA-IO military spokesman Lul Ruai said that their forces yesterday afternoon “embarked on tactical withdrawal from Rubkona main military barracks.”
“However, we are still in firm control of Bentiu town,” he claimed, referring to the state capital on the southern bank of the river.
Earlier on Thursday the spokesman had reported clashes in Rubkona, claiming inflicting heavy casualties on opposing SPLA-Juba forces.
“Kiir’s tribal militias this afternoon launched unsuccessful counter attacks on our positions at Maan-Kuai north of Rupkoni (Rubkona) but were repulsed,” he said, before later admitting the withdrawal of their own forces.
For his part, the SPLA-Juba military spokesman Philip Aguer said that they are still in control of Bentiu after five hours of fighting within the town.
Aguer told Radio Tamazuj that they managed to defeat the rebels in Bentiu. He further said the government forces were touring the area to assess losses.
Aguer pointed out that the violation of cessation of hostilities agreement by the opposition faction shows that the rebel leader Riek Machar does want peace in South Sudan.
On Wednesday, however, the spokesman of South Sudanese SPLA-IO faction leader Riek Machar denied that Machar ordered forces in Unity State to attack Bentiu town in spite of reports that SPLA-IO troops entered Bentiu town on the same day.
File photo: The bridge over the Bahr al Ghazal River between Bentiu and its twin city Rubkona (Radio Tamazuj)