The
South Sudan’s government said on Sunday that rebels had seized the
capital of a key oil-producing region and fears grew of all-out ethnic
civil war in the world’s newest country.
The UN announced that it was trying to rush more peacekeeping forces to landlocked, impoverished South Sudan, as foreign powers urged both sides to stop fighting, fearing for the stability of an already fragile region of Africa.
The South Sudan government said that it was no longer in control of Bentiu, the capital of Unity State.
“Bentiu is not currently in our hands. It is in the hands of a commander who has declared support for Machar,” it said.
Information Minister Michael Makuei said on Saturday that an army divisional commander in Unity State, John Koang, had defected and joined rebel leader and former Vice-President Riek Machar, who had named him the governor of the state.
But the government in Juba said that it was still in control of the oilfields that were crucial to the economy.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told a news conference in Manila that the UN planned to send resources from other peacekeeping missions in the region to South Sudan.
“We are now actively trying to transfer our assets from other peacekeeping missions like MONUSCO (in the Democratic Republic of Congo) and some other areas,” he said.
“And we are also seeking support from other key countries which can provide the necessary assets.”
Clashes between rival groups of soldiers in the capital Juba a week ago have spread across the country, which won its independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of war.
President Salva Kiir, who is from South Sudan’s Dinka ethnic group, has accused Machar, a Nuer, who he dismissed in July, of trying to launch a coup.
The two men have long been political rivals.
Machar dismissed the charge but has since said that he was commanding troops fighting the government.
Government soldiers had come across Machar with a group of fighters in Bor, Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said without giving details.
“Riek managed to escape, used his boat along the Nile and ended up in his village of Ado and went into Bentiu (the administrative capital of Unity) the night before he attacked government institutions,’’ Benjamin added.
On Friday, mediators from other African states met President Kiir in Juba for what they called “productive” talks.
His government said that it was willing to hold talks with any rebel group.
Kenya’s Lt.-Gen. Lazarus Sumbeiywo said on Sunday that mediators had not yet made contact with Machar to hear his side of the story.
“I don’t think it is feasible at the moment under the circumstances and so, we will find another way of getting to Riek Machar; not through Juba,” Sumbeiywo said.
The army acknowledged losing Bor in the northern Jonglei State on Wednesday and the UN said that oil workers had taken refuge in its bases in neighbouring Unity.
Speaking in Khartoum, South Sudan’s Ambassador Mayen Dut Wol also said that oil was flowing normally.
South Sudan’s output of 245,000 barrels per day supplies almost all the government’s revenues and foreign exchange to procure food and other vital imports.
The UN says hundreds of people have been killed in the conflict and around 62,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in five of South Sudan’s 10 states.
Around 42,000 of them were seeking refuge at UN bases, it added.
“Looting of humanitarian compounds has been reported in Jonglei (Akobo and Bor) and Unity. Several UN and NGO compounds in Bor town have reportedly been completely looted, including vehicles stolen,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a report.
A spokesman for UN peacekeepers said that they were bringing in more aircraft from their logistics base in Entebbe, Uganda, to South Sudan.
A diplomatic source at the UN in New York said that elements of the UN intervention brigade in eastern Congo could help out in South Sudan, but would only reinforce security at UN bases and not try to confront armed groups.
The source said the UN had asked countries to help it get real-time satellite images of South Sudan and there was a possibility of using unmanned surveillance drones, currently deployed in eastern Congo, but that would take some time.
The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan said on Sunday it was relocating non-essential staff and planned to reinforce its military presence in Bor and Pariang to protect civilians.
The spokesman said that about 100 civilian workers of the South Sudan peacekeeping mission were relocated on Sunday, while 60 staff from other UN agencies left on Saturday.
Three U.S. aircraft came under fire from unidentified forces on Saturday while trying to evacuate Americans from the conflict. The U.S. military said that four of its members were wounded in the attacks.
A U.S. defence official said that the U.S. military was looking at other options to evacuate the remaining Americans from Bor.
The UN mission in South Sudan said one of four UN helicopters sent to Youai, in Jonglei state, had come under small-arms fire on Friday.
However, No crew or passengers were harmed, it added.
The UN announced that it was trying to rush more peacekeeping forces to landlocked, impoverished South Sudan, as foreign powers urged both sides to stop fighting, fearing for the stability of an already fragile region of Africa.
The South Sudan government said that it was no longer in control of Bentiu, the capital of Unity State.
“Bentiu is not currently in our hands. It is in the hands of a commander who has declared support for Machar,” it said.
Information Minister Michael Makuei said on Saturday that an army divisional commander in Unity State, John Koang, had defected and joined rebel leader and former Vice-President Riek Machar, who had named him the governor of the state.
But the government in Juba said that it was still in control of the oilfields that were crucial to the economy.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told a news conference in Manila that the UN planned to send resources from other peacekeeping missions in the region to South Sudan.
“We are now actively trying to transfer our assets from other peacekeeping missions like MONUSCO (in the Democratic Republic of Congo) and some other areas,” he said.
“And we are also seeking support from other key countries which can provide the necessary assets.”
Clashes between rival groups of soldiers in the capital Juba a week ago have spread across the country, which won its independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of war.
President Salva Kiir, who is from South Sudan’s Dinka ethnic group, has accused Machar, a Nuer, who he dismissed in July, of trying to launch a coup.
The two men have long been political rivals.
Machar dismissed the charge but has since said that he was commanding troops fighting the government.
Government soldiers had come across Machar with a group of fighters in Bor, Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said without giving details.
“Riek managed to escape, used his boat along the Nile and ended up in his village of Ado and went into Bentiu (the administrative capital of Unity) the night before he attacked government institutions,’’ Benjamin added.
On Friday, mediators from other African states met President Kiir in Juba for what they called “productive” talks.
His government said that it was willing to hold talks with any rebel group.
Kenya’s Lt.-Gen. Lazarus Sumbeiywo said on Sunday that mediators had not yet made contact with Machar to hear his side of the story.
“I don’t think it is feasible at the moment under the circumstances and so, we will find another way of getting to Riek Machar; not through Juba,” Sumbeiywo said.
The army acknowledged losing Bor in the northern Jonglei State on Wednesday and the UN said that oil workers had taken refuge in its bases in neighbouring Unity.
Speaking in Khartoum, South Sudan’s Ambassador Mayen Dut Wol also said that oil was flowing normally.
South Sudan’s output of 245,000 barrels per day supplies almost all the government’s revenues and foreign exchange to procure food and other vital imports.
The UN says hundreds of people have been killed in the conflict and around 62,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in five of South Sudan’s 10 states.
Around 42,000 of them were seeking refuge at UN bases, it added.
“Looting of humanitarian compounds has been reported in Jonglei (Akobo and Bor) and Unity. Several UN and NGO compounds in Bor town have reportedly been completely looted, including vehicles stolen,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a report.
A spokesman for UN peacekeepers said that they were bringing in more aircraft from their logistics base in Entebbe, Uganda, to South Sudan.
A diplomatic source at the UN in New York said that elements of the UN intervention brigade in eastern Congo could help out in South Sudan, but would only reinforce security at UN bases and not try to confront armed groups.
The source said the UN had asked countries to help it get real-time satellite images of South Sudan and there was a possibility of using unmanned surveillance drones, currently deployed in eastern Congo, but that would take some time.
The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan said on Sunday it was relocating non-essential staff and planned to reinforce its military presence in Bor and Pariang to protect civilians.
The spokesman said that about 100 civilian workers of the South Sudan peacekeeping mission were relocated on Sunday, while 60 staff from other UN agencies left on Saturday.
Three U.S. aircraft came under fire from unidentified forces on Saturday while trying to evacuate Americans from the conflict. The U.S. military said that four of its members were wounded in the attacks.
A U.S. defence official said that the U.S. military was looking at other options to evacuate the remaining Americans from Bor.
The UN mission in South Sudan said one of four UN helicopters sent to Youai, in Jonglei state, had come under small-arms fire on Friday.
However, No crew or passengers were harmed, it added.
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