Hundreds of defected SPLA take over west bank towns in Upper Nile WADAKONA (16 Jan.) About 180 SPLA soldiers defected yesterday in Wadakona in northern Upper Nile State after the earlier defection of 260 in Kaka, further weakening government control in the state just two days after the capital came under attack. Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Commissioner of Manyo County Al Tayib Ajak said that yesterday at around 3:00 p.m. soldiers loyal to Riek Machar defected from the government forces based in the area, prompting firefights with loyal troops. The commissioner said that the head of the SPLA in the county also defected with his tribesmen: “Yesterday about 180 SPLA forces defected from their base in Wadakona, the seat of Manyo County, causing the residents of the area to flee.” “We cannot tell how many people died since the fighting is taking place in the base outside town,” said the county commissioner, adding that all of the civilians fled the town in fear of their property being looted. Hostilities in the county involved only troops who had been stationed there, according to Ajak, not any opposition forces who arrived from outside. The commissioner himself has now fled the town to one of the outlying payams. Wadakona lies on the opposite bank of the Nile from South Sudan’s northernmost town Renk, which remains under government control. Mutineers have also taken over Ghabat and Kaka, to the south of Wadakona. In an earlier interview on Wednesday, the commissioner confirmed that about 260 SPLA soldiers in Kaka Payam shifted their loyalty Riek Machar. He said loyal troops were dispatched from Thorguang area in order to defeat the mutineers. “The government forces are now in the northern part of the area while the defectors are still in the other part,” he explained. The forces may have defected as early as 1 January. There are no clear indications as to the total number of displaced civilians in the county. About 1,000 residents have sought refuge in the neighbouring Abu Jubeiha Locality in South Kordofan State. Photo: Manyo County Commissioner returns from the state capital Malakal on 4 October 2013 (Radio Tamazuj
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 19:18:55 +0000
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