South Sudan opposition says Uganda has deployed Su-30s to Juba The rebel faction of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) has alleged that Uganda has deployed its Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighters to the South Sudanese capital, Juba. Between 10-19 November agents of our military counter-intelligence division on the ground had informed us of unusual military activities both in Kampala and Juba, a senior general of the SPLA-in Opposition told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) on 26 November. Then, on November 23, four Su-30MK2 fighter jets left Entebbe military airbase for Juba International Airport. Less than six hours after they landed on the far east of Jubas airport, two jets took off and headed to Bor [150 km to the north]. There, the same jets began their unusual journey to our territories, he added. When they left Bor, they headed to Malakal [370 km farther north]. Then, after we spotted them, they changed their flight route and headed to the direction of Unity State [to the west], and then they made a quick U-turn and headed back to Jonglei state. Uganda has already established a base at Juba International Airport to support its deployment of Mi-24 and Mi-17 helicopters to South Sudan. The opposition has previously accused Uganda of using its long-range Su-30s to carry out airstrikes against its forces, but the aircraft were seen taking off from their home base at Entebbe shortly before some of the strikes were reportedly carried out. President Yoweri Museveni announced in February that Ugandas air force would move its main base to Nakasongola, 150 km north of Entebbe, which would put the Su-30s in a better position to fly sorties over South Sudan. However, four of the countrys six Sukhois were still visible at Entebbe in Google Earth satellite imagery taken on 11 July. Meanwhile, South Sudan claimed that Sudanese military aircraft had violated its airspace by flying into Western Bahr el Ghazal state on 24 November. The two aircraft purportedly flew over Raja, which South Sudanese officials said was bombed by a Sudanese Antonov in early November. While the Sudanese Armed Forces denied the claims, there has been speculation that it is targeting members of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in the Raja area. Source: janes/article/46364/south-sudan-opposition-says-uganda-has-deployed-su-30s-to-juba
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 09:37:09 +0000
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