Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Fierce fighting erupted on Monday between South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) forces led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny resulting in the killing of several civilians and service members, several fleeing residents and SPLA-IO sources have just told Sudans Post.
The fighting, one eye witness said, begun a few kilometers away from Tambura town in a village housing SPLA-IO forces, but the frontline deteriorated into the town in the afternoon after forces of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces led by former SPLA-IO commander General James Nando were allegedly outnumbered by the SPLA-IO forces who were being accommodated in the village.
“In the morning (Monday) at around 6:00 AM, there has been fighting in Namatina which is the base of the SPLA-IO. The known forces in that place are SPLA-IO rebels and the fighting started there since the morning but in the afternoon, the fighting reached Tambura town and several civilians have been killed and others are being treated here because of wounds,” the eyewitness who said he works for a local medical charity said.
The eyewitness further said they haven’t been able to provide medical assistance to most people he said are still inside the town because they couldn’t go to collect the wounded in the town given their fear for their safety and said it was not yet clear who has attacked who, but have seen SSPDF forces moving into the town from neighboring areas.
“Now, we are unable to provide medical assistance to many people who are said to be wounded and are inside the town. We cannot go into the town because we are not safe there. Currently the situation is not even clear as to who is in control of the security situation because gunshots as of this night are still there,” the eyewitness added.
A senior SPLA-IO officer who requested not to be named told Sudans Post that the fighting started when forces of General James Nando when to evict SPLA-IO forces at Namatina telling them that they don’t have any permission from Juba for them to stay there after the presidency resolved for them to relocate to the area.
“On Saturday, they called us and told us to leave the area because of the directives given by the principals in Juba that we should relocate from here and we were also preparing, but you know when you are moving, there are a lot of preparations for you to do when relocating to another place,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.
“But to our surprise, they came to tell us that we should relocate by force and this is the reason why the fighting started. It started here at 6:00AM and the fighting subsidized during the morning hours also, but they were still coming, every time the fighting stop, they return and we decided to pursue them to the town, but we have moved away from the town and returned to our base currently,” the officer added.
Separately, General James Nando denied any wrongdoing and said opposition forces of the SPLA-IO attacked Tambura town without being provoked and said SPLA-IO forces in Western Bahr el Ghazal state have sent a reinforcement to come and attack Tambura town on orders of senior SPLA-IO officers.
“The IO forces came and attacked me and I was surprised to see the Ambororo forces that are allied to the SPLM-IO. This alliance was formed when I was still the leader of the IO forces, they are the same as the Seleka. The situation is still tense in Tambura, you can still hear gunshots,” General Nando said, according to Radio Tamazuj.
“The division commander of SPLM-IO in Wau is the one sending those people. Even now as I am taking those people are still coming so that this fighting can continue,” he added.
