Juba, December 5, 2015 (SSNA) — Heavy fighting between South Sudan’s rival forces has broken out in Bahr el Ghazal State with both sides using heavy artilleries, rebel military command has announced.
Rebels said the government has attacked one of their positions located north of the state capital and accuses Salva Kiir’s government of refusal to implement the IGAD-Plus’s compromise peace agreement, adding that Juba is arming youths to carry out assaults on rebel outposts in and around Wau.
“Today [Saturday], government troop[s] launched an attack on our military cantonment area in western battle field of Wau in Western Bharel Gazal. The regime in juba with over 6000 weapons and ammunition are being dispatched to western town of Wau purposely to arm the local youth to carry out attacks on our cantonment areas as a way of distraction the implementation of peace process,” a statement released by the office of rebel military Spokesman reads in part.
The armed opposition also claims that government has carried out an air attack on its area and that the SPLA-IO has responded in ‘self-defense’.
Lou Nuer on ‘high alert’
The document released by the office of the Spokesperson for the armed opposition claims that South Sudanese government has a plan to attack Lou Nuer at any time with a goal of over running the Lou Nuer’s areas.
“South Sudan government is also on its way to carrying an overrun attack on Lou Nuer areas through Murle land,” the statement said.
The SPLA-IO says it is disturbing to see Juba intensifying its attacks on its positions when rebel leadership is trying to send an advance team to Juba to start the implementation of the IGAD-Plus’s compromise peace agreement.