Pagak, 12, 2017 (SSNA) — South Sudanese rebel forces have taken full control of the strategic town of Pagak Saturday evening after hours of intense fighting between government and SPLA-IO forces, a rebel Spokesman has declared.
SPLA-IO’s Spokesman Brig. General William Gatjiath Deng said a 6,000 strong forces mobilized by Juba to displaced civilians, protect Palouch oil fields, and lure dubious businesses to invest in oil were defeated.
“The SPLM-SPLA (IO) wishes to inform the people of South Sudan and indeed its members and supporters that the Juba regime aggression in Maiwut and Pagak have failed and that Thiajak, Mathiang, Malual Gahoth/Malou, Pamach, Thochdeng, Jotome, Kigile, Jekou and certainly Maiwut and Pagak, among others, are under our full and complete control,” Gatjiath said in a statement obtained by the South Sudan News Agency.
Brig. Gen. Gatjiath said Juba has lost all weapons and ammunition they recently brought to Pagak by a chartered plane and that the SPLA-IO also captured a lot of weapons in Maiwut fighting.
Rebels said all government troops were defeated to Ethiopia territories
Major General James Ochan Puot, who commands forces fighting against government troops said the main bridge, which connects Pagak and Ethiopia is now reopened after they defeated government forces and calls on civilians who flee their homes to return.
“Pagak is now fully under the SPLA-IO. The forces of the genocidal regime have been eliminated and defeated,” he declared in front of thousands of cheering soldiers Saturday evening in Pagak.
Yie Tang, an officer within SPLA-IO 5th Division also said their forces have cleared out government soldiers from Pagak and that the armed opposition has inflicted heavy losses on government forces.
“Government forces no longer exist here in Pagak town. Pagak is now fully controlled by the SPLA-IO and we completely destroyed them Saturday evening. We have smoked them out where they hid at Gizera and other areas,” Yie told the South Sudan News Agency at Jekow river bridge’s Pagak side.
Yie stated that government troops were defeated Saturday and were pursued in two directions. He explained that some soldiers ran towards Yom Thombuoth of Lare and that another group he described as “confused,” attempted to station around the SPLM/A-IO’s customs building, but were quickly attacked and chased to Ethiopia’s side.
“One group ran towards Yom Thombuoth of Lare, which means they went to Ethiopia territory. Other soldiers who appeared to be people who don’t know the area were the ones who tried to settle around our customs administrative building,” he said.
“We killed a lot of them and we also took their tanks, weapons, and ammunition. Some of those guys who escaped death from Pagak are now randomly showing up at people houses in Lare,” he explained.
The South Sudan News Agency has learned that Brigadier Generals Mun Gach Thoch and Lual Dak Gatkek who hail from Pagak were recruited by Taban and quickly given ranks to help the government in Pagak operation.
Mun and Lual were verbally abused by angry Ethiopian Nuer who recognized them at a meeting they held early this week with representatives of Ethiopian armed forces.
The armed opposition said its troops attacked government forces after they refused to surrender peacefully.
The intelligence unit of the SPLA-IO 5th Division Command said it is aware of alleged allegations that South Sudan’s government agents bribed some officials of Gambella regional government to help coordinate the rescue of their forces.
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This “Cat and Mouse” scenario will continue for several years to come as long as the “Troika , AU,IGAD,Uganda in particular” keep, Dr. Machar in detention in South Africa.
You can not Re-Vitalise ARCSS agreement using one principle signatories while the rest are kept out ! Follow Germany “Common Sense” for God’s sake.
As long as Salva Kiir remains a hostage of the Chinese,Kenyans and Ugandans,South Sudan will never know peace!
I said, no peace in South Sudan while the devil still on the throne, Kiir must go, he wants it or not.
Riek Machar has left Juba already what make him go? Tell your rebels to quitting fighting on seeking to returned Riek Machar.
Silva Kir should renounce violence and apologize to Reik Marchar. Marchar is a peaceful man and sincerely loves South Sudan.
Riek Machar is not the presiden of South Sudan . Kiir is democratic president.
A democratic president must be prepared to accommodate opposition in order to have a free and fair elections. And willing to work with the international community and the opposition to have a constitution that will give a mandate on how elected leaders should govern the country.
However, Kir is the opposite. He hates opposition and is unwilling to open up to a better road map that will put South Sudan on a better path for prosperity.
That’s stupid, South has no president! Not until we get one.
There had never been a peace agreement where only one signatory to the peace deal intentionally and violently disowned the peace agreement and claimed to implement the peace deal with the support of the confused business regional countries, AU and Troika stake holders. I had never seen the world of current leaders with no heart and humanity towards untold suffering of the massive innocent civilians population in the Country. God have mercy on your innocents people.
Africans we a our own misfortune,, we kill our selves,,everyone can not be a leader,,some have to lease others,,time will come and also others lead,,I Dont believe in killings and fightings
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Genuine peace in this South Sudan conflict can be realized through a signed peace agreement between Reik Marchar and Silva Kir. The conflict started wirh these two persons and can be resolved by both of them.
And any peace without either of them is nonsense. Taban Gai peace initiative is a fake and can’t work in South Sudan.
He is not Marchar.
Hahahahahaaaaaah!!!, did you read my comments, when I stated that; “the suicide mission of no return by the regime. Let them taste the lesson they will never forget.
SPLA/IO was not an Uganda LRA army. Slava Kiir and his brother Musaveni will wetness the really tribalism civil war. SPLA_IO still win at the end and Uganda will paid it back.
Huuuuuum…….. Forget forget if you think Uganda is like s. Sudan regime you are battling with,better think twice otherwise you will risk your country to be ruled by foreigner. I think Ugandan is hospitable country that host most of the Sudanese Refugees despite the fact that most of our people lost their lives in innocently but we are here showing heart forgiveness and reconciliation so please don’t provoke Ugandans let us remain bro and sisters otherwise if you temper we shall teach you guys a lesson which will last all generations
The doing well b,cuz they killed Dr. Garang He knows Garang is capabilities!, common man let set the record straight, Uganda is nothing close to S Sudan no comparison!!
When you don’t know the roots of the problem, you can never know the roots of it’s solution. UN, IGAD, AU, TROIKA others sacrificed the South Sudanese people to bear this brand of killings.
How can someone who is not part of that ares accept to go in an area where he/she doesn’t know it very well particular in bor, upper Nile and other places to fight there? Please please if you love money more than your life your area free to go butone thing you should remember is that, you are ready to miss of out your lives and your parents and your relatives as well bse of money. A blind person can’t take a blind person.
To release total peace in south Sudan in order to serve the life of innocent men, women and children’s of our south Sudanese let the so called international and regional bodies put a side the interests of conflict over south Sudan issues and stop bloody businesses. If it is to be true that subsideing Machar out of the country is solution where is the out come? If the interest was to protect civilians since most of them are in exile what is the reason for constant diployment of foreign forces? Please don’t loot our resources some of the East African country were well known for that business across the region following DRC,Somalia & South Sudan in previous time. If it is true we have UN peace keeper not War keeper let the strome end there were worst war than of south Sudan which were ended by UN why south Sudan issues has defeated you it is time for action NOW let us leave a side conflicts of interest and serve the livea
The problem for South Sudan is like this.
AU and the cancer IGAD they are not helping.the people of south Sudan.USA
Has right to take that country out from the devils hands who call themselves jange council.
The trick against Salva Kirr has worked successfully! Taban Geng Gai is an enemy (IO) within the ranks of Kirr’s army the SSDF. He is creating a Nuer kingdom within the establihment of the Dinka supremacy. The wise saying is that “if you cannot defeat your enemy, join your enemy!” Taban has ‘joined’ the Juba regime just to fail it and he finally takes. The warning to Kirr is that Taban is a worse enemy than Riak Machar. Don’t later say I have not warned you.
Kiir Muderdit will soon surrender
I see nothing coming out , either u support Kiir or Machar for your interest not South Sudanese interest then no peace . To me as an individual I believed that AU,UNMISS, IGAD countries will not lead us to be in peace so that we develop because they are benefiting from us
The only solution to south Sudan is to allow machar back to south Sudan and starts negotiate the peace.
The rubbish gov’t of Nyankiir Mayardit and the Thief Falata Hassen Taban had failed. All their remnants on the run.
That is how war about , take it and get defeated.
Bro. The SPLA has have harvested their journey from the rebel. Don’t follow something in the bush. The agreement would have brought peace , SPLA refused. Salva Kiir don’t let East African spoils your leadership. You fought to liberate your people from the Khartoum government but not to divided them. Don’t let thus useless Museveni missed you. Look at Uganda. There is no fighting, no gun sound and buses move at any time at knight. Built for us peace. We can even make you to stay on power. Don’t separate us we r all south Sudanese.
Won is won and defeat is defeat, I would like to say let learn the civil war, that would be opportunity for those who are illiterate at that time and will lead us to peace forever “time has come and not come!”
both of you are beating bushes ,because Kiir and machar are not the leaders that we want. heal to them
There will never be peace as long as the vested interest of kenya, uganda,ethiopia and sudan does not come to an end. Woo unto john kerry who ganged up with AU and IGAD to have machar jailed in south africa, of all the places. acountry that should know better in resolving political conflicts.
Prayer is only thing I should do for South Sudan. Even if thing are not going well, still God has a plan for South Sudan.
both kiir and machar should grow up for Christ sake! do you understand how many children you are making stateless?
[…] Spokesman Brig. General William Gatjiath said that they captured Pagak Saturday evening and warned that the armed opposition is fully prepared to destroy government […]