S Sudan army loses contact with troops in Malakal
Iran Press TV
Wed Feb 19, 2014 6:41PM GMT
The South Sudanese army says it has lost contact with its forces in the city of Malakal after rebel forces loyal to former vice president, Riek Machar, launched an offensive in the area.
Philip Aguer, a spokesman for the South Sudanese army, said on Wednesday that he had "no contact with the command" in the northeastern city of Malakal, located in the oil-rich Upper Nile State.
Meanwhile, the rebels say they have gained control of Malakal after fierce fighting erupted in the city on Tuesday.
However, Aguer said the oil wells in the area are under the army's control, stressing, "There is no fighting there."
According to reports, Malakal's airport was shut down on Tuesday evening and the rebel forces were inside the city.
"There was the sound of heavy shelling this morning and then sporadic shooting. It seems the opposition controls a part of the town and the airport, but the government soldiers are still fighting," said an aid source in Malakal.
The fighting between troops of South Sudan President Salva Kiir, who is from the Dinka ethnic group, and his former deputy, Machar, a Nuer, erupted around the capital, Juba, on December 15, 2013.
The conflict soon turned into an all-out war between the army and defectors, with the violence taking on an ethnic dimension that pitted the president's tribe against Machar's.
The violence continues in South Sudan despite a ceasefire signed on January 23 to end weeks of heavy fighting which led to the death of thousands of people in the world's youngest nation.
The international community has repeatedly urged both sides to respect the ceasefire.
MKA/AB
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