Sudan: Dozens killed in SPLA clashes with armed civilians in Lakes state

By Manyang Mayom

February 22, 2010 (RUMBEK) - An official said that 30 people are confirmed dead and over 30 people were wounded in clashes between the Sudan People's Liberation Army soldiers and armed civilians in Cueibet County in Lakes State. Six or seven soldiers belonging to SPLA are also confirmed dead and seven other from the SPLA are injured.

But Lakes state deputy governor Lt-Col David Nok Marial said that a reliable source had told him that only 18 civilians are dead and about 30 people were reported to have sustained serious injuries. Many civilians have fled since confrontation started, with elderly people and women plus children suffering under the trees, he said. He called upon UN agencies to rush with humanitarian assistance to the victims.

Fighting erupted over the weekend in the western part of Lakes state in Cueibet county area when civilians tried to break into a gun store to regain weapons which were seized recently by state authorities after a cattle raid. Cattle raiding between the Cueibet community and Rek Dinka of Warrap State has been on-going since last Thursday.

SPLA official spokesperson Major General Kuol Deim Kuol said one of the army's captains was captured and killed in the wake of the fighting by angry armed civilians. The captain was traveling to home on leave with the dead body of his brother who had died in Juba. Also a first lieutenant was killed in the attack.

Since Sunday, senior officers of the SPLA started arriving to Cueibet in response to the violence, including Major General Akuei Adal Akuei who is in charge of the SPLA forces in Lakes state, Deputy Chief of SPLA General Staff Lt-Gen Oboto Mamuor, SPLA director of intelligence Major General John Lat Zechariah, as well as Lt-Gen Daniel Awet Akot, outgoing governor of the state.

Houses and shops are looted as well more houses were burnt down. Kuol Deim Kuol say that "In this very senior officers from SPLA general headquarters had also arrived Cueibet on Monday again, is quite.

The SPLA spokesman insisted that after a preliminary investigation it is clear that the two slain chiefs were not killed during the clashes between civilian population and SPLA, but had died half an hour before in crossfire between police and the civilian population.

The paramount chief Jok Dau Kachol was killed along with executive chief Aciek Malek Konybai and another person, and their dead bodies were burnt in a house by soldiers, said an eyewitness. Cueibet County Commissioner Kong Ngor blames pastoralists for attempting to break into the gun store.

Kuol affirmed that seven SPLA solders are confirmed dead including two officers while 21 were killed on the civilians' side and more then 30 people wounded.

Civilians reported that SPLA were using RPGs and some heavy guns. In reply, Kuol said that the force in Cueibet were a very small company and they were surrounded by civilians. The soldiers had to use maximum force to protect themselves.

Kuol said the situation is not friendly to SPLA on the ground in Cueibet and that the General Headquarters had to send its senior officers to see what happened. He did not mention when the SPLA soldiers would be withdrawn from Cueibet. He also added that the incident in Cueibet was unacceptable. "The law will take place and those who are responsible must to be brought to book," he said.

"We were shot at at 3 p.m. while settling civilian cases in the court by SPLA soldiers - we don't know what was going on by the way" said a victim in a hospital bed.

Transport between Lakes state and Western Bhar-El-Gazal has been stopped by Nationdit bus manager saying that the situation is unacceptable for passengers to travel. Passengers who were coming out from Juba heading to Western Bhar-El-Gazal are stationed in Rumbek at Nationdit bus station and they have run out of food to eat as well as those coming from Wau to Rumbek who are holding in Tonj fearing being harmed on the road.

(ST)