South Sudan rebels accuse state of fresh offensive

By Parach Mach

JUBA, South Sudan

South Sudanese rebels aligned to former Vice President Riek Machar on Friday accused government soldiers of breaking a ceasefire and of launching a new offensive in the town of Leer in the country’s northern state of Unity near the Sudanese border.

Opposition deputy military spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel described this week's alleged offensive on Leer, birthplace of rebel leader Machar, as "provocation and aggression”.

The town had been one of the few remaining rebel strongholds in the region.

Lam claimed their forces killed 53 government soldiers, injured 93 more and seized dozens of weapons. He also admitted that they lost five soldiers in the two-hour gunfight.

The warring parties signed a ceasefire in January 2014 a month after the eruption of hostilities and recommitted themselves again to stop the fighting and allow humanitarian assistance last May.

South Sudan army spokesman Brigadier Gen. Lul Ruai told Anadolu Agency government troops would not attack unless in self-defense.

South Sudan has been mired in conflict between the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels led by former Vice President Riek Machar since December 2013.

A shaky peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN threats of sanctions, arms embargos and asset freezes led to the formation of a coalition government last April, but this was shattered by renewed fighting which erupted in July in 2016.

The conflict has so far claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, displaced nearly four million from their homes, including over a million refugees who have fled to the neighboring countries, with Uganda alone hosting one million. Another 5.1 million are severely food insecure.

International and regional leaders have called for an end to the conflict in the East African nation but several truces have been broken by either side.