March 16, 2021(Nyamilepedia) — The Sudan People Liberation Movement In Opposition and South Sudan Defense forces are trading accusations over the recent fighting that erupted in Nassir County of Upper Nile State.
A local official and military officer on Monday said that tensions in the area remains high.
Khor Gatluak, the Executive Director for Nassir County, said on Monday that heavy fighting erupted in the Kedbek area near Nassir town on Monday morning but details remained scanty.
The Executive Director said that fighting first erupted on Sunday when an SSPDF junior officer at the rank of First Lieutenant was killed while traveling from Nassir town to Koat.
The deceased officer was in the company of another soldier who was disarmed by their assailants, according to Gatluak.
“The two soldiers left for Koat because there is peace now in the country. Residents of Koat were not involved in the incident, it was caused by other people who came from another area to take revenge,” the executive director said.
He said that the government and the SPLA-IO forces are trading accusations over the attacks in Kedbek near Nassir town adding that the details of the fighting are not clear.
“Details of the fighting remain unclear. We will update the public about the situation soon,” Gatluak added.
The SPLA-IO spokesperson, William Gatjiath Deng, said that government forces left their defensive positions in Nassir town and attacked their forces at Kedbek at 8 am on Monday.
“Our commander in the area informed me about the fighting and the details of the fighting are yet to be collected,” he said.
“The fighting first started on Sunday between government forces and armed civilians after the government forces left Nassir town and went to an area called Koat. The government forces burned down houses and the fighting continued between the government army and our soldiers,” he added.
The incident was confirmed by Gen. Santo Domic, the SSPDF deputy spokesman saying that a group of government soldiers who had gone fishing came under attack by the White Army near Nassir town on Sunday but pointed out that heavy fighting later stopped.
He denied reports that the government troops attacked SPLA-IO forces in Kedbek, saying both sides are working together to serve the same unity government.
Domic said the Joint Defense Board will address any misunderstanding between the two sides as the government works to unify the various armed forces.
