April 21, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — The latest report from James Gatdet Dak, the spokesperson to Dr. Riek Machar, the former vice president, has confirmed that the South Sudan’s anti-government forces have overran the town of Mayom. Mayom County is in the northwest of Unity State, bordering Warrap state. Mayom lies in the Block 4 oil concession to the south of the Kaikang oilfields.
Gatdet believes that the town was captured on April 21, and its fall would be significant to assert control in Unity state.
Control of Mayom is not only strategic to secure Unity state but also either Warrap or Upper Nile state. The fall of Mayom to rebels will raise panic in the states that have been relatively calm and reduce fighting in Upper Nile and Jonglei states.
The government uses Unity state as its strategic position to launch attacks on Malakal and other major towns in Upper Nile.
Unity state was the main reinforcement root for battalions from Warrap, Northen and Western Barh el Ghazal states for the last three months.
For the last one week, the rebels struggled to fully retake Unity state and Upper Nile state. With the current wars at the border towns of Renk and now Mayom, rebels would have much control of the two states.
Renk, which lies 35Â kilometers away from the Sudanese border, has reported attacks last week, however, it is not clear whether the government repulsed the attack as alleged.
Sources from the residents who fled the town to Sudan’s Kosti alleged that the town was captured by forces which defected the command of Stephen Buay Rolyang, the division commander, to the insurgents. However, other resources from the county commissioner alleges that the government is in control of the town.
The South Sudan’s anti-government forces reportedly aimed to capture all the oil fields by mid April and advance the war to Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria region in May, conditioned to if the peace talk continue to stalk.
Most parts of the oil rich Unity state, including Tharjiath oil fields, were “cleared from Salva Kiir’s forces” in the last seven days, however, the rebels are still battling the government forces in some parts of Upper Nile.
Warrap State Governor asks reinforcement;
The Greater Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria regions have constantly supplied troops to Bor and Malakal until Friday last week, however, Governor Nyandeang Malek of Warrap state, urges the government to reinforce her state as attack looms.
The four states of Greater Bahr el Ghazal have been relatively calm, except for sporadic inter-clans or tribal feuds from within Warrap and Lake states or from Mayom county, Unity state.
Such calmness strengthened the government’s confident to send most of the troops to other states, leaving major security loopholes in Bahr el Ghazal region.
Portions of the government troops sent to Bor, Bentiu and Malakal defected on their way or upon arrival.
Majority of the troops that remain at the headquarters , especially at division five in Western Barh el Ghazal, are allegedly dominated by a group suspected to defect if send to front-line and the newly trained loyal boys and girls, whom the division commander believes are only used for sport activities within his division. A division 5 commander, under the overall command of Maj. Gen. David Manyok Barac, reached by Nyamilepedia by phone confirms on Sunday.
