Volatile situation ... United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNAMIS) personnel guard South Sudanese people displaced by recent fighting in Jabel, on the outskirts of capital Juba. Photo: Reuters
Juba: Rebels in South Sudan have seized some oil wells and may damage them, the petroleum ministry said, as African leaders met President Salva Kiir to try to mediate an end to nearly two weeks of fighting in the world's newest state.
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn spoke with Mr Kiir in the capital Juba amid fears that violence in South Sudan could mount and plunge the country into an ethnic-based civil war.
"The meeting with the president (Kiir)...was very constructive and very candid," Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom told reporters.
It was not clear whether the delegation also met the rebel leader, former vice president Riek Machar.
Advertisement
The violence which erupted in the capital Juba on December 15 has quickly spread to oil producing regions and beyond, dividing the landlocked country of 10.8 million along ethnic lines of the Nuer - Mr Machar's people - and the Dinka to whom Mr Kiir belongs.
Petroleum Minister Stephen Dhieu Dau said rebels loyal to Mr Machar, who was sacked by Mr Kiir in July, have captured oil wells in Unity state, where production was shut down earlier this week due to fighting.
"Some oil wells are in the hands of rebel soldiers loyal to former vice president Riek Machar and we fear they may cause damage to the facilities and the environment," Mr Dau told Reuters.
Rebels and government troops also clashed in the capital of the major oil producing state, Upper Nile, for the third day in a row, army spokesman Philip Aguer said.
"They control half of the (Malakal) town and government troops control the other half. They will be defeated soon," Mr Aguer said by telephone. The United Nations said fighting was taking place in half of South Sudan's 10 states.
Mr Dau said oil output, which fell by nearly a fifth to 200,000 barrels per day when Unity state oil fields shut down, has not been affected by clashes in Malakal. Most of South Sudan's oil is pumped in the Upper Nile region.
The United Nations said on Thursday about 58,000 civilians have sought refuge in its compounds across South Sudan, a country which gained independence from Sudan in 2011.
The UN said it hoped within the next 48 hours to begin receiving critical reinforcements of military hardware and personnel for its overstretched peacekeeping mission.
China, which has significant oil interests in South Sudan, said on Thursday it would send its special envoy for Africa to help bring about talks between Mr Kiir and Mr Machar.
"China is highly concerned about the evolving situation in South Sudan," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.
Western powers and east African states, keen to prevent more chaos in a fragile region, have not been able to get Mr Kiir to meet Mr Machar, who told Reuters on Monday he was "in the bush".
Reuters
Source http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/south-sudan-rebels-seize-oil-wells-20131227-hv6xy.html
Newer articles:
- South Sudan government agrees to end hostilities after deadly violence - 27/12/2013 08:28
- south_sudan_army_trucks-reuters.JPG - 27/12/2013 07:51
- South Sudan: Regional Leaders Mediate in Juba - 27/12/2013 04:29
- South Sudan Embassy in Washington says Juba is ready for negotiations - 27/12/2013 03:51
- South Sudan rebels seize oil wells, mediators urge talks - 26/12/2013 20:52
Older news items
- South Sudan rebels seize oil wells as mediators seek talks - 26/12/2013 19:04
- South Sudan Rebels Say Ready for Talks to End Unrest - 26/12/2013 18:51
- South Sudan Talks Called Productive But Violence Persists - 26/12/2013 17:36
- South Sudan violence continues as talks start - 26/12/2013 17:09
- South Sudan: South Sudan's Independence Was Ill-Prepared - 26/12/2013 16:13
Latest news items (all categories):
- Hope for Christmas gift as South Sudan talks return to Nairobi - 05/12/2024 10:26
- Chinese medical team brings relief to South Sudan patients - 05/12/2024 10:18
- Sudanese bishop speaks about being brutalized by soldiers - 05/12/2024 10:08
- President Biden: Absent Principles - No Honoring Words - Broken Promises - 05/12/2024 09:55
- South Sudan’s ‘Game Of Thrones’ Continues – Analysis - 01/12/2024 17:47
Random articles (all categories):
- Egypt's Maait: All support to our brothers in South Sudan to attain development goals - 08/11/2023 07:42
- The UK has a key role to play in fighting for peace in Sudan - 10/11/2023 03:38
- As South Sudan's civil war rages, cholera takes deadly toll - 29/06/2017 11:20
- UN bases shelter a record 95,000 in S. Sudan - 19/06/2014 23:06
- Ethiopia's EPHARM to Begin Exporting Pharmaceuticals to Somaliland, South Sudan - 26/08/2020 11:04
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 58611 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22220 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 21368 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 18900 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 18041 times