South Sudan Peace Talks Resume as Fighting Rages

JUBA — Peace talks for South Sudan resumed in Addis Ababa Monday as fresh fighting was reported around the country - including once-peaceful Western Bahr el Ghazal state - as the international community railed against alleged targeted ethnic killings.

The mediating Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) said negotiators for President Salva Kiir's government and the opposition arrived in the Ethiopian capital to resume talks after a three-week break. The opposition is led by former vice president Riek Machar.

IGAD said that its mediating team has held consultations with both sides during the recess to try to speed up the peace process and prevent a further escalation of the conflict.

As the Monday talks got under way, clashes were reported around South Sudan, including in oil-producing Unity and Upper Nile states, Jonglei and Western Bahr el Ghazal.  

Army officials say at least five soldiers were killed in an attack at a military training base in Mapel in Western Bahr el Ghazal. The officials said trainee soldiers were reported to be members of the Nuer ethnic group were attacked by family members of other soldiers at the base.

Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) spokesman Colonel Philip Aguer said it was unclear what prompted the Friday attack. He rejected opposition claims that more than 200 soldiers were "killed in cold blood" by the SPLA because of their ethnic background and "because the hometown of their commander, Major General Malual Majok, was liberated by our forces this week.”

Majok is from Duk County in Jonglei state, which has seen heavy fighting between government and opposition forces in recent weeks.

Aguer insisted the SPLA was not involved in the attack on the recruits.

A day after the attack, four SPLA brigadier generals and other officers based in the Western Bahr el Ghazal capital, Wau, left their posts. They are reported to have defected to the opposition.

Deputy Governor Zachariah Joseph Garang said the state government has lost touch with the officers.
 

Fighting in Unity, Upper Nile, Jonglei

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported  heavy fighting in Upper Nile state last week, especially in Renk county, which houses South Sudan's largest oilfield, while government and opposition officials said they have been doing battle for Mayom, in Unity state, and for areas in Duk County.

No one gave casualty figures for any of the fighting, but OCHA said more than 1.2 million people have been forced from their homes by the ongoing violence.

Nearly 80,000 people have sought refuge at eight U.N. bases around South Sudan, including some 700 civilians who fled to the U.N. base in the town after the killings at Mapel and the alleged defecions of the SPLA officers, saying they feared they would be targeted following the two incidents. 

Philip Aleu, Lucy Poni and Karin Zeitvogel contributed to this report.