South Sudan minister describes killings in Fangak as a "massacre”

By Ngor Arol Garang

February 11,2011 (KHARTOUM) - James Kok Ruea, a minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management at the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) on Friday described the deaths caused by clashes between rebels and the South Sudan army in Fangak county of Jonglei state as "a massacre."

The minister made the comments in an interview with Sudan Tribune two days after armed groups identified as loyal to General George Athor Deng and forces belonging to the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA), the southern army, clashed on Wednesday and Thursday.

Around 105 people are thought to have died in the clashes.

Both Athor and the SPLA denied launching the attack. Neither has accepted responsibility for initiating the fighting and have blamed each other for the clashes. Athor’s spokesman in an interview with Sudan Tribune on both Wednesday and Thursday accused the SPLA of initiating attack against their forces in three different locations in the area and said they were acting in self defend.

The SPLA denied the charge and accused Athor’s forces of launching the first attack and laying several landmines. He said that SPLA forces had activated the mines resulting in the destruction of vehicles and causing casualties.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune from the area on Friday, James Kok Ruea, minister of Humanitarian Affairs and disaster management in the government of South Sudan described the killing as "a massacre."

"I am now talking to you from my area, our people have been massacred by George Athor because they are supporters of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the leadership of the government of South Sudan. They have been uprooted from their homes and many of them mostly innocent civilians, especially women and children have lost their lives", said minister Kok in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Friday.

The minister said Athor had captured Fangak on 9 February but the SPLA took it back on 10 February, after what he described as fierce fighting resulting in the loss of many lives. He declined to give figures saying the dead were still being buried but said that “many lives some of whom were innocent civilians mostly children and women in the cross fire".

Phillip Aguer, spokesman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, in a separate interview confirmed 105 people were killed. Reports from the area indicate that 105 people from both sides have killed: 39 civilians, 24 police and 42 from Athor’s men.

Kok, who hails from the area, said Fangak was home to roughly 200,000 people who have now been displaced to neighboring communities.

(ST)