By Waakhe Wudu and Luk Riek
JUBA, 17th April 2012 [Gurtong]
Authorities have reported that SAF last Sunday re-bombed Bentiu and Mayom counties where 10 civilians were killed after releasing two bombs in Mayom and eight in Bentiu.
“Yesterday (Sunday) they launched another bombardment here. Two bombs fell inside the UNMISS Camp in Mayom and destroyed a generator and a radio equipment” Mr Gideon Gatpan Thor, the Unity State government spokesman told Gurtong.
The UNMISS spokesperson confirmed to Gurtong that their Unity State office was bombarded. “There were two bombs struck…there are no causalities,” Kouider Zerrouk, the UNMISS spokesperson said.
“In Mayom County where they bombed at 7:20 pm, seven civilians including a Ugandan woman were killed and 14 wounded,” Gatpan said.
He explained that, bombs released on Bentiu fell in villages around the capital where three people were killed including a 7 month pregnant woman and eight people were wounded.
However, the Sudanese Information Minister, Ali Massar who was quoted by AFP last Sunday denied the bombings.
This is the latest and worst aerial bombardment launched by the Khartoum on South Sudan since the fight started last month.
Dr. Barnaba Marial, the national government spokesman has condemned the bombardments and called for the intervention of the international community to end the fight.
Despite panic and tension in the border areas with Sudan, Marial said the country is calm today as it has not experienced bombardment.
Speaking through Bentiu Radio, the Governor of Unity State Taban Deng Gai has urged the State citizens to remain calm despite SAF’s aggression in South Sudan’s territory.
Deng also urged all the marginalized people of Misseriya, Darfur, Nubian, Blue Nile and other marginalized people of Sudan to fight for their rights.
Deng has also publicly announced to the Misseriya tribes who spend most of their life in South Sudan in search of greener pastures to stay away from the SAF’s aggression and assured them that South Sudan government would deploy a police unit to take care of their livestock in order to continue with their normal life in South Sudan.
According to the Governor, Khartoum has lately been accused of carrying out massive air bombardments in Bentiu and destroying oil facilities in Heglig. However, authorities in Sudan have denied that their jets bombed the said areas.
Unity State’s caretaker Minister of Security Affairs Michael Chiangjiek Geay advised civilians to avoid the bombed areas and not to involve themselves in the political crisis.
South Sudan’s Vice president Dr. Riek Machar Teny who is currently in Unity state capital of Bentiu condemned the recent attack and accused elements in the northern army on the ground over advancing to the oil rich town of Heglig.
Machar told the BBC that the SAF are in latest attempt to retake the oil rich town of Heglig despite the presence of the SPLA forces on the ground.