October 27th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – Fierce fighting has erupted between government forces and an allied militia group in Southern Unity state killing five people including two civilians, sources familiar with the situation told the Nyamilepedia on Saturday.
The fighting, one source told the Nyamilepedia, was triggered after army commander Gen. Dor Manjur Gatluak decided to forcefully disarm a militia group allied to First Vice-President Taban Deng Gai after they refused to report to a cantonment area in Buot village, Mayendit county.
Members of the militia group wanted to be cantoned as a separate force because they were angered by the recent promotions made by the First Vice-President which they said had only rewarded Taban’s family.
“The fighting erupted today in Buot Village, Mayiandit County,” a source said from Leer.
“The fighting was between a militants recruited by General Dor Manjur last year, called Tahrir and the forces of Taban Deng there,” the source added.
“The cause of the fighting was that Gen. Dor Manjur want to collect these force aiming at taking them to the cantonment site. However these (Tahrir) militants reject to joint them as Taban Deng’s forces and then he tried to disarm them triggering the fighting.”
Another sources said around five people (three soldiers and two civilians) were killed and that the militia group remained as they defeated the government forces.
The SPLA-IO has distanced itself from the clashes saying: “Our forces aren’t part of the fighting.”
