The army of southern Sudan has reported nearly daily attacks by militias
said to receive support from the regime of Sudanese President Omar Bashir. The
military said hundreds of people have been killed in the fighting, which
included a mutiny by a former commander of the Sudanese People's Liberation
Army.
On March 14, SPLA said at least 42 people were killed in the latest
battles in southern Sudan's Upper Nile state. The army said rebel militias
took hostage 130 children in an orphanage.
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"The [militia] attackers were trying to hide there," SPLA spokesman
Philip Aguer said. "The orphans and staff were later released unharmed."
Aguer and other SPLA officials have blamed the Khartoum regime for the
fighting. They said Bashir was hoping to foment a civil war in southern
Sudan that would block plans to secede in July.
In January, nearly 99 percent of voters supported a referendum on
secession of southern Sudan. Bashir has pledged to honor the vote.
Aguer said 40 militiamen were killed in the latest fighting. He said
SPLA has been driving out militia forces from several towns in Upper Nile.
Former SPLA commander George Athor has claimed responsibility for many
of the militia attacks. Athor, who lost in elections for governor in
southern Sudan in April 2010, said his militia had been ordered to seize
weapons from SPLA caches.
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