Rebels say captured gov’t commissioner, 25 soldiers in Bieh

[Elisabeth Janaina]

Rebels say captured gov’t commissioner, 25 soldiers in Bieh

About 25 government soldiers and a county commissioner have been
captured in Akobo area of South Sudan’s Bieh State, the rebels said on
Thursday.

John Daniel Bol, the rebel-pointed minister of information in Bieh
State, told Radio Tamazuj that the government-appointed commissioner
of Dengjok County, Tut Chany Riek who was leading 25 soldiers was
captured in Kobo on Wednesday.

He said the captives including the commissioner are still in the hands
of rebel fighters in Akobo, adding that they will be investigated
pending trial. He pointed out that the group left Waat and headed
toward Akobo where they were ambushed and captured.

Daniel claimed that the group was planning to cause instability in
Dengjok County in greater Akobo County.

Separately, the opposition official accused government troops of
launching offensives on areas around Waat town after 200 soldiers
allegedly defected to the opposition recently.

South Sudan descended into civil war in 2013, only two years after
independence, when Kiir removed his deputy, Riek Machar.

Machar is being held in South Africa to prevent him from going back to
his country. The decision was reportedly reached by IGAD countries in
order to keep him away in the hope of preventing fighting in the
world’s youngest nation.