TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                      PAGE

 

 

1.0.      BRIEF BACKGROUND OF WESTERN UPPER NILE REGION ................      2

          

           

2.0.      RECENT RESUMPTION OF FIGHTING IN WESTERN UPPER NILE REGION   ................................................................................................     3

 

 

3.0.      WHY DID COMMANDER GATDEAT DECIDED TO ATTACK THE GOVERNMENT GARRISONS WHICH ARE GUARDING THE OIL

            FIELDS?........................................................................................................     3    

 

 

4.0.      CASUALITIES IN THE ON GOING FIGHTING IN WESTERN UPPER NILE         REGION ........................................................................................................     4

 

 

5.0.      HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF THE CURRENT FIGHTING ON CIVIL   

           POPULATION IN WESTERN UPPER NILE ................................................     4

 

 

6.0.      WHO IS DOING THE FIGHTING AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF

           SUDAN IN WESTERN UPPER NILE REGION ...........................................     4

 

 

7.0.      WHY DOES THE OTHER SOUTHERN SUDANESE REBEL GROUPS FIGHT ALONG SIDE THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN ARMED FORCES.. ........... 5

 

 

8.0.      HUMANITARIAN APPEAL AND CONCLUSION......................................     5 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.0.      Brief  Background of Western Upper Nile Region

 

Geographically,  Western Upper Nile falls within the great Upper Nile region and occupies the West bank of the Nile river, it is  inhabited by two different  ethnic groups who are mainly the Nuer's and Dinka's people's of Southern Sudan. The population of Western Upper Nile region is estimated to be over 1.2 million persons.

 

Western Upper Nile region is one of the most richest part of Southern Sudan in Oil production and other un-utilized mineral resources, for which the Oil exploitation in Western Upper Nile by the government of Sudan is one of the major factors of the conflict  in the Sudan.

 

Western Upper Nile region,  with its related vast resources has been among other regions in Southern Sudan which is mostly torn apart by a dreadful and devastating conflicts between North and South Sudan, moreover, the war is also being complicated by acute internal violence among the rebel movements who are rivaling over the control of Western Upper Nile Region.

 

From September, 1997 to date, Western Upper Nile Region has been in turmoil and bloodshed with itself,  in the sense that, the people of Western Upper Nile alone

( previously in the rebel movement of Dr. Riek Machar known as SSIM/SSIA and now SPDF) have divided and fighting themselves in different groups which includes the SPDF group of Dr. Riek Machar, SPLA Western Upper Nile group of Cdr. Peter Gatdeat in collaboration with the SPLM/SPLA mainstream of Dr. John Garang, General Paulino Matiep Nhial group a militia leader who is sponsored by the Government of Sudan, The Arab Bagara of Messeriya Tribesmen from Western Sudan whose mission is to occupy Western Upper Nile Region of the African Nuer and the Dinka Tribesmen as a policy  of the Government of Sudan to do so and the Government of Sudan itself with its huge armed forces, heavy aerial bombardments, helicopter gunships and ground offensives on routine basis on rebel and civil population of the people of Western Upper Nile Region..

 

All the mentioned above factors has caused massive internal displacement of the civil populations of Western Upper Nile which include; enormous loss of life, huge disruption of livelihood, extensive violation of human rights, burning, looting and destruction planted crops, destruction of holy sites such as Churches and living dwellings, cattle/livestock taken as war booties, abduction of women and children into an aggrieved servitude and coercive conscription of child soldier into rebel and government of Sudan rank and file or armies.

 

  

2.0.      Recent Resumption of Fighting in Western Upper Nile Region

 

After three months of un-negotiated cease fire between the warring parties in Western Upper Nile region has now fallen apart and broken into pieces by unprecedented resumption of active violence in Western Upper Nile between the warring parties as described above.

 

Report reaching us from the field in Western Upper Nile region on  20 January 2001 has confirmed to Western Upper Nile information desk that fighting has resumed .

 

First and foremost, the fighting was first started by the Western Upper Nile SPLA guerrilla fighters under command of commander Peter Gatdeat Yakah on 15th January  2001, by attacking the government of Sudan troops who are guarding the Oil fields sites at Kaikang Oil fields, by attacking and capturing five (5) government out posts at Kaikang Oil fields West of Hegleic Oil fields as the main Head Quarters of the Oil fields heavily guarded by the government of Sudan special protection force including foreign armies.

 

This act of Cdr. Peter Gatdeat and his forces has furiously angered the government of Sudan and swiftly moved to mobilized his allied militia forces of General Paulino Matiep Nhial , the allied SPDF group of Dr.Riek Machar and the Arab Bagara from Western Sudan to fight against the SPLA forces of Peter Gatdeat and wipe them out from Western Upper Nile so that they do not stop the flow of the Oil to the international market as the wishes of the government of Sudan.

 

Indeed, these forces of SPDF, Paulino Matiep militias and the Arab Bagara collectively together with the government of Sudan are currently waging genocidal war of ethnic cleansing against  those ethnic groups or clans who are supporting Cdr. Peter Gatdeat in his war efforts against  the government of Sudan and Oil exploitation in Western Upper Nile region. Fighting still going on from 15 January up to now and the plight of the civil population remain miserably uncertain.

 

3.0.      Why did Commander Gatdeat decided to attack the government garrisons          which are guarding the Oil fields?

 

According to Cdr. Peter Gatdeat and his SPLA forces held that,  one of the fundamental reason for them to attack the government of Sudan Oil fields garrisons, was an attempt to stop and close down the operation of the Oil exploitation by the government of Sudan and the international Oil companies which are exploiting the Oil in Western Upper Nile at their own risk.

 

The people of Western Upper Nile region and the people of South Sudan at large, thought that the exploitation of Oil at this stage of time in the civil war in the Sudan is illegal and violation of human rights because the question of "Oil" in the Sudan is one of the major

causes of the conflict in Sudan and therefore, any one who is exploiting the Oil is in actual fact doing it on his /her own risk and this is as equal as to those who are trying to protect/defend the Oil  flow to international market are also enemies of the people of South Sudan.

 

4.0.      Casualties in the on going fighting in Western Upper Nile Region

      

Three different sources who have witnessed the on going current fighting in Western Upper Nile includes the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UN Operation Life Line Sudan (OLS) agencies & its security officers and our local Sudanese sources have confirm enormous loss of lives in both fighting armies and the local civilians.

 

Over 150 war wounded soldiers and civilians alike are reported to be admitted at ICRC hospital of Lokichioggio in Northern Kenya and 100 or more died bodies were counted on the ground in Nhialdiu county Western Upper Nile, when the ICRC was evacuating the wounded after two to three weeks of fighting.

 

5.0.      Humanitarian impact of the current fighting on civil population in             Western Upper Nile

 

As popular story tell us that "when elephants fights the grass suffers".. This is exactly the situation in Southern Sudan, when the warring parties and the warlords fights in Western Upper Nile the civilians suffers a lot. Local sources and aid agencies operating in South Sudan and particularly in Western Upper Nile have witnessed massive destruction of the civil society, in the sense that, almost all villages were burnt down to ashes leaving women and children in the cold under trees, their properties such as live stock, grain and other sources of livelihood were looted by the warring parties to feed themselves on, their personal effects such as clothes and sleeping materials were also taken away from them and leave the entire population destitute and helpless.

 

6.0.      Who is doing the fighting against the government of Sudan in Western    Upper Nile Region

 

Western Upper Nile information desk,  would like to clarifies the complexity of the conflict situation in Western Upper Nile to show you who is doing the actual fighting in that part of South Sudan. The actual fighting in Western Upper Nile region is done by the people of Western Upper Nile themselves, mainly the four different ethnic communities namely the Leek clan, Jikany clan, Bul clan and Jagei clan who are collectively supporting 

Cdr. Peter Gatdeat in his war efforts against the government of Sudan.

 

They call themselves, SPLA Western Upper Nile because they are collaborating with the SPLA who are mainly from Dinka ethnic group and does support them with little ammunitions to enable them resist and defend themselves from the government of Sudan  occupational policies of Western Upper Nile and its Oil.

 

 

7.0.      Why does the other Southern Sudanese rebel groups fight along side the            government of Sudan armed forces 

 

It is very unfortunate that some of our Southern Sudanese people do mobilize their own power and prefer to fight along side the government of Sudan such as General Paulino Matiep militias and the SPDF movement whose leader is a Ph.D. holder Dr. Riek Machar for whom all come from Western Upper Nile. The answer is very simple and childish, simply because they get their military supplies from the Arab National Islamic Front government of Sudan, differences on political approach on how to wage the war of liberation struggle of South Sudan, personal grievances and poverty.

 

8.0.      Humanitarian appeal and Conclusion

 

The Western Upper Nile information desk, would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the people of Western Upper Nile region to inform the peace loving people of the world to help this people with basic humanitarian assistance such as food aid and non-food aid and to help them make peace among themselves to alleviate their suffering and realize the liberty and freedom of their people.

 

Western Upper Nile information desk will connect you with indigenous NGOS who work there on humanitarian assistance to these communities such as: The Organization for Relief & Community Development (ORCD), South Sudan Operation Mercy (SSOM) and Ethiopian Relief and Rehabilitation Organization (ERRO), who are trying to help these  people in Western Upper Nile region though with limited resources.

 

Thank you very much and this is for your information from Western Upper Nile information desk.