Western Upper Nile Information Desk Report Number 002

THE WESTERN UPPER NILE INFORMATION DESK - SOUTH SUDAN

TOPIC No.002

FIGHTING IN WESTERN UPPER NILE REGION CONTINUOUS UNABATED FROM 22 FEB-12 MARCH, 2001

FROM

WESTERN UPPER NILE INFORMATION DESK IN NAIROBI - KENYA.

C/O: P. O. BOX 9658, NAIROBI

E. Mail: ktut2001@yahoo.com

KEY CONTENTS INSIDE THIS REPORT

1.0. Capturing of more Oil fields in Western Upper Nile region by forces loyal to Cdr. Peter Gatdeat of SPLA Western Upper Nile sector Commander.

2.0. Nyal and Ganyliel has been over ran by forces loyal to Cdr. Peter Gatdeat in Western Upper Nile

3.0. Why were Nyal and Ganyliel over ran? Who is to be blamed for all these mess in Western Upper Nile region?

4.0. Is fighting in Western Upper Nile factional or internal?

5.0. SPDF and government of Sudan open collaboration is responsible for capturing of Nyal and Ganyliel in Western Upper Nile region

6.0. Where is Dr. Riek Machar and SPDF movement in Eastern Upper Nile region?

7.0. What is the plight of civil population in current fighting in Western Upper Nile region?

8.0. Humanitarian appeal and conclusion

1.0. Capturing of more Oil fields in Western Upper Nile region by forces loyal to Cdr. Peter Gatdeat of SPLA Western Upper Nile sector Commander.

Following January 15, 2001 attacks on Kaikang Oilfields, west of Heglec main Oilfields head quarters in which five (5) government out posts were totally annihilated, heavy materials and human loses were inflicted on the government of Sudan armed forces including 2 armor personal carries, light and heavy machine guns and quantities of ammunitions were captured in good condition.

This time around the gallant forces of Cdr. Peter Gatdeat of SPLA Western Upper Nile have successfully managed to close down another five heavily fortified government of Sudan garrisons at Unity 1, Unity 2 Oil fields, Kailuoy, Kaljak and Nyinatoor garrisons..

These are the government of Sudan army garrisons which are deployed around the

so-called Unity Oil fields known in Nuer language as Nyinatoor villages north of Bentiu town.

The purpose for such heavy deployment is to deny any rebel forces infiltration into the Unity Oil fields Pipeline, to secure the high way between Unity and Hegleic and to protect the transportation of crude oil by heavy weight tankers from Unity oil fields to Kosti , Khartoum and port-Sudan for export via Hegleic is not at all tempered with by any rebel forces in Southern Sudan as declared by the NIF government of Khartoum.

Unity Oil fields are located in Rig 119 area as it use to be named during the Chevron oil company in 1980s and now become known as area (5a) and area (5b) according the current operational Talisman oil company, however, in Nuer are known as Nyinatoor in Kailuoy north of Bentiu Town.

Commander Peter Gatdeat and his forces had truly declared war against the government of Sudan in the oil fields to make sure that the exploitation of South Sudan oil immediately stopped, until Southern Sudan is liberated and its natural resources are only exploited by the people of South Sudan for its development purposes.

The liberation of these five garrisons was surely historical and remarkable in the sense that varieties of small arms, heavy arms, ammunitions and anti tank guns were captured from these garrisons. Three tanks were captured in good condition, more than 300 men killed in action in the five garrisons and 25 men captured as prisons of war and are now being kept by Peter Gatdeat forces in Western Upper Nile.

Twenty two (22) men of Cdr. Peter Gatdeat are currently under treatment in ICRC hospital Lokichioggio in Northern Kenya. Hundreds of civil population around those five attacked garrisons are reported internally displaced by our reporter in the field in Western Upper Nile.

2.0. Nyal and Ganyliel has been over ran by forces loyal to Cdr. Peter Gatdeat in Western Upper Nile

It was on February 22nd, 2001 when we received the sad news from our reporter in the field in Western Upper Nile that, Forces of Cdr. Peter Gatdeat has simultaneously over ran Ganyliel and Nyal in the early morning hours of this day.

Ganyliel is the district head quarters of Dekoum district whereas, Nyal is the head quarters of Operation Life Line Sudan for redistribution of relief services in Western Upper Nile region, Nyal is also the fourth biggest Town in Western Upper Nile. When we try to inquire from our reporter in the field as to why Cdr. Gatdeat attacked those areas? he responded that it was out of anger from this side.

3.0. Why were Nyal and Ganyliel over ran? Who is to be blamed for all these mess in Western Upper Nile region?

When our reporter asked Cdr. Peter Gatdeat and his senior field Commanders to explain why did they attacked Ganyliel and Nyal further South of Western Upper Nile and only bordering Dinka in the West and South of Nyal and Ganyliel, while North and East is River Nile surrounded by large swamps and deep lagoons. Whereas internal displacement of civil population in this areas is very difficult.

Commander Gatdeat and his senior officers responded that, for the last four years of our internal fighting with people loyal to Dr. Riek Machar in Western Upper Nile, we have never thought of attacking them in Nyal and Ganyliel simply because we know very well that the population may have no where to run since their borders is only Dinka land and Rivers across their land. But unfortunately, this time, we run out of our military patience because Nyal and Ganyliel are effectively being used as the rear bases of SPDF military re-organization not as areas of settlement for civil population as we thought. Other reasons include the fact that: SPDF and the government of Sudan militias who are actually the SPDF soldiers does always attack our civilian rear bases, attack our civilian relief centers, our civilian villages, loot their cattle, goat, sheep, personal belonging like mosquito nets, body clothes, grain and burnt down their grass houses, dwellings or the whole village leaving the civil population barely under trees without any thing at their disposal, all these booties and loots including cattle of our civilians are always taken to Nyal and Ganyliel as their safe heaven. Another reason is that, whenever, we attack the government of Sudan garrisons such as in the Oil fields, the SPDF, Paulino Matiep militias and government forces would quickly move out to attack our rear bases trying to diffuse our attacks at the enemy.

For those listed above reasons, we have reached the limit of our military patience not to attack them in their rear while attacking us in our rear bases almost in four years of our internal fighting in Western Upper Nile.

We are now forced by their continuous attacks on our rear bases and looting of our civilian properties and therefore, this time around, we have decided to attacked them in their rear bases as a retaliation to their relentless attacks on us and our civilians to at least share with them how painful is attacking from the rear bases. However, despite of all these set backs, we are ready to refrain from attacking them from the rear and to make peace and reconciliation with them (our brothers) in Western Upper Nile concluded Commander Gatdeat and his senior officers.

WHO IS TO BE BLAMED FOR ALL THE MESS IN WESTERN UPPER NILE?

When you talk to the side of Cdr. Gatdeat as to why peace can not be achieve between them with those of SPDF? They will tell you that SPDF does not want to make peace with them but instead they want us be defeated militarily which we do not think will never happen. We asked them to have peace with us through Western Upper Nile pastoral committee but they refuse. Dr. Riek Machar and his SPDF movement are not ready to let the Nuer people of Upper Nile in general have peace like any other Southern Sudanese who are enjoying their internal peace and only focused on the main enemy in Khartoum.

On the other hand, SPDF will tell you that Gatdeat group are not ready for peace and they are not the right people to make peace with. Surely, if SPDF think they can not make peace with them then the blame will squarely lies on the SPDF.

4.0. Is fighting in Western Upper Nile region factional or internal?

Western Upper Nile information desk reporter in the field took courage to ask Cdr. Gatdeat and his officers as to whether the fighting in Western Upper Nile region factional or internal ? this is because it is being alleged that your fighting with SPDF is factional as far as you are being militarily supported by SPLA ?

Commander Gatdeat answered that No this is not true, our fighting with Dr. Riek Machar supporters in Western Upper Nile has been there since September 1997, while we recently have our military collaboration with the SPLA in March 2000. The conflict in Western Upper Nile is deeply internal not factional as being propagated by SPDF political dead machinery.

Mean while, our military collaboration with the SPLA is solely for the defense of South Sudan Oil from exploitation by the government of Sudan and the foreign Oil companies in Western Upper Nile. The solution of this conflict in Western Upper Nile lies in the hands of the people of Western Upper Nile not by SPLA nor SPDF or any other person or body.

5.0. SPDF and government of Sudan open collaboration is responsible for capturing of Nyal and Ganyliel in Western Upper Nile region

It became apparent that SPDF forces under command of Commander Peter Par Jiek, Commander James Lieah Dieu, David Gatluak Dowmai and the so-called Governor of Liech State Commander Simon Magwek Gai or Gwek Gwek Gai as he refer himself. Magwek was self appointed by SPDF Riek Machar himself and not elected by the people of Western Upper Nile. These commanders and their governor have officially signed secret peace deal with the government of Sudan without the directives of their leader Dr. Machar which mean that they are no longer belong to SPDF but officially answerable to the government of Sudan in Bentiu town. These people are even separated from the leadership of the father of all traitors General Paulino Matiep Nhial in Western Upper Nile.

After the three senior SPDF commanders and the governor had reached this agreement with National Islamic Front government of Sudan (the government of divide and rule), then they began to give destructive orders to the three commanders to wishfully wipe out commander Gatdeat and his people in Western Upper Nile by attacking them from their rear bases, however, in retaliation Nyal and Ganyliel was brutally attacked and captured by forces loyal to commander Gatdeat.

6.0. Where is Dr. Riek Machar and SPDF movement in Eastern Upper Nile region?

Dr. Riek Machar is reported to be under serious attacks from Thowra Jikany movement in Eastern Upper Nile region and is on run. Thowra Jikany is believed to be headed by Commander Gordon Koang Chuol who was no three man of Dr. Riek Machar in Nasir coup against Dr. John Garang of SPLM/SPLA in August 1991. His fate and the survival of SPDF movement is gloomy and not yet certain .

7.0. What is the plight of civilian population in current fighting in Western Upper Nile region?

Western Upper Nile information desk reporter from the field has reported that there is massive internal displacement of civilian population in both side to the conflict i.e., SPDF and SPLA side as well.

All the villages closer to the Oil fields are internally displaced by daily fighting between Peter Gatdeat forces and government of Sudan armed forces in collaboration with their sponsored militias of SPDF and general Paulino Matiep militias in the region..

More than ten villages has also been internally displaced in Nyal and Ganyliel. UN/OLS agencies have no access to reach the internally displaced persons (IDP's) in Western Upper Nile region. Enormous numbers of diseases has also been reported by our reporter from the field, thus, he concluded that the population are in real trouble dying of hunger, diseases and in cross fire of the warring parties in the region.

8.0. Humanitarian appeal and conclusion

As far as you have been following up or reading from the report above, we can all deduced that human suffering in this region of Western Upper Nile is greater than in other in any other parts of Southern Sudan and in fact, the government of Sudan is applying the policy of ethnic cleansing in Western Upper Nile simply because of its oil and other minerals in the ground.

It is now becoming very hard for UN/OLS and other international agencies which wanted to reach the displaced persons in Western Upper Nile because they are being denied by the government of Sudan through the application of the so-called Government denied locations and therefore, Western Upper Nile is all denied because of the Oil fighting there.

We can reach the displaced persons only through local Sudanese indigenous NGOS who does not require permission of flying from the government of Sudan. You can contact The Organization for Relief and Community Development (ORCD) of P. o. box 9658 Nairobi and South Sudan Operation Mercy of P. o. box 77901 Nairobi, they are the only Two indigenous organizations which work in Western Upper Nile. Kindly give them your donation for the people of Western Upper Nile who are at the state extermination from the government of Sudan because of Oil production in their area.

Thank you

From Western Upper Nile information desk

in Nairobi office.