SUDAN / JONGLEI STATE CLASHES

Vice President of South Sudan Riek Machar said today that the recent clashes between renegade Commander Gabriel Tanginya's forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army "were not politically or military motivated, it was an action over indiscipline." UNMIS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:35
• Production Date: 26 April 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION IN SUDAN - UNMIS
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY; DISARMAMENT
• Geographic Subject: SUDAN
• MAMS Id: U110426c

Description

STORY: SUDAN / JONGLEI STATE CLASHES
TRT: 1:35
SOURCE: UNMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ARABIC / ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 26 APRIL 2011, JUBA, SUDAN

Shotlist

1. Med shot, Miraya Radio sign
2. Med shot, Vice President of South Sudan Riek Machar entering studio
3. Close up, Miraya journalist talking
4. Med shot, mixer
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Riek Machar, Vice President, South Sudan:
“The clashes that happened were not politically or militarily motivated; it was an action over indiscipline in the barracks by individuals because that same barrack was hosting SPLA and Tanginya’s forces that were being re-organized. So now we are expecting Gabriel Tanginya and his colleagues to come to us here in Juba. The problem is now over.”
6. Med shot, mixing board
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Riek Machar, Vice President, South Sudan:
“It is the military intelligence that gives arms to groups that say that against the Government of Southern Sudan, and I am hoping that by the 9th of July these should be stopped because that would be supporting insurgencies. Now we call them militias because we still think we are one country, you know by the 30th of January the South voted for independence so we call them militias because we think we are one country but after the 9th they will be insurgence.”
8. Med shot, Riek Machar leaving studio
9. Wide shot, Riek Machar with Miraya staff

Storyline

In an interview with Radio Miraya today, Vice President of South Sudan Riek Machar said that the recent clashes between renegade Commander Gabriel Tanginya’s forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) “were not politically or militarily motivated, it was an action over indiscipline.”

Fighting on Saturday reportedly left around 57 members of General Tanginya’s militia dead. The SPLA said 12 were killed and one senior commander was injured. The number of wounded is still unknown.

Following the clashes, Tanginya voluntarily surrendered to the SPLA in an attempt to continue the ongoing process of integrating the rebels with the military.

Machar said his government was waiting for Tanginya and his colleagues to come to Juba.

The Vice President also accused the military intelligence in the north of arming the militias in the south. He said that the government in Khartoum was backing the rebels to destabilize South Sudan, which will soon become independent.

Last year before a conference for all southern parties, South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir announced an amnesty for armed groups operating in the region to try and bring stability to the south before independence. Tanginya took up the offer and agreed to integrate his forces.