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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 08:58:09 -0600 (MDT)
From: "J. JOSEPH" <jjoseph@NMSU.Edu>
To: American Anti-Slavery Group <aasg@user1.channel1.com>,
LARS ANDERSKOUV <larsand@imul.com>, Michael Gallagher <mikeg@tnis.net>,
"W. Daniel" <Danielw@NMSU.Edu>, "V. VODOUNOU" <vvodouno@NMSU.Edu>,
Henry Ommani <hommani@NMSU.Edu>,
Dernie Muwambi <MUWAMBI@Sato.Helsinki.FI>,
"M. NKOYOYO" <mnkoyoyo@NMSU.Edu>, karen stabler <kstabler@lib.nmsu.edu>
Subject: Rumbek, liberated (fwd)
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NAIROBI, May 1 (Reuter) - A Sudanese rebel leader said rebels captured th=
e
southern provincial capital of Rumbek on Thursday and were sure to seize =
the
southern Sudanese capital of Juba. =
=0D
``We started tactical fighting this morning and exactly at 1530 hours Sud=
an
local time we captured Rumbek and Rumbek is now firmly under our control,=
''
Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) rebel leader John Garang told Briti=
sh
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio. =
=0D
Rumbek, a major town, is 380 km (235 miles) northwest of the southern cap=
ital
of Juba, which rebel forces are slowly encircling. There was no immediate=
independent confirmation of its fall. =
=0D
``There were about two Sudanese battalions. A Sudanese battalion is betwe=
en
600 and 700 men. Most of them got killed, others are stranded in the bush=
es
around Rumbek...but the majority of them got killed,'' Garang told the BB=
C by
telephone. =
=0D
He said rebel casualties were ``fairly light'' as the attack had been a
surprise and came ``in a very unexpected direction.'' =
=0D
He said the rebels assaulted Rumbek instead of the southern capital of Ju=
ba
because ``this was in our strategic plan.'' =
=0D
Garang said Rumbek was important as it was the capital of a state in the
south and most southern Sudanese who were educated to that level went to =
its
secondary school, including himself. =
=0D
Asked whether government forces would try to retake Rumbek, he said they =
had
proved unable to take several towns in the north and northeast ``let alon=
e
the towns we have captured in the south.'' =
=0D
``The next target is known to us and to us alone and I would not want to =
tell
(Sudanese President Lieutenant-General Omar Hassan) al-Bashir,'' said Gar=
ang.
=0D
Asked whether the rebels had to take Juba before they would be taken
seriously by the international community, Garang said: ``We will take Jub=
a.
There is no doubt about that. Definitely.'' =
=0D
The SPLA said on April 18 it had seized Marasit town in northeastern Suda=
n
and was advancing on Tokar, 25 km (15 miles) to the north and 150 km (90
miles) southeast of Port Sudan, a Red Sea port and Sudan's main commercia=
l
link with the world. =
=0D
The rebels have said the offensive they launched in the northeast in Marc=
h is
aimed at cutting the road from Khartoum to Port Sudan. =
=0D
Forces under Garang's command have stepped up their war on three fronts t=
his
year with the aim of toppling Khartoum's Islamist government through the
Eritrea-based National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition. =
=0D
The Sudanese government has accused Eritrean, Ethiopian and Ugandan troop=
s of
taking part in rebel offensives in the south, east and northeast. The thr=
ee
countries denied the charges. =
=0D
The SPLA has fought since 1983 for independence or greater autonomy for t=
he
Christian and animist south from the Moslem and Arab north. The NDA says =
it
aims to trigger an uprising in Khartoum. =
=0D
Sudanese government newspapers said on Tuesday that Sudan's government fo=
rces
had recaptured Marasit town from Eritrean government forces and more than=
20
villages from the rebels. REUTER =
=0D
16:47 05-01-97
=0D
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