HEGLIG (10 Jan.) - Gen. Ahmed Khamis, governor of West Kordofan, announced on Friday that dozens of Nuer fighters with their weapons have crossed the border between South Sudan's Unity state and West Kordofan. They started to arrive at Heglig on Thursday.
The governor announced in a statement that the Nuer fighters in Heglig have handed their weapons to the authorities. They have been investigated and transferred to El Kharasana for temporary housing. The governor did not elaborate on the number of these fighters.
Bentiu
Meanwhile South Sudan’s army (SPLA) entered Bentiu, Unity state, by midday on Friday after the defected army led by James Koang, loyal to former vice president Riek Machar left the town on Thursday. Until early afternoon on Friday fighting between the defectors and the army was ongoing. Within the UNMISS base in Rubkona, also Unity state, there were brawls between Nuer and Dinka residents who both sought shelter from the armed clashes outside. Company offices, two bank buildings, and many shops in Bentiu town were looted on Thursday while soldiers from the 4th SPLA Division were seen shooting in the air.
Bentiu is also among the sites that had the first reports of soldiers defecting from the SPLA following conflicts between Nuer and Dinka soldiers in December last year.