S Sudan government forces, rebels clash over key town
Government forces and rebels in South Sudan have resumed battling over a key northern town after the collapse of the latest peace talks.
Fighting between the two sides was reported in the city of Malakal located in the Upper Nile State, in the northeast of South Sudan, close to the international borders with the Republic of Sudan.
South Sudanese government and anti-government rebels claim full control over Malakal, a strategic area known as the gateway to South Sudan’s oil fields.
Over the past 18 months, Malakal has changed hands a number of times in the conflict.
South Sudan plunged into chaos in December 2013, when fighting erupted between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and defectors led by his former deputy and current rebel leader Riek Machar around the capital Juba.
The clashes that ensued have left tens of thousands of people dead and forced millions of people from their homes.
Both army soldiers and rebel forces have been accused of widespread atrocities during the violence. The two sides have held several rounds of peace talks, but the negotiations have so far failed to produce a lasting truce deal between the conflicting sides.
Almost 13,000 kids have been recruited by both sides of the South Sudanese conflict, the United Nations said in May, describing it an unprecedented use of children.
According to UN figures, more than half of South Sudan’s 12 million population are in dire need of humanitarian aid, with over 20 percent of people at risk of suffering from famine.
Although the UN has not reported an overall death toll, the International Crisis Group has estimated that at least 50,000 people have died in the conflict.
South Sudan gained independence in July 2011 after its people overwhelmingly voted in a referendum for a split from Sudan.
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