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Clashes Kill at Least 30 South Sudanese Soldiers

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir delivers a statement to the press after arriving at the Juba international airport, South Sudan, November 8, 2019.REUTERS/Jok Solomun
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir delivers a statement to the press after arriving at the Juba international airport, South Sudan, November 8, 2019.REUTERS/Jok Solomun
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Clashes Kill at Least 30 South Sudanese Soldiers

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir delivers a statement to the press after arriving at the Juba international airport, South Sudan, November 8, 2019.REUTERS/Jok Solomun
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir delivers a statement to the press after arriving at the Juba international airport, South Sudan, November 8, 2019.REUTERS/Jok Solomun

At least 30 South Sudanese soldiers were killed and 13 injured in clashes between forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar and a splinter group, Machar’s party spokesman said in a statement on Saturday.

In a move that risks derailing the country's already fragile peace process, rival military leaders of Machar's party SPLM/A-IO, announced on Wednesday that the vice president was ousted as head of his party and its armed forces.

As a result, the party's chief of staff, First Lieutenant General Simon Gatwech Dual, was nominated interim party leader from the military wing, Reuters reported.

On Thursday Machar, who played a leading role in brokering a peace deal 2018 with President Salva Kiir, accused the rival military leaders of trying to block the country's peace process.

The latest clashes occurred in Magenis, in the country's Upper Nile region, between forces loyal to General Dual and those backing Machar.

Machar's party spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel said the party's forces responded "in self-defense" and killed two major Generals and over 27 soldiers.

He said those fighting on the side of the SPLM/A-IO lost 3 soldiers during the attack.

Reuters could not independently verify the report of killings. The military wing was not immediately available for comment and communication networks are patchy in the Upper Nile region.

The other side denied having suffered heavy losses and having launched an offensive.

"We have so far lost one soldier and two others sustained injuries. The fighting is ongoing," Chuol Deng, deputy spokesman for General Dual told Radio Tamazuj, a south Sudanese radio station earlier on Saturday.

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Iranian President: We Must Manage Relationship and Confrontation with the US Ourselves

Photo published by the Iranian presidency on Tuesday of a meeting chaired by Pezeshkian.
Photo published by the Iranian presidency on Tuesday of a meeting chaired by Pezeshkian.
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Iranian President: We Must Manage Relationship and Confrontation with the US Ourselves

Photo published by the Iranian presidency on Tuesday of a meeting chaired by Pezeshkian.
Photo published by the Iranian presidency on Tuesday of a meeting chaired by Pezeshkian.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called on Tuesday for the “management” of the tense relations between Tehran and Washington, emphasizing the need to “deal with enemies with patience.” This statement comes a week after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
According to official media, Pezeshkian told current and former senior officials in the diplomatic sector that Iran cannot ignore its longstanding adversary, the United States.
“Whether we like it or not, we will have to engage with the United States on both regional and international fronts; therefore, it is better that we manage this relationship and confrontation ourselves,” he stated.
Pezeshkian was speaking at an “advisory” meeting on foreign policy with former Iranian FMs and members of his administration, including Ali Akbar Velayati and Kamal Kharazi, the top advisors to the Supreme Leader on international affairs and foreign policy, along with former foreign minister and head of the Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi.
The Iranian presidency’s website quoted Pezeshkian as saying that his administration’s approach to foreign policy would be “within the framework of a comprehensive strategy aligned with the directives of the governing system,” indirectly referencing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The reformist-backed president stated: “We must treat our friends generously and approach our enemies with patience,” underscoring the importance of managing foreign relations and addressing international tensions to solve internal issues and promote development.
Several officials in Pezeshkian’s administration, along with pro-government newspapers, have hinted at discussions on the possibility of high-level negotiations with the Trump administration.
Earlier on Tuesday, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that Iran would pursue whatever serves its “interests,” in response to a question on potential direct talks with the Trump administration.
“The government will strive to achieve whatever ensures the country’s interests and the values of the revolution,” she said, according to the government’s ISNA news agency.
She added that the final decision on negotiations rests with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Supreme National Security Council under his authority.