Government denies rebel capture of garrison town

The Sudanese government has denied claims by the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), of the capture of the garrison town of Daym Zubayr (7.43N 26.13E) in Western Bahr al-Ghazal State, in southern Sudan. Samson Kwaje, SPLM/A spokesman in Nairobi, told IRIN that the town had fallen on Tuesday. “Daym Zubayr fell at noon [local time] on Tuesday. Our forces are in full control,” he said.

The Sudanese government rejected the claim, saying that the town was attacked, but not captured. The deputy head of mission in the Sudanese Embassy in Nairobi, Muhammad Dirdiery, told IRIN on Wednesday that fighting was still going on and government forces “have repulsed the attack”.
Dirdiery added that he deplored the timing of the attack. “This is intended to sabotage the halt to air strikes,” he said. The Sudanese government announced on 24 May that it was halting air strikes in southern Sudan and the Nubah mountains, with effect from 25 May. According to Kwaje, the fighting in Daym Zubayr has stopped and people are returning to the town.