Saturday, December 21, 2013

4 US military wounded in South Sudan, top S. Sudan military General who defected is also advisor to US co. with S. Sudan oil concessions-BBC

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The top commander in Bor - Gen. Peter Gadet...defected from the South Sudan military this week." "Gen Gadet is also on the board of advisers of the US-based Jarch Management Group, which has obtained oil concessions on large areas of land in South Sudan."
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12/21/13, "3 US military aircraft hit in S. Sudan, 4 wounded," AP

"Gunfire hit three U.S. military aircraft trying to evacuate American citizens in a remote region of South Sudan that on Saturday became a battle ground between the country's military and renegade troops, officials said. Four U.S. service members were wounded in the attack in the same region where gunfire downed a U.N. helicopter the day before.

The U.S. military aircraft were about to land in Bor, the capital of the state of Jonglei and scene of some of the nation's worst violence over the last week, when they were hit. The military said the four wounded troops were in stable condition.

The U.S. military said three CV-22 Ospreys - the kind of aircraft that can fly like a helicopter and plane - were "participating in a mission to evacuate American citizens in Bor."...

An official in the region who insisted on anonymity to share information not made public said the Americans did not tell the top commander in Bor - Gen. Peter Gadet, who defected from the South Sudan military this week- that they were coming in, which may have led to the attack. The U.S. statements said the gunfire was from unknown forces.

South Sudan's military spokesman, Col. Philip Aguer, said that government troops are not in control of Bor, so the attack on the U.S. aircraft has to be blamed on renegade soldiers. "Bor is under the control of the forces of Riek Machar," Aguer said, referring to the ousted vice president....

Lueth described Machar as "the rebel leader," saying the forces that control Bor believe they are fighting on his behalf. Machar's whereabouts remain unknown, but he has said in recent interviews that he is in hiding somewhere in South Sudan.

An International Crisis Group expert on South Sudan told The Associated Press on Friday that rebels have taken control of at least some of South Sudan's oil fields, an issue that could bring Sudan into the conflict. South Sudan's oil flows north through Sudan's pipelines, providing Khartoum with much needed income."...

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Gen Gadet is also on the board of advisers of the US-based Jarch Management Group, which has obtained oil concessions on large areas of land in South Sudan."  

12/20/13, "Profile: South Sudan army defector Peter Gadet," BBC

"BBC Monitoring profiles Gen Peter Gadet, said to be an ally of former South Sudan Vice-President Riek Machar in his conflict with President Salva Kiir.
Until recently, Gen Gadet commanded the Sudan People's Liberation Army's (SPLA) 8th Division in northern Jonglei State. Reports say he defected from it in early December however and, with troops loyal to him, attacked and took control of military installations in Bor. 

Gen Gadet is believed to be a political and business ally of Mr Machar and both men are ethnic Nuers.

Any decision on his part to support Mr Machar in fighting against the South Sudan government is likely to prolong the conflict in Africa's youngest country....

Gen Gadet is also on the board of advisers of the US-based Jarch Management Group, which has obtained oil concessions on large areas of land in South Sudan.

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10/19/11, "South Sudan: the Scramble for Land," Allison Swank, okayafrica.com

"The fragility of South Sudan’s transitional period and the legal ambiguity that surrounds it is a big draw for investors. A recent Rolling Stone article  on foreign landholders in Africa appropriately refers to them as ‘Capitalists of Chaos.’ Phil Heilberg, who was interviewed for the article and now owns over 800,000 hectares of land in South Sudan through the New York based Jarch Management group speaks openly about his motivation to invest in the region. “I saw the Soviet Union split up,” he recalls. “Saw it up close. I realized there was a lot of money to be made in breakups, and I vowed that the next time I’d be on the inside.” “The world is like the universe – ever expanding,” he adds. “I focus on the pressure points.”...

An upsurge of post-referendum clashes in April, has already led to the displacement of hundreds, in areas leased to Jarch Management. According to a Sudan Tribune article “hundreds of civilians were displaced in Mayom County as a result of clashes between the South Sudan army (SPLA) and militia loyal to Peter Gadet,”  who incidentally also serves on the board of Jarch Management."...


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