JUBA, Sudan - At least 165 people havebeen killed in the past week in fighting between south Sudan'sarmy and militia, the army said on Monday, part of a wave ofviolence in the territory ahead of its independence in July.
Forces loyal to two renegade army commanders fought thesouthern army (SPLA) in Jonglei and Unity states, killingsoldiers, rebels, northern tribesman and civilians, SPLAspokesman Malaak Ayuen said. South Sudanese voted in January to separate from the north,which will split Africa's largest nation in July. The poll waspromised in a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war. The violence has undermined the peace process and analystswarn the oil-producing south risks becoming a failed state afterindependence and destabilising the whole region. This year the SPLA has been at war with at least seven rebelmilitia, while the region is wracked by traditional tribalconflicts and faces routine raids in its west from Uganda'sLord's Resistance Army rebels, according to the United Nations. The violence in nine of the south's 10 states has killedmore than 800 people -- excluding those who died in the last twoweeks -- and displaced nearly 100,000 people, the U.N. said. OIL PRODUCTION Ayuen said an offensive in Unity state by renegade SPLAofficer Peter Gadet since Tuesday has killed 101 people. "In the fighting in Unity state, we have lost 26 SPLAsoldiers and at least 70 rebels have been killed, probablymore," he said, adding the figures did not include a clash onSunday when the SPLA pursued the rebels towards the border withthe north. Three women and two children were killed after being caughtin the crossfire, while the other dead were fighters, he said. The semi-autonomous southern government accuses Khartoum ofsupporting and mobilising the militias against Juba to createinstability and keep the south weak and reliant on the north'soil infra structure. Khartoum denies the allegation. Some 75 percent of Sudan's 500,000 bpd oil production comesfrom the south but the refineries and port are in the north. A spokesman for Gadet's rebels had previously told Reutersthey would continue "until victory" because they were fightingto overthrow the southern government, which they say is corruptand neglects tribal minorities and rural communities. Oil production in the state was disrupted by the violence,according to state officials, who said they first expelled thenre-admitted northern Sudanese workers to oil areas, underscoringthe threat insecurity poses to the economy. In Jonglei, the SPLA clashed on Saturday with forces loyalto renegade commander Gabriel Tang killing 64, Ayuen said. "The SPLA lost 7 soldiers and 57 rebels were killed," Ayuensaid, adding Tang had now surrendered along with at least 1,300fighters. It was not clear whether Tang would be granted anamnesty the president has offered previously to all rebels. Ayuen said civilian casualties were low in Jonglei becausethe fighting had not been in residential areas, but officials innearby Malakal reported dozens of wounded civilians. Both the SPLA and rebel militia have been accused of humanrights violations in the ongoing crisis, which the SPLA denies. Reuters