SPLA Captures Torit Township

By Grace Matsiko THE Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) have captured the key government garrison town of Torit, located about 26km north of the UPDF base at Magwi in the southern Sudan.Torit was captured from the Sudan government troops by SPLA of Col. John Garang on Saturday, military sources said.The rebel spokesman, Yasser Armane, told AFP yesterday that the rebels drove government forces out of the town in Eastern Equatoria province, at 1:20pm (1020 GMT) on Saturday.“SPLA forces forced back the government forces that were attacking our positions outside Torit and were able to capture the town,” he said by telephone from Kenya.Uganda’s Defence minister Amama Mbabazi said Uganda learnt of the capture of the town from the Sudan government on Saturday.“Well, I have received the same information. I don’t have any detail. There is nothing to say about it but wish the Sudanese will engage in serious discussion regarding the conflict there,” Mbabazi said.“We were happy with the Machakos meeting in Kenya and President Yoweri Museveni invited Gen. El Bashir and met with Garang here. “We hope this momentum of peaceful resolutions of conflicts in Sudan will hold,” the minister added.Under the protocol signed to allow Uganda pursue the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels of Joseph Kony into southern Sudan, a “Red Line” was established. The line dividing UPDF and Sudanese government troops lies between Magwi and Torit. Magwi is north of the line.A military source said the SPLA attacked Torit from the direction of Ikotos in the south. Magwi was initially under the SPLA until the UPDF occupied it. Torit is on the road to the strategic town of Juba in the eastern Equatoria Province.Ends