20100620
reuters

A rebel militia leader said on Sunday his forces had fought six battles with south Sudan's army in the past week, killing scores of people in the region's Jonglei oil state.

South Sudan's army (SPLA) dismissed the comments from militia leader George Athor, saying it had not fought his forces since a previously-reported clash on Tuesday.

Athor, a former SPLA general, launched a revolt saying he had been cheated in the race for Jonglei governor in April elections.

His move, and small rebellions by at least two other militia leaders, have raised fears for the stability of the region in the run up to a referendum, scheduled for January 2011, on whether south Sudan should split away as an independent country.

"They (the SPLA) have been attacking us ... all in Jonglei, within Khorfulus county," Athor told Reuters via satellite phone. "We have repulsed back some attacks. They are still maintaining their attack on some areas ... The last fight was yesterday and we are expecting fighting at any time up to now."

He said 85 government soldiers had died in the fighting which had killed only eight of his men. It was not possible to verify the figures independently.

"All that he is reporting is not true," said SPLA spokesman Kuol Diem Kuol. "The last fight between us and him was on the 15th of this month."

South Sudan, the source of most of Sudan's oil, secured a referendum on whether to split off as a separate country in a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of civil war with the north.

Analysts say southerners overwhelmingly want to secede.

Southern leaders have said Khartoum is backing militias to destabilise the south, an accusation denied by the north.

French energy group Total holds a largely unexplored oil concession in Jonglei.