At least 13 people, including two children, have been killed in clashes between soldiers in the volatile south Sudan town of Malakal, doctors say.<\/p>\n
Battles broke out on Thursday between rival northern troops, some of whom want to stay in the south. Malakal has previously seen north-south clashes.
\nThe fighting comes as Southern Sudan is waiting for confirmation of the result of its independence referendum.
\nProvisional results say 99% of voters opted to secede from the north.
\nThe vast majority of casualties seen in the hospital are civilians, caught in the battle which officials say has included heavy weapons such as mortars.
\nBut more are feared dead in the areas of heaviest fighting, which doctors have not yet been able to access.
\nThe fighting began when southerners who joined the northern army did not want to move, Upper Nile state spokesman Bartholomew Pakwan Abwol told the Reuters news agency.
\n“They think they will have no rights in the north,” he said.
\nAnother of the dead was a United Nations driver caught in crossfire, a UN spokesman said.
\nThe southern army, the SPLA, has not become involved in the fighting.
\nIt has previously clashed with northern militia in the town on the River Nile, leaving hundreds dead in 2006 and 2009.
\nIt is still seen as one of the potential flashpoints along the north-south border.
\nSouthern Sudan is set to become the world’s newest nation on 9 July 2011.
\nIts referendum was part of a deal to end decades of conflicts between north and south, driven by religious and ethnic divides.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At least 13 people, including two children, have been killed in clashes between soldiers in the volatile south Sudan town of Malakal, doctors say. Battles broke out on Thursday between rival northern troops, some of whom want to stay in the south. Malakal has previously seen north-south clashes. The fighting comes as Southern Sudan is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-275526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n