2014 retreat from Western Bahr el Ghazal

2014 retreat from Western Bahr el Ghazal
	Part of the South Sudanese Civil War, and the ethnic violence in South Sudan
Date	25 April – 4 August 2014; (3 months, 1 week and 3 days)
Location	Western and Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan
Result	500+ deserters reach Sudan; Some deserters join rebels; Hundreds of deserters surrender;
Belligerents
South Sudan SPLA;	Nuer SPLA deserters SPLM-IO
Commanders and leaders
Brig. Gen. Bak Akoon Bak; (Mechanized Division); Kuel Aguer Kuel; (Northern Bahr el Ghazal governor); Rizig Zachariah Hassan; (Western Bahr el Ghazal governor)	Brig Gen. Gatwech Gach Makuach; Brig Gen. James Ochan Puot; Brig Gen. Kuang Cirang ; Brig Gen. Kuol Tap; Brig. Gen. Peter Gatbel ; One unidentified Nuer brigadier general;
Units involved
SPLA 3rd Division; 5th (Mechanized) Division; Lakes State reinforcements;	Several groups
Strength
Thousands	Disputed; at least several hundreds
Casualties and losses
Many killed	Hundreds killed, hundreds surrendered
	Thousands of civilians displaced

The 2014 retreat from Western Bahr el Ghazal, also called the long march north,^[4] was an unorganized withdrawal by hundreds of Nuer Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) deserters who sought to flee from Bahr el Ghazal to Sudan during the South Sudanese Civil War. After longstanding tensions between SPLA soldiers belonging to the Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups escalated on 25 April 2014, leading to a massacre of Nuer soldiers at Mapel in Western Bahr el Ghazal, a large number of Nuer SPLA soldiers deserted to escape ethnic prosecution and loyalist SPLA forces. Though some deserters joined SPLM-IO rebels or surrendered to the government, a large number of them marched northward, joined by other SPLA defectors from Northern Bahr el Ghazal. After covering over 400 kilometres (250 mi), this trek eventually arrived in Sudan on 4 August 2014, where they were disarmed.

^ ^a ^b ^c "Four SPLA generals among defectors in Wau". Radio Tamazuj. 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018.
^ "Governor strongly denies Mapel massacre claims". Radio Tamazuj. 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018.
^ ^a ^b "High ranking army officers in Aweil area desert their posts: reports". Sudan Tribune. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c Small Arms Survey (2014b).
^ "Fighting at South Sudan's Mapel army base". Radio Tamazuj. 25 April 2014. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018.
^ ^a ^b "1,500 displaced by W Bahr el Ghazal insecurity". Radio Tamazuj. 7 July 2014. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018.
^ Abraham Agoth (17 July 2014). "Death Toll Rises in New South Sudan Fighting". Voice of America. Retrieved 9 August 2018.

[four_generals-1] "Four SPLA generals among defectors in Wau". Radio Tamazuj. 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018.

[govornor_denies-2] "Governor strongly denies Mapel massacre claims". Radio Tamazuj. 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018.

[Aweil-3] "High ranking army officers in Aweil area desert their posts: reports". Sudan Tribune. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2018.

[FOOTNOTESmall_Arms_Survey2014b-4] Small Arms Survey (2014b).

[base-5] "Fighting at South Sudan's Mapel army base". Radio Tamazuj. 25 April 2014. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018.

[displaced-6] "1,500 displaced by W Bahr el Ghazal insecurity". Radio Tamazuj. 7 July 2014. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018.

[Toll_Rises-7] Abraham Agoth (17 July 2014). "Death Toll Rises in New South Sudan Fighting". Voice of America. Retrieved 9 August 2018.

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