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| South Sudan troops recapture key oil city of Bentiu | South Sudan troops recapture key oil city of Bentiu |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| South Sudan's military has recaptured the oil hub of Bentiu - one of just two rebel-held cities. | South Sudan's military has recaptured the oil hub of Bentiu - one of just two rebel-held cities. |
| Army spokesman Philip Aguer said the final resistance - a tank protecting a bridge to the city - had been overcome at 14:30 local time (11:30 GMT). | Army spokesman Philip Aguer said the final resistance - a tank protecting a bridge to the city - had been overcome at 14:30 local time (11:30 GMT). |
| Rebel leader Riek Machar told AFP his forces had withdrawn to save civilians but vowed to fight on. | Rebel leader Riek Machar told AFP his forces had withdrawn to save civilians but vowed to fight on. |
| The UN peacekeeping chief says the conflict has killed "very substantially in excess" of 1,000 people. | The UN peacekeeping chief says the conflict has killed "very substantially in excess" of 1,000 people. |
| Ceasefire talks in neighbouring Ethiopia have stalled. | Ceasefire talks in neighbouring Ethiopia have stalled. |
| Bentiu is the capital of the oil-rich Unity state. The fighting, which began on 15 December, has seen South Sudan's oil output fall by about 20%. | Bentiu is the capital of the oil-rich Unity state. The fighting, which began on 15 December, has seen South Sudan's oil output fall by about 20%. |
| Col Aguer told Reuters news agency: "When you control Bentiu you control all the oil fields in Unity state." | Col Aguer told Reuters news agency: "When you control Bentiu you control all the oil fields in Unity state." |
| Ahead of the government advance, thousands of people fled Bentiu. | |
| Several thousand have sought refuge in a UN base in the city, where people have been divided according to their ethnic group in order to prevent clashes. | Several thousand have sought refuge in a UN base in the city, where people have been divided according to their ethnic group in order to prevent clashes. |
| The conflict has seen outbreaks of ethnic violence between Dinkas, the community of President Salva Kiir, and Nuers, like Mr Machar. | The conflict has seen outbreaks of ethnic violence between Dinkas, the community of President Salva Kiir, and Nuers, like Mr Machar. |
| Although both leaders have influential backers from the other's community, the conflict has often taken an ethnic dimension. | Although both leaders have influential backers from the other's community, the conflict has often taken an ethnic dimension. |
| "We withdrew from Bentiu, but it was to avoid fighting in the streets and save civilian lives. We fight on, we will continue the battle," Mr Machar, the country's vice-president until last July, told the AFP news agency. | "We withdrew from Bentiu, but it was to avoid fighting in the streets and save civilian lives. We fight on, we will continue the battle," Mr Machar, the country's vice-president until last July, told the AFP news agency. |
| The BBC's Andrew Harding in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, says the question now is whether the recapture of Bentiu will spur on negotiators in Ethiopia to reach a ceasefire agreement to avoid further fighting. | The BBC's Andrew Harding in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, says the question now is whether the recapture of Bentiu will spur on negotiators in Ethiopia to reach a ceasefire agreement to avoid further fighting. |
| Mr Machar said his anti-government alliance was still committed to peace talks. | Mr Machar said his anti-government alliance was still committed to peace talks. |
| Earlier, Col Aguer urged all civilians to leave Bentiu to avoid being caught in the crossfire. | Earlier, Col Aguer urged all civilians to leave Bentiu to avoid being caught in the crossfire. |
| He did not give any casualty figures but said that fighters on both sides had been killed. | He did not give any casualty figures but said that fighters on both sides had been killed. |
| The colonel told the Associated Press news agency that rebel forces had "destroyed'' the town, looting the bank, stealing food and setting the market on fire. | The colonel told the Associated Press news agency that rebel forces had "destroyed'' the town, looting the bank, stealing food and setting the market on fire. |
| Medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said its facilities in Bentiu were looted on Thursday, putting its operations in the region in jeopardy. | |
| "MSF won't be able to resume its much-needed operations in Bentiu until the security of our patients, staff and facilities is guaranteed," MSF South Sudan head Raphael Georgeu said in a statement. | |
| UN envoy in South Sudan Toby Lanzer, earlier tweeted from Bentiu that UN peacekeepers had built up defences at the UN base to protect civilians. | UN envoy in South Sudan Toby Lanzer, earlier tweeted from Bentiu that UN peacekeepers had built up defences at the UN base to protect civilians. |
| Swimming under gunfire | Swimming under gunfire |
| Col Aguer said that from Friday afternoon, all the government forces would be focused on recapturing Bor - the other city under rebel control. | Col Aguer said that from Friday afternoon, all the government forces would be focused on recapturing Bor - the other city under rebel control. |
| On Thursday, people fleeing Bor told AFP that gunmen had shot dead fleeing civilians, torched entire villages and looted crops. | On Thursday, people fleeing Bor told AFP that gunmen had shot dead fleeing civilians, torched entire villages and looted crops. |
| One cattle herder told of swimming across the River Nile while being shot at. | One cattle herder told of swimming across the River Nile while being shot at. |
| "They [the attackers] had a machine gun raised up on a sandbank, and they fired and fired and fired as we swam," Gabriel Bol told AFP. | "They [the attackers] had a machine gun raised up on a sandbank, and they fired and fired and fired as we swam," Gabriel Bol told AFP. |
| "The bullets were hitting the water, but we knew we could not stop or they'd shoot us." | "The bullets were hitting the water, but we knew we could not stop or they'd shoot us." |
| UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous on Thursday night told the UN Security Council that more than 250,000 had fled their homes because of the conflict. | UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous on Thursday night told the UN Security Council that more than 250,000 had fled their homes because of the conflict. |
| South Sudan is the world's newest state. It became independent in 2011 after seceding from Sudan. | South Sudan is the world's newest state. It became independent in 2011 after seceding from Sudan. |