There is ongoing¹ fighting in the north-east of Upper Nile State and the east of Jonglei State, Philip Aguer said.

 

Earlier, the rebels denied a UN report that they killed hundreds of civilians² after taking control last week of the oil hub, Bentiu, in Unity³ State.

 

A ceasefire deal in January has failed to halt the violence.

 

More than a million people have been forced from their homes since fighting broke out in December 2013.

 

The conflict pits President Salva Kiir, an ethnic⁴ Dinka, against his former Vice-President, Riek Machar, from the Nuer community.

 

 

Mr Aguer said that the army had also been forced to withdraw from Mayom in Unity State in order to reorganise its forces following the loss of Bentiu.

 

"The victory that's been achieved by the rebels is temporary, it's just a matter of time [before] they will be out of Bentiu," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

 

But he said there were several other fronts on which the rebels were active.

 

For the last week, the town of Renk in the north-east of Upper Nile State had come under attack from Mr Machar's forces.

 

"That should be condemned⁵ internationally; there is no war where you bombard residential⁶ areas indiscriminately at night… [it has] caused havoc⁷ and fear."

 

"I have never seen a movement that have a desire in killing⁸ many people as possible as Riek Machar's force."

 

On Tuesday morning, there had also been "heavy fighting" in several places in Duk county in Jonglei which came under rebel attack, the army spokesman said.

 

But he said the army had repulsed⁹ them and was pursing the rebels.

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