SOURCE: THE NEWS PK

JUBA: Thousands of civilians have fled fighting between rebels and south Sudan's army in oil-producing Unity state, as separate clashes erupted elsewhere in the troubled region on Saturday, officials said.

"The fighting in recent days has been very fierce, and the people have been running away from the violence to safety," said Charles Machieng, commissioner of Unity's Mayom county, the area of heaviest fighting.

"Although we have no reports of fighting today (Saturday), assessments show that there are 3,800 civilians who have fled, many who are here in Mayom town because their houses have been destroyed," he added.

Clashes in the soon-to-be-independent south broke out on Tuesday between the army and a rebel group led by former southern army general Peter Gadet, one of at least seven separate militia groups battling the southern government.

But just as the violence appeared to subside, separate clashes broke out on Saturday morning close to the town of Malakal, between the army and gunmen said to be allied to former militia leader Gabriel Tang, officials said.

Fighting in the Canal area of northern Jonglei state, around 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of Malakal, started at mid-morning, said state information ministry official Bartholomew Pakwan Abwol.

"Fighting broke out in the vicinity of Canal," said Abwol, speaking from Malakal. "The fighting is still occurring and we have few details at present."

Tang commanded a pro-Khartoum militia during the devastating 1983-2005 civil war between north and south Sudan, but agreed to join the southern army late last year.

His forces were reportedly waiting to to be integrated into the southern Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) when the fighting broke out.

More than 800 people have been killed and 94,000 people forced from their homes in fighting since January, according to UN estimates, when southerners voted overwhelming to forge their own nation in a largely peaceful referendum.