South Sudan to release “true” report on army conduct in Bahr el Ghazal region
May 26, 2016 (JUBA) – The government of South Sudanese and the high command of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), will in coming days release a “true” report of the activities of the army in the states of Bahr el Ghazal region where it forces in the month of April were involved in civilian abuses, according to a United States-based rights group.
The army spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang told the United Nations-sponsored Radio Miraya Thursday that the report was the outcome of a “one sided” investigation and vowed government and the army command would soon release a true picture of the activities in which the government forces in the states of Bahr el Ghazal were involved.
“This is not a banana republic. We have a constitution and laws which are put in place to uphold and safeguard the rights and liberties of every citizen. The true picture is that we have not been dealing with the armed opposition. We have not been involved in attacking and looting properties of the civilians,” said Koang, previously a rebel spokesperson.
He said the command of the army rejects the report because it is “biased, one sided and absolutely filed with lies and unfounded allegations from unauthorised respondents”.
“We dealt with bandits. Our forces were dealing with people supporting acts of banditry. Our mandate is to maintain law and order, not to loot the civilian population”, added Koang.
He admitted that government forces in South Sudan’s Western Bahr el Ghazal state exchanged fire when a column of soldiers on patrol were attacked by unknown groups.
But while the army spokesperson denies the authenticity of the human right reports, local officials and activists from Western Bahr el Ghazal and other areas in the region maintained in a series of interviews with Sudan Tribune on Wednesday and Thursday that all areas of Western Bahr el Ghazal have recorded and continues to remain poor in human right records, asserting numerous serious abuses were committed.
Sources confirmed the veracity of the human rights report that Unlawful killings, disappearances, torture, rape, and arbitrary arrest and detention by security forces increased in April, despite the return of the first vice president, Riek Machar, to whom many armed men in the region have pledged their allegiance.
Activists say harsh and life-threatening conditions in prison and detention facilities; prolonged pretrial detention; lack of an independent and effective judiciary; and arbitrary interference with privacy, family, and home also remained serious problems. Pro government militiamen continued to recruit and retain child soldiers and to compel forced labour by adults and children.
They also continued to abuse freedom of the press. The government continued to restrict freedoms of assembly and movement while corruption remained pervasive; and security forces restricted non-governmental entities. Societal discrimination against women and ethnic minorities, abduction of political dissidents, child labor, and lack of protection for workers’ rights continued to be pervasive throughout the country.
Armed groups continued to commit numerous, serious abuses, some of which may constitute war crimes, including unlawful killings, disappearances, and torture. They also recruited and retained child soldiers, compelled forced labor, and committed serious sexual abuses and other possible war crimes.
(ST)