S. Sudan army ready to expel Sudanese rebels: spokesperson

September 7, 2016 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese army will expels rebels fighting its northern neighbour once it receives directives from the high command, the military spokesperson, Lul Ruai Koang said.

“We are waiting for the commands before we as the army can take drastic measures. We are an army, we do implement what the top leadership decides,” observed the SPLA spokesperson.

He said the visit, last month, by the South Sudanese First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai, to the Sudanese capital Khartoum aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two former war foes.

Sudan, according to Koang, requested Juba to expel members of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) fighters from its territories.

As part of the recent agreement between the two countries, the SPLA armies are on standby to respond to any orders made by its top leadership to expel Sudanese rebels from South Sudan, he stressed.

Juba had, in the past, been accused by Khartoum of harbouring rebels fighting the Sudanese regime, allegations the latter dismissed.

Series of accusations between the two nations forced Sudan to close its borders with South Sudan in the aftermath of the latter’s secession from the former following the January 2011 referendum.

In 2012, North and South Sudan agreed that neither country would host rebel groups considered hostile to each other’s establishments.

The Sudanese government recently said it had received assurances from South Sudan’s First Vice President that all rebels opposed to Khartoum will be expelled from South Sudan’s territory within 21 days.

(ST)