South Sudan army chief staff visits Renk after military clashes

June 19, 2017 (JUBA) – General James Ajonga Mawut Unguec Ajonga, the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA) Chief of General Staff has pledged the commitment of his forces to continue to provide adequate security and to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country.

Gen Ajonga, who visited Renk in the wake of the recent military clashes in the area, said in a statement broadcasted by the official South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Monday, that the purpose of the visit is to acquaint himself with what happened in the area.

“I went specifically to the Northern Upper Nile (for the first time) after my appointment so that I can acquaint myself with the general security situation and get first-hand information on the ground,” he said.

He stressed that the general security situation, was under control by the SPLA forces, denying that rebels have made any significant attempts to gain control over the areas they have lost in the past.

“As SPLA we have a bottom line. Our constitutional mandate is to provide and safeguard the security and stability of the Republic of South Sudan at all costs, which is what our gallant SPLA forces have been doing. In Northern Upper Nile, they are controlling the security situation at maximum level, there is no security problem. It is our mandate as the army to ensure the lives and properties of the civil population are safeguard,” explained the General.

The army, he further added, “will bolster up in every way our capability for self-defence”.

Tensions have dramatically escalated in recent days in the northern region of the country after a series of rebel attacks. A senior government official warned that “the clock has now run out” and that “all options are on the table” to provide security in the country.

(ST)