SPLM-IO denies plans to attack South Sudan roads

July 14, 2018 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group Saturday slammed false press reports published in Juba about alleged by SPLM-Io generals plan dubbed ” Unknown gunmen” to attack and loot civilians and commercial convoys across the country.

“This is completely an unfounded allegations meant to tarnish the image of the SPLA IO something that a media outlet is supposed to avoid professionally,” said Lam Paul Gabriel SPLM-IO deputy spokesperson.

The report claims that orders had been given to Maj Gen Okeny George Lam by Maj. Gen Oyet Nathaniel Perino (SPLM-IO governor of Imotong state) who is currently part of SPLA IO peace negotiations to ambush and attack commercial convoy along the roads and highways in South Sudan.

Gabriel said the publication of the report was politically motivated.

He further added that the audio recording of a telephone call on this respect between generals circulating is a “makeup” of the regime’s Military Intelligence unit to implicate Governor Oyet, Gen. John Tongun and Okeny George Lam.

“The voices in that audio don’t belong to any of the aforementioned Senior SPLA IO officials,” he declared.

He further called on the ceasefire monitoring mechanism CTSAMM and South Sudan’s peacekeeping operation UNMISS to immediately investigate the newspaper that published this report and to hold it “accountable for violations of the permanent ceasefire.

(ST)