Opposition group accuses South Sudan’s militiamen of attacks on villagers
January 5, 2018 (JUBA) – A holdout opposition group the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) accused the South Sudanese government forces of targeting civilians in the Yei River State and called for an urgent investigation to the recent killing of over 19 villagers.
The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) Spokesperson Maj. Gen. “PSC” Lul Ruai Koang on Thursday accused the National Salvation Front of Thomas Cirilo (NSA-TC) of killing 19 people between Gorom and Wundoraba of Yei River State.
“They were killed by NAS fighters under the direct command of Kenyi Loboron,” said Koang who called to “hold to account Gen. Thomas Cirilo and his murderous field commanders”.
Sudan Tribune failed to get a reaction from NAS spokesperson over these accusations but, PDM chairman Dario Hakim pointed an accusing finger to the SSPDF’s militia of the Mathiang Anyoor deployed in the troubled area.
“PDM holds the incumbent President Salva Kiir responsible for the latest atrocities against innocent civilians in Equatoria, who have become Mathiang Anyoor’s soft target of revenge for their reported losses (of 15 militiamen) in battlefields with the armed forces of NAS at Katigiri in Central Equatoria,” said Dario.
He further described the SSPDF’s statement blaming NAS for the attack on civilians as “mischief and fabrication calculated to gloss over its fresh war crimes against civilians in Equatoria”.
Both Koang and Dario called on the ceasefire monitoring body CTSAMMVT to investigate the attack on civilians in Wundoraba.
The recent weeks witnessed an increase in the violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement in the Equatoria region, despite the repeated declarations of commitment to the ceasefire by the different parties.
Last Monday, two factions of the South Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC) traded accusation over ut attacks on Kaya Yei road and abducted civilians including UN staff.
(ST)