SSPDF, SPLA-IO trade accusations over Upper Nile attacks
The main armed parties to the revitalised peace agreement have accused each other of staging violent confrontations that could be a recipe for violence and derail the relative peace gained.
In two separate statements issued on Thursday, the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) and Sudan People Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) referred to one another as “aggressors” over reported fresh fighting in Upper Nile State.
However, the two gave parallel accounts of the fight as the SSPDF said SPLA-IO ‘‘officially declared war’’ with its forces in Malual-Gathoth, Maiwut County.
However, the SPLA-IO said the fight was in Guol, Longechuk County – SPLA-IO base.
The SSPDF Spokesperson, Gen. Lul Ruai, said in a statement yesterday that: “SSPDF GHQs-Bilpam would like to inform our own ranks and file, the people of South Sudan, the region and the international community that our peace partner, SPLA-IO, is officially at war with the SSPDF, the national army.”
Accusations made
“Today, March 24th, 2022, at dawn, SSPDF Forces, under the command of Major General James Khor Chuol Giet, in Malual-Gathoth, Maiwut County, of Upper Nile State came under deliberate attacks,” he added.
But in a rejoinder, the SPLA-IO Spokesperson, Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said, “This morning the SPLA-IO read with dismay the baseless accusation made by the SSPDF spokesperson that the SPLA-IO forces under the command of Lt. Gen. Duit Yiech attacked the SSPDF forces in Malual Gahoth.”
He added, “The fight happened in Guol which is a base of the SPLA-IO in Longechuk County, not Maiwut as claimed by Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang. The attackers came from Malual Gahoth. That means the SSPDF are the aggressors.”
He further accused the SSPDF of organising its forces to launch another attack on their base of Mathiang, the headquarters of Longechuk County.
Col Lam also disputed the claim that Lt. Gen. Duit Yiech commanded the fight in the Guol-SSPDF position, claiming that Lt. Gen. Yiech is an elderly “veteran with over 80 years of age and currently sick in one of Ethiopia’s hospitals and could not command forces on the battlefield.”
On Tuesday, the SPLA-IO suspended participation in the security mechanisms meeting, accusing their peace partner, the SSPDF, of continuous violations with RJMEC paying death ear to their complaints.
The incident elicited reactions, with the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, calling on both Gen. Lul and Col. Lam to refrain from statements that derail peace in the country.
“I call upon the spokespersons of the SPLA-IO and SSPDF to refrain from making a statement that poses a public threat because we are seeing a new development in the exchange of statements between the two spokespersons declaring war.”
“We are worried that the trend of exchanging words between the two military spokespersons has put the country not only in the violation of the ceasefire but a full-scale war,” Yakani said.
