Speaking to Sudans Post on Thursday, GPAA information minister Kelang Jiji said fighting erupted on Wednesday afternoon when an SSPDF chopper delivering food landed at the SSPDF barrack in Pochalla town to deliver food to stranded troops.
“Exactly yesterday at 2:00PM the fighting resumed between armed youth from Anyuak in Pochalla attacking SSPDF barrack that’s what happened yesterday but today (Thursday) no attack again since yesterday’s conflict started,” said Kelang.
Kelang added that he had no full details on the casualties and said that armed youth started the fighting when they attacked the army barrack following the landing of the military chopper dispatched to deliver food from the central government in Juba.
“The conflict was started by these armed youth because SSPDF at the national level sends helicopter to SSPDF in Pochalla so the youth attacked the place and that’s what is surprising us from the youth of Pochalla what they really want is to cause insecurity like that,” he said.
Major-General Joshua Konyi, former Chief Administrator of GPAA and Commander of SSPDF Brigade 23, said three SSPDF soldiers were wounded as result of what he said is an attack launched by the local youth.
“Three of our SSPDF soldiers were wounded in the fighting but l am not sure on the side of the armed you. After the helicopter landed the armed youth opened fire against the helicopter and the soldiers providing security to the helicopter, so the helicopter returned to Juba,” he said.
But speaking to Sudans Post, a community leader who referred not to be named in Pochalla said armed youth who had occupied the SSPDF barrack withdrew on Monday and the SSPDF soldiers returned to their barrack in the afternoon of that day.
The community leader said fighting begun on Tuesday when soldiers went on to beat residents, they suspected of hiding those who participated in the combat with the armed youth.
“What happened is that when the youth withdrew from the barrack on Monday to avoid further conflict, the SSPDF entered their barrack and then they started beating civilians and asking them of whereabouts of the youth who participated in fighting with them,” he said.
“That claim you are saying that fighting begun after a chopper landed is not true. The chopper landed to bring in reinforcement and food after the fighting started two or three days earlier, so it is not true that the youth attacked them,” he added.
Earlier this month, residents of Pibor and Verteth Counties reported mobilization of local armed youth led by General Joshua Konyi. They said the youth were matching to attack Pochalla County to recapture their barrack which was captured by armed youth the previous month.
It’s really sadness and shameful for south Sudaneses national government to listen to lies from GPAA bloodchockers! Murle rebeled against government of south Sudan and even they killed alot of national defense force but they government didn’t ordered gunship to bombarded murle in the town as well as in the bush lead by David Yua Yau. Greater pochalla community wrote aletter to salva kiir mayardit the president of republic of south Sudan clearly stated that they should not be apart of GPAA leadership / government who kidnapped ,killed his own residents and children in the brought light while the national government is paying deaf hear! Kiir shouldn’t forget about the support that we Greater pochalla community did when SPLA still in the bush ! Without Greater pochalla there would be no what so call south Sudan nowadays!
Pochalla fights cannot stop. people should strengthen church leaders the peace makers, but our non-Christian leaders use dry grass to stop bushfire, this cannot come. we need green grass to stop the fire which is the church leaders. Jesus never uses guns or dry grass to draw people into his kingdom, Christianity is a peace full tool to stop fire, you can see the most Christian countries like Kenya, USA, Canada, Australia, Uk, Germany, Norway etc., have peaceful elections and no rebels. our paganistic or Islamic communities will never have peace. I know Iam wasting time, such secular media usually don’t put my Christian wisdom, because the devil does not want wars to stop.
thank you rev karlo kolong, founder of Evangelical free churches of Sudanese nations, architect of Sudanese peace of 2005, author of 55 books, merowe tv website http://www.revkarlokolong.com