Kiir disowns Gen. Lul Ruai’s claim that SSPDF, SPLA-IO ‘are officially at war’

JUBA – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit has disowned last week’s statement by South Sudan People’s Defense Forces’ spokesman Major General Lul Ruai Koang in which he said the army and the SPLA-IO under First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny “are officially at war.”

Last week, the SPLA-IO issued several statements publicizing that forces loyal to South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) have been launching attacks on several opposition positions in Unity and Upper Nile state in a grave violation of the permanent ceasefire agreement they signed in June 2018.

But in a counterstatement, General Lul accused the SPLA-IO of launching attacks on positions of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and declared in that same statement that the two prominent signatories of the revitalized peace agreement at officially at war.

SSPDF GHQs-Bilpam would like to inform own ranks and file, people of South Sudan, region and the international community that our peace partner, SPLA-IO is Officially at War with SSPDF, the National Army,” Lul said in the statement seen by Sudans Post.

But addressing journalists at the ministry of cabinet affairs in Juba on Monday, Kiir disowned the statement by General Lul and said that what he wrote was personal and he was not directed to give such statements to the media.

“Regarding what has been written by the spokesman of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces, I can say that it is a personal statement. He was not directed by the SPLM or the SSPDF to go and make such statements,” he said.

“So, this is a personal statement and it should not be considered something coming from the government directing the army to wage war,” he added.