S. Sudan army plotting ‘series’ of attacks against opposition – spokesman

KHARTOUM – South Sudan’s army, the SSPDF, is planning a series of attacks against several positions of the main armed opposition group, SPLA-IO, according to a statement by the group’s spokesman William Gatjiath Deng.

The latest SPLA-IO statement comes hours after the main armed opposition group said on Sunday that it repulsed an attack by the South Sudan army against its troops stationed at a training centre in Central Equatoria state.

“The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), osculated again another attack on the SPLA (IO) forces at the same training centre at Moroto, this morning at around 7:00 AM, East African Time,” General Gatjiath said in the statement extended to Sudans Post.

“The SPLA (IO) forces led by Cdr. Brig. Gen Peter Wal Chuol, responded with an excessive force and the attackers undoubtedly repulsed, pursued and desperately scattered in disarray with a big lost both human and military equipment left exposed at the war field,” he added.

The opposition officer further said SPLA-IO intelligence agents have understood that South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) are plotting a series of attacks in several parts of the country against the main armed opposition group.

“The leadership of the SPLA (IO) has learned that the regime is currently plotting a serious move to jeopardize the already fragile peace agreement being championed in Juba with little hope to end the many deadlocks or meet expectations and it’s true that the regime is not ready to end the long suffering of the people of South Sudan since they still ordering multiple attacks on the SPLA (IO) military garrisons,” General Gatjiath said.

He said today’s attack came following a visit by peace monitors to the area where fighting took place last week following an attack by an opposition commander who defected to the SSPDF a week earlier, warning that the group would not tolerate such attacks in the future.

“CTSAMM, or verification team, were sent from Juba two (2) days ago to “Moroto” in order to check out what had happened at the training centre and of course, the team got concrete evidences from the field commanders as they found dead bodies and even those who were caught alive at the war field and they went back to Juba knowing that the regime is the one that carried out the sporadic attack on the SPLA (IO) base and the team had promised that there would be no more attack against our bases,” he said.

“The movement wouldn’t allow such kinds of inconveniences created purposely by the regime to end the movement, therefore, we must act boldly once we are attacked,” he further warned.

The group further urged the regional bloc, IGAD, which mediated the 2018 revitalized peace agreement to take concrete steps to address these issues which he said threatens the implementation of the agreement.

“Hence, the leadership of the great movement would like to inform the peace partners, IGAD, AU, Troika, and indeed the wider international community, to take critical observation and to take possible actions to save the people of South Sudan,” he further said.