SPLA-IO denies soldiers robbing citizens crossing to Sudan from Unity state

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLA-IO, has denied reports that its soldiers in Unity state near and inside the Sudanese border are mistreating and robbing South Sudanese fleeing the conflict in the country.

Last week, several South Sudanese citizens in Sudan’s Keresana area told Sudans Post that their money have been taken by SPLA-IO soldiers who are stationed along the areas bordering Sudan.

However, speaking to Sudans Post on Tuesday, Brigadier General William Gatjiath Deng, the deputy SPLA-IO spokesman, said the claims are not true, saying one of the causes of the main armed opposition group was to bring better treatment to the people of South Sudan and not to harm them in any way.

“I think that report is not true. When we took up arms, it is because of the South Sudanese citizen. So, we cannot fight for the right of the citizens and rob the citizens at the same time. So that is not true,” he said.

Following the outbreak of the conflict in December 2013, hundreds of thousands of South Sudan fled to Sudan to seek refuge or to seek treatment.

Unofficial estimates put the number of South Sudanese in Sudan at 1.3 million.