SSPDF soldiers acting on ‘shoot at sight’ orders in Central Equatoria – General Cirilo 

JUBA – Soldiers of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in the country’s Central Equatoria state are acting on ‘shoot at sight’ orders from the high command, according to the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by General Thomas Cirilo Swaka.

This comes days after the army was accused of killing Gumberi Catholic Church priest Father, Cosmas Kwaje Matayo following arrest at a Church service along with other worshipers including a ten-year-old Sunday school boy.

The army has not yet denied or accepted responsibility for the killing, but has announced that the army chief General Santino Deng Wol has ordered probe into the killing and this afternoon suggested that NAS may be behind the killing.

In a statement this evening, NAS said the South Sudan arm soldiers in Central Equatoria state are acting on a ‘shoot at sight’ policy and added that the army is responsible for the killing of the Church cleric.

“The Leadership of National Salvation Front (NAS) informs its members, supporters, the people of South Sudan and members of International Community about the continuing atrocities being committed by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) against civilians in Central Equatoria State (CES) and in other parts of the country,” the statement signed by the group’s spokesman Suba Samuel reads in part.

“On Monday 01st June, 2021, the SSPDF who are now operating under the orders of “shoot at sight”, in Gumberi village of Lainya Payam, Lainya County killed four (4) innocent civilians in cold blood. Among those assassinated were Rev. Cosmas Kwaje Matayo, the parish priest of Gumberi parish, Simon Taban Elekima, a ten (10) year old Sunday school boy, Moses Wani Daniel a church elder and sub-chief and Headman Benjamin Laki Jibidayo,” it said.

“These civilians were found in service in the church dragged out and summarily killed because of their ethnicity. SSPDF are also committing the same atrocities in Kajo-Keji County. NAS Leadership condemns in strongest terms these barbaric ethnic targeted killings and specially this latest violence against Church leaders of South Sudan by the regime of Salva Kiir,” it added.

It further added that “Since 2013 the regime of Salva Kiir has been killing innocent civilians in Juba, Malakal, Bentiu, and Wau; and now they are continuing doing it with impunity in Lainya, Yei and Kajo-Keji Counties respectively. Systematic ethnic inspired killings, raping of women, looting of properties, burning of huts and massive displacement of civilians have become the hallmark of Kiir’s regime. These atrocities amount to genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed in the full knowledge of everybody including international community.

“NAS is profiling all the details of all these atrocities including the names of the perpetrators behind this genocide acts and on top of them is the President himself, the SSPDF leadership and some collaborators from the CES government. It is matter of time these ethnic inspired criminals will face the wrath of the law and justice.”

The Leadership of NAS and its entire members conveys condolences to entire communities of Lainya, Yei and Kajo-Keji Counties and the leadership of Episcopal Church of South Sudan and the families of all those fallen martyrs who lost their lives under the hands of regime’s forces of Salva Kiir. We pray that the Almighty God console the grieved families and protect the people of South Sudan from the brutality of SPLM regime in Juba.