Gen. Biel threatens to attack Bentiu over ‘unnecessary provocations’  

JUBA – South Sudan  opposition commander, General Tito Biel Wich, who defected last week from the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has threatened to attack the SPLA-IO cantonment site in Bentiu claiming that he is being provoked by the group.

This comes after the opposition commander declared in a statement last week that he intended to join the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) under President Salva Kiir Mayardit, before ultimately joining former SPLA-IO chief of staff turned factional SPLA-IO leader Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual Hoth.

Speaking to Sudans Post this morning, General Tito Biel claimed that the SPLA-IO forces in Unity state are making unnecessary provocations on the bases where opposition forces decided to join him, and said there is a looming clash between his forces and those loyal to First Vice President Machar.

“Since the Joknyang Declaration last week, the forces of Dr. Riek Machar have been making unnecessary provocation against the forces who have defected with me in several parts of Unity state and this, to me means that there are looming clashes between me and them,” he said.

“When we defected, we did not attacked anyone and our forces have been told to respect the ceasefire agreement signed in 2018 although it was not signed between us and the forces of Riek Machar, it was mean to achieve peace so that the civil population is not disturbed,” he said.

The opposition commander further threatened to take war to every area of Unity state where Dr. Riek Machar has his forces if he does not ensure that his forces stay in cantonment sites as provided for in the revitalized peace agreement and said he will attack Ding Ding, an area outside Bentiu where SPLA-IO forces are being cantoned.

“If he wants to prove that he is a man of war, then we will have no choice other than visiting any area where his forces are present in Unity state as a whole and we will prove them that war does not achieve anything a person want. This is my last warning to them, let them decease from these criminal acts,” he added.