JUBA – A South Sudan holdout opposition group is accusing the country’s First Vice President and SPLM-IO leader, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, and Minister of Petroleum, Puot Kang Chuol, of bribing local youth in Upper Nile state’s Nasir country to perpetuate violence and jeopardize a 2017 ceasefire agreement.
The United Democratic Revolutionary Alliance (UDRA), an holdout opposition group that is a part of South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA), said in a statement extended to Sudans Post that SPLA-IO forces were in a standoff with its forces in an area near Nasir.
“The SPLMAIO has been in a precarious stand off since early last week with our forces, United Democratic Revolutionary Army, UDRA at an assembly point in Kotkea, 65 kilometers South of Nasir Town. We are part of COHA as we are negotiating in Rome with the government of which IO is part and by so doing, IO is fighting peaceful settlement of the conflict in South Sudan,” the statement signed by UDRA’s Secretary-General and spokesman of SSOMA, Deng Vanang reads in part.
The statement accused Machar and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chuol of bribing local youth in the area saying the actions by the country’s main armed opposition group’s leader and the oil minister is a great violation to the ceasefire agreement.
“IO bribed armed youths to go and roundup by force one of our units that refused to fight back in adherence to the COHA agreement in that isolated bush of Kotkea. The move exactly shows how IO is filthy corrupt under the hypocritical veil of change and reforms agenda,” the statement said.
“The bribery is done by IO Chairman and Commander in chief, Dr Riek Machar, who is also the Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan through his Petroleum Minister and economic czar, Puot Kang Chol,” it added, appealing to “the government to advise its wing IO against fighting us, when we are actually preparing and organizing ourselves to sign peace agreement in due course.”
