SPLA-IO behind ongoing killings in Tambura – gov’t official

JUBA – A local government official in Western Equatoria state has accused main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny of sparking the ongoing violence in the state’s Tambura County that has killed and displaced many.

Over the weekend, eleven people were killed in renewed fighting between local groups in several villages of Tambura County.

Tambura County commissioner Mathew Mabenge is now accusing the Machar-led SPLA-IO of standing behind the attacks saying the armed assailants who attacked villages in Tambura came from Western Bahr el Ghazal state.

“As of now, the SPLA-IO is almost in every part of Tambura because they came from Wau. They are not from Tambura here. The fact is that, the Zande and Balanda communities are living in cohesion, but what we have seen now is the SPLA-IO are the ones attacking Tambura,” Commissioner Mathew Mabenge is quoted by Eye Radio as saying.

“This situation is provoked by the SPLA-IO because whenever they attack, the local youth are there to respond in self-defense. This is what is happening. There is nothing like the paramount chief and I are having forces,” he added.

For his part, Western Equatoria state minister of information William Baiki who is an SPLM-IO nominee denied the accusation and has distanced the main armed opposition group from the crimes instead blaming armed youth.

“The group of these armed youth loyal to the paramount chief went and started attacking the areas and burning some houses and also setting a roadblock,” the senior state government official said..

“Leave alone the issue of Balanda or what, the issue is food. They have started looting from the civilians – eating their goats and eating their chickens. So, the civilians left,” he further added.