JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) has accused the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) of launching an attack on one of its cantonment sites in the country’s Unity State, a day after Gen. Gatwech claimed that he has captured an important opposition outpost.
Yesterday, Gatwech accused Machar of continued attacks on its base in Koch County. He then attacked the SPLA-IO cantonment site in Mirmir in what he said was a precautionary measure to prevent the Machar-led opposition group from launching further attacks or from using Mirmir as a launching pad for attacks against him.
Speaking to Sudans Post this morning, Gatkuoth Malual, an opposition media official in Unity state, said the attack was carried out by Gatwech with help from South Sudan People’s Defense Forces because, according to him, General Gatwech has forces in the area that he can use to attack the SPLA-IO.
“This is to dismiss the report by the so-called Kitgwang forces of Gatwech Dual and his group that they have captured our cantonment site, nobody can be able to do that. The fact that we are for peace should not be used by our enemy as an excuse to launch further attacks against our forces,” the official said.
“First of all, I can say that the attack on Mirmir was launched by the SSPDF criminals of the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit because General Gatwech do not command forces in Unity state that he can use as a force to terrorise our positions and the civil population in the area,” he said.
The senior opposition official further urged the country’s peace monitors to rein in the actions of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces saying the people of South Sudan are suffering due “to their unjustifiable actions that are meant to destroy the entire implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.”
