SSPDF detains 6 army officers over alleged links to ex-army chief — spokesman

JUBA — South Sudan army has detained at least six soldiers in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state’s capital Aweil for allegedly having links to former army chief General Paul Malong Awan, a rebel spokesman said.

In a statement, Col. Philip Deng Kuol, the military spokesman of South Sudan United Front/Army led by Malong, said the soldiers were arrested by SSPDFcommand in Wunyik, Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, in April after they were accused of having relations with General Malong.

“We condemn the victimization of arrested four former ex-combatants and former prisoners of war (POWs) officers of SSUF/A by SSPDF in Aweil,” Col. Deng said in the statement extended to Sudans Post this afternoon.

The detained former army officers and former prisoners of war were identified in the statement as Lt. Col. Akook Guot Guot Kon, Lt. Col. Deng Piol Akok, Maj. Akhon Wol Akhon, and Capt. Bol Makuei Anei Deng.

Deng said the officers “were detained in Northern Bhr El Ghazal State by South Sudan’s SSPDF organized forces and were held at the so-called Loki military intelligence Detention in Wunyiik Div (3) Headquarter.”

According to information obtained exclusively by Sudans Post, the detained officers were first arrested in 2018 in Juba after they were caught speaking by the NSS with Malong, but were later released following the start of the Rome peace talks.

Deng said the officers “were dragged to military custody after their being set-free from previous detention facility in Juba and went to Aweil for a family visit and later fell at an unregulated trapping-net of government.”

The statement accused the South Sudan army of carrying out propaganda at the expense of the innocent soldiers with claims that they are loyal to Malong.

“Office of SSUF/A official military spokesman, wishes to precisely make it clear to our members, partisans, chapters, the international organizations concerned, including the peace facilitators and the general public at large, that, our attention is drawn to the wild propaganda and victimization of any person, mastermindingly fabricated by South Sudan government that, the arrested group of (4) ex-combatants officers are active loyalist  to Gen. Paul Malong and caught fishing for informations in Juba,” he said.

He said that “the arrested former ex-combatants and former prisoners of war (POWs) of SSUF/A in Northern Bhr El Ghazal State by SSPDF is unlawful. These men are innocent and they should immediately be released.”

He reiterated the rebel groups commitment to the ceasefire agreement signed in 2017 and the Rome peace process that is meant to bring to an end to the Malong-led rebellion along with others.

“SSUF/A reaffirms its commitment to Ceasefire Compromise of 2017, Rome Resolution and to the ongoing Rome Initiative. But government in Juba should cease from downplaying such inaccurate claims they meant to ploy the tabled Rome negotiations as usual,” he said.

“In conclusion, we would therefore assure the Rome-based Catholic Community of Sant’Egidio, this claim by Juba regime against us that the detained former SSUF/A, combatants/POWs prisoners of wars that they are actively loyalists to General Paul Malong is a misplaced and misguided concept on the side of nay sayers.

“So, the general public should treat it as a baseless assertion and a vicious lie architectured by government in Juba to imply us and depict our image in front of the international community and peace guarantors.”