South Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC), an opposition movement led by former governor of Western Equatoria Joseph Bakosoro, has warned of what it termed “heavy assaults” to be carried out by government troops on Yei area, claiming  Kiir’s government in Juba was deploying forces to the area.

“President Kiir is preparing for heavy assault on Yei. He continuous to ferry militias in thousands and military hardwire to Yei,” the group claimed in a statement seen by Radio Tamazuj on Saturday.

SSNMC, according to it release, any attack on innocent people is reprehensible and must not be allowed to continue.

The movement also claimed nine people, including a woman were captured and tortured to death after civilians were encouraged to return to their homes by the government following the signing of the recent peace pact with a breakaway faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In- Opposition (SPLM-IO) in Yei.

"On June 9, 2017, militias loyal to President Salva Kiir were travelling from Tore to Juba via Yei. They arrived in Gimunu, about 7 miles from Yei on Yei-Juba road, and captured 8 unarmed men and 1 unarmed woman, all civilians, who came from Atende and Koya villages, adds the statement.

The group cited eyewitnesses’ accounts that civilians were mobilized to come out of their hiding because after the signing of the Kampala peace deal between South Sudan’s government and rebels in Yei.

 According to eyewitnesses’ accounts, the opposition group said, the men were tortured and then slaughtered, while the woman was raped before being killed.

Bakosro’s movement called on the international community and the region to put pressure on the government in Juba to accept peace. "SSNMC would like to draw the attention of the people of South Sudan, African Union, the IGAD and the entire international community that the Salva Kiir’s one-sided national dialogue is just an absolute sham,” party reads the statement.

“President Salva cannot claim he is for national dialogue and at the same time he continues to massacre the same people he is purporting to make peace with. Week after week and day after day there has been systematic killing spree by government forces across the country. The situation is seriously getting out of hand and it needs urgent intervention to save lives,” statement adds. 

Government officials in Yei could not immediately be reached for comment.