Mugwo county commissioner has claimed SPLA-IO (Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition) are blocking roads leading to Yei town, denying them access to health and other essential services available at the state headquarters.

Commissioner Natalino Lasuba Mana told Radio tamazuj that the rural populations who are predominantly farmers have been prevented access to health and market services.

The SPLA-IO forces, he said, have forced the rural residents deep into the villages, saying this could endanger the lives of the poor people who could not move freely to access services available in the government held areas, particularly those at the state headquarters in Yei town.  

Natanolino said the security situation in his county is not normal since Yei-Kaya road still remains inaccessible.

“The general security situation in my county is that most of the people are pushed back to the rural villages by the rebels from the main roads. So you find that very few people come to the town. They (SPLA-IO) have refused the civilians people from coming to the town to get usable goods like salt, shops and medicines and these civilians are really suffering. They ranked to me and are complaining of as to when will the war coming to an end” he said.

The commissioner called on the SPLA-IO leadership to embrace peace dialogue with the Government so as to bring the war and the suffering of the civil population into an end

Efforts to reach the SPLA-IO command in the Yei River area for comments on the matter have not been successful. Yei River state Governor David Lokonga Moses has directed all the security organs in the state to allow free movement of civilians both inside and outside the towns.