SSPDF: No planned disarmament exercise in Nasir, but rotation of troops

An SSPDF gunboat flying a white flag while ferrying troops to Nasir. (Courtesy photo)

The spokesperson of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) on Thursday said there is no planned disarmament operation in Upper Nile State’s Nasir County but a relief of troops who have served there for a long time.

A press statement signed by Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said that in the last four days, the SSPDF command has learned with great dismay and disappointment the propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation being spread by anti-peace elements in the country and diaspora on the motive of SSPDF forces to go to Nasir County.

“Due to concerns raised, uncertainty and anxiety caused, the SSPDF command/leadership would like to take this opportunity to make some clarifications on the intended mission to Nasir County,” the statement reads in part. “In line with administrative routine activities and based on Nasir community’s and state authorities’ request, the SSPDF commander decided to relieve forces due to persistent misunderstanding on a wide range of issues (including social issues) between own forces and the host community and intermittent/sporadic armed clashes.”

“The forces in Nasir are also being relieved due to physical confinement to their barracks and general restriction of movement when on/off duty and because they had overstayed in Nasir,” Gen. Ruai added.

He further explained that they could not deploy the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) instead of the SSPDF in Nasir County because those (NUF) with guns have been deployed and those remaining lack firearms.

“It is good to remind members of the public that all (NUF) in phase one were deployed except for those without guns (with sticks), and logically speaking; such forces cannot be deployed in a hostile area such as Nasir Town,” Ruai stated.  “Once again, SSPDF would like to reassure members of the public in general and the Greater Nasir Community in particular that there are no operational plans and orders to conduct a disarmament exercise in the aforementioned areas. On the same note, there are no operational plans and orders to deploy additional SSPDF forces at any other place apart from Nasir.”

He said that bearing in mind that the forces on the move to Nasir are purely for peaceful and administrative reasons, SSPDF command/leadership would like to urge those armed civilians that have been mobilized for possible armed confrontations to immediately disperse to avoid unnecessary bloodshed along Nile and Sobat rivers on which SSPDF Riverine [units] are moving.

“Failure to comply with the abovementioned appeal, SSPDF reserves the right to respond with deadly force in self-defense once aggressed,” Gen. Ruai warned.