Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State authorities have dismissed rumors of recruitment of the Dinka Malual youth into the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to take part in the ongoing war with the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF).
Since the war broke out in Sudan on April 15, 2023, there have been reports of South Sudanese fighting alongside RSF with others affiliated to SAF.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State Information and Communication Minister Garang Zacharia Lual said that no one was supporting RSF or any other party in the Sudan conflict.
Responding to questions of possibility of youth recruitment since Northern Bahr el-Ghazal shares borders with the RSF-controlled areas in West Kordofan and East Darfur states, the minister reiterated the neutrality of South Sudan in the conflict in the neighboring country.
“There is nowhere a community can recruit youth and send them to participate in fighting in another country, those claims are not correct,” Lual said.
“If there are people recruited in the RSF ranks and are involved in the current war in Sudan, it may not be in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State, and if anyone does that, the state government will take measures,” he concluded.
Aweil East County Commissioner Diing Aher Ngong said he would not allow any recruitment to happen in his tenure.
“I want to tell you that what has been said is just a rumor, there is no one supporting RSF or any other party. I am the head of the security committee in the area and this is the first time to hear such information,” said Ngong.
The Chairperson of the Dinka Malual Joint Border Peace Committee based in Gokmachar, Aweil North County, Anguei Noon Atak, said his community has no authority to intervene in the Sudanese conflict.
“We are citizens and respect the administration of South Sudan and nothing can allow us to cross borders to partake of the Sudanese war,” Atak said.