Western Equatoria State Information Minister Charles Barnaba Kisanga has called on the Sudan People's Liberation Army leadership to withdraw a unit of 'Commandos' from the state.

This came after an SPLA 'Commandos' unit in Maridi County allegedly carried out a number of killings and arbitrary detentions.

The minister told Radio Tamazuj on Sunday that the security situation in Maridi County is unstable due harassment by SPLA soldiers in the area.

He said that local residents fear arbitrary detentions and other activities carried out by the SPLA. About 5,000 citizens from Maridi fled to state capital Yambio, according to the official.

Kisanga also confirmed that the SPLA unit in Maridi County had arrested local youths on charges of spying for the rebels in the state.

"So the only solution to the current crisis is the withdrawal of the SPLA [unit] from Western Equatoria," he said.

Western Equatoria State Governor Joseph Bakosoro told Radio Tamazuj last week that  about 36 local youths were arrested by SPLA 'Commandos' in Maridi without coordinating with state authorities.

Correction: As originally published, the headline and first sentence of this article wrongly gave the impression that Charles Kisanga called for the withdrawal of all SPLA units from the entire state. In fact, he has only called for the withdrawal of one unit, “the commandos unit brutalising people in Maridi,” according to a clarifying statement that he issued on Monday.