Sam David, former spokesperson of the defunct Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) and senior member of the SSDM-Cobra Faction that joined Kiir government says they are not aware of any information that South Sudan’s Deputy Minister of Defense David Yau Yau has been arrested, dispelling rumours that he was placed under house arrest after meeting President Kiir last week.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj yesterday, the SPLM official denied reports that David Yau Yau was placed under house arrested by security agents shortly after meeting Salva Kiir in Juba, saying Yau Yau is currently carrying out his duties normally as deputy minister of defense.

He said yesterday “These rumours are false, Yau Yau is there carrying out his duties as the deputy minister of defense, yesterday we also held a meeting with the Murle community leader Ismail Konyi, he was not arrested,” said Sam.

When asked about the security situation in Pibor area after Gen. Khalid Boutros defected from the government, Sam claimed that the situation was stable and that the Murle tribe will never fight against the current government.

 The former spokesman pointed out that they are now part of Kiir government. He added that members of the Murle tribe met in Pibor also condemned the defection of Khalid Botrous to the opposition group.

In late September, Gen. Khalid Botrous, former deputy head of the SSDM-Cobra Faction in Boma State defected from Salva Kiir government, citing failure to implement key provisions of the peace agreement.

The SSDM Cobra Faction signed a peace agreement with the government in 2014, but the group’s leader David Yau Yau officially joined the ruling party SPLM in January this year.

File photo: Yau Yau shaking hands with Kiir