Western Equatoria State Governor Joseph Bakosoro has downplayed claims that there was an ‘insurgency ' in the state saying that what caused the recent insecurity in Munduri and Nyaka areas is still unclear.

"You cannot know that they are rebels unless some of them are captured or the government attacked them," he said in an interview with Radio Tamazuj.

The state official pointed out that the local authorities are now carrying out an investigation to know the people involved in the two separate incidents.

"Whoever says what had happened was caused by the rebels is up to him or her, but the investigation hasn’t come out yet to conclude whether there are rebels or not," he explained.

He blamed the two incidents on the proliferation of arms in the hands of every citizen in the areas. He added it will be very difficult to know what had happened exactly.

"Everybody has a gun, so you cannot know who is the rebel and who is just having the gun. In South Sudan every house has a gun. If anything happens now you cannot know whether it was caused by the rebels or criminals," he explained.

Bakosoro asserted that the SPLA forces are now controlling the two areas that witnessed insecurity recently.

The National Defense Minister Kuol Mayang has recently appeared before the Council of States to explain the insecurity in Western Equatoria.

He also downplayed claims that there was an emerging rebellion in those areas. But other officials contradicted him, saying the forces that clashed with SPLA in Mundri West County recently are organized rebel group.