Western Equatoria State Governor Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba has repudiated claims that he carried out several attacks that resulted in abductions and the gang rape of hundreds of civilians by soldiers under his command in Western Equatoria.
On Tuesday, The U.S. Department of The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba who is accused of carrying out numerous attacks in his state that resulted in abductions and gang rapes of hundreds of civilians. Also designated was SSPDF Gen. James Nando who is accused of overseeing soldiers that raped hundreds of women and girls between 2018 and 2021.
“Alfred Futuyo was designated pursuant to E.O 13664 for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly in the following in South Sudan; targeting of women, children, or civilians through the commission of acts of violence including killings, maiming, torture, abduction, forced displacement or attacks on schools or location where civilians are seeking refugee or through conduct of abuse or violation of human right or international humanitarian law,” The Treasury’s statement read.
However, while responding to the U.S. Department of The Treasury’s sanctions, Gen. Futuyo’s press secretary, Alex Didi, said that while his boss commanded SPLA-IO units in Western Equatoria between 2013 and 2020, he never ordered or directed soldiers under his command to attack civilians.
“As the SPLA-IO Sector 6 Commander in Western Equatoria from 2013 to 2020 before being appointed governor, Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba never commanded any officer or troops to attack, kill or rape a civilian in Western Equatoria. There has never been any complaint raised to the SPLA-IO regarding rape or any of the above crimes otherwise they would have been investigated by the SPLA-IO High Command,” he said. “If Gen. James Nando or any other soldier might have used their sole power to execute such crimes during the conflict, they are responsible for it.”
According to Digi, Gen. Futuyo cannot deny that no criminal acts took place but said that whoever committed a crime be held accountable individually. He tasked the U.S. government to investigate and release the names of the SPLA-IO soldiers who might have committed crimes.
“I am hereby calling upon the U.S. Department of The Treasury to do an investigation and list the names of SPLA-IO soldiers who might have committed those crimes so that SPLA-IO leadership in Western Equatoria can release them to go and face the law,” Digi charged. “From 2013 to 2018, there were several groups involved in the conflict including the SPLA-IO, SSNLM, and SSOA and if Gen. Futuyo was directly or indirectly involved in any of those crimes, they should present evidence for him to take responsibility.”
Efforts to reach Gen. Nando were not successful.