South Sudan’s government through its spokesperson Michael Makuei has threatened communities on Wednesday that his government may take measures against them if they are suspected to be supporting rebels.
He threatened “measures that may not be favoured by the communities.”
“Instead of moving forces into those areas it is better that they are flushed out or reported to the government,” Makuei said without mentioning which ethnic communities he accused of harboring rebels.
However, he made the remarks in the context of a news conference about attacks along highways leading to Juba. “Last week, an incident took place in Juba-Kajo-Keji road in which 11 people killed, another incident took place Juba-Yei road in which 21 were killed, another incident took place in Juba-Nimula road in which one person was killed and the incident that took place between Torit and Lafon County in which the commissioner of Lafon county was injured and the executive director was killed,” he said.
“Riek Machar has decided to transfer the war from upper Nile to the Equatoria and especially to the Western Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria and Central Equatoria. This is where all this incidents are happening,” said Makuei.
“I am appealing to the communities that are harboring these terrorists to refrain from harboring them. Any community, anybody who is harboring a rebel or terrorists, is advised to refrain from that,” he said.
“I am saying that because we don’t want the government to go in search of these terrorists within the communities, because in the course of searching them in the communities, definitely, that may in a way or other may cause inconvenience to some of the people,” Makuei warned.
He also addressed this remark to victims of the recent attacks: “I am calling upon the relatives and friends of the victims not to take law into their hand but to allow the law to take its course – allow the government to take its action.”
Makuei said that the government has conveyed its condolence to the family of the victims. He reiterated that the government will apprehend all those who are targeting and killing people along the highways.