The National Salvation Front (NAS) has strongly refuted allegations that its forces were responsible for recent killings along the Juba-Yei road.
According to authorities, more than 10 people have been killed along the Juba-Yei road last weekend.
In a press statement, the holdout opposition group denied involvement in the attacks.
"The Leadership of National Salvation Front (NAS) strongly refutes the wild accusation circulating on social media platforms associating the forces belonging to NAS to have had a hand in the recent road ambushes between Juba-Yei road. This is not the first time NAS forces have been wrongly accused by the Juba regime, led by President Salva Kiir," NAS spokesman Suba Samuel said in the statement. "On the same note, NAS condemns the irresponsible remarks made by the Governor of Central Equatoria State (CES) Hon. Emmanuel Adil Anthony falsely accused NAS of carrying out road ambushes and further describing NAS as a terrorist organization."
In the same breath, Samuel accused the South Sudan People's Defence Forces and its allied forces of being behind the attacks.
"NAS would like to inform the people of South Sudan and the International Community that, the road from Juba to Yei is covered by the illegal SSPDF and its allied militia’s checkpoints. These illegal checkpoints are supposed to be for the safety and protection of travelers, but it is widely known that these checkpoints are primarily being used for extortion of money and other resources from the travelers. Therefore, the SSPDF and its associated militia are responsible for the road ambushes as part of their strategy of dominating the roads to expand its looting, pillaging, and violence excess against civilians," NAS alleged.
Meanwhile, NAS reiterated its commitment to the Cessions of Hostilities Agreement signed in 2017 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and to the Rome Declaration signed in 2020 in Rome, Italy.