Pagan Amum, former Secretary General of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and leader of the SPLM Former Detainees (SPLM-FDs), has again called on the international community to intervene quickly and stop what he termed as a “looming genocide and ethnic cleansing” in South Sudan.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj yesterday, Pagan Amum accused President Salva Kiir of ethicizing the SPLA army to target other ethnic groups like what happened in Wau and Yei areas, saying similar military operations are ongoing in Shilluk areas in Upper Nile state.
“We condemn this behavior from President Kiir for continuously attacking other ethnic groups though his tribal army. They killed innocent civilians from other tribes like what happened in Yei and Western Behr el Ghazal, now the same thing is happening in Shilluk land, so this is dangerous,” said Amum.
The leading member of the opposition group called on the international community to intervene quickly to stop violence against innocent civilians before it turns into ethnic cleansing in other parts of the country.
“The UN must take action quickly, it should not to condemnation and give warnings only, but it should do something, otherwise, the situation in South Sudan will witness ethnic cleansing and genocide based on tribes in many areas,” he said.
Separately, a group of Shilluk politicians loyal to South Sudan’s First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, accused SPLA-IO rebels allied to Riek Machar of carrying out attacks on their positions in Ditang and Gabat in Upper Nile.
In a statement signed by Minister of Mining Gabriel Thokuc and Governor of Central Upper Nile State James Monybony, the group claimed that the Aguelek forces led by Gen. Johnson Olony are planning to destroy Shilluk land.