South Sudan’s army has very good relations with citizens in spite of rebel propaganda in different parts of the country, a deputy spokesman for the SPLA army said.

The statement comes after government troops were accused of carrying out a massacre of at least 11 villagers in Yei River State recently.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, Santo Doming, deputy spokesman of the SPLA army in Juba, claimed that the government army under the leadership of SPLA Chief of Staff Paul Malong Awan is having good relations with civilians.

Doming accused armed groups of trying to create a gap between the SPLA and its citizens.”Some people might have been convinced by the rebels in one way or another, so they are trying to spread lies in order to tarnish the reputation of the government,” said Doming.

He pointed out that the armed opposition groups are currently living in the bushes together with citizens and that they wear SPLA uniforms in order to commit atrocities in the name of the government troops.

Santo claimed that the current government cannot kill its people because it was elected democratically.”This government was elected democratically by the people, and it has been mandated to protect the people and the constitution, so we can say that what is happening is a negative propaganda by the rebels,” he said.

File photo: Gen. Paul Malong Awan