A unit of SPLA 'Commandos' on Friday prevented a fact-finding team appointed by the Central Equatoria State governor from visiting Katigiri village, one of several places in which the same unit is accused of having perpetrated attacks against civilians.

The 14-member fact-finding committee is headed by State Security Advisor Abraham Wani and comprises high-ranking state officials, several Episcopal clerics, and others.

The committee on Friday left from Lainya to Wonduruba where they met community members and SPLA troops. But when they wished to proceed on to Katigiri they were stopped by the SPLA forces on the pretense that there had been some shooting on the road that morning and it was unsafe, according to members of the committee.

The fact-finding committee was already traveling with bodyguards including three military vehicles and a police vehicle. Local residents said that the real reason for the travel ban was that there were unburied bodies on the way that the military wanted to collect before allowing the state officials into the area.

Radio Tamazuj learnt that the commanding officer in Wonduruba is SPLA Major Malual Majok.

Separately, the humanitarian situation of people who fled attacks by uniformed gunmen in the area is worsening. A woman speaking to Radio Tamazuj by phone said that she was trapped in a forested part of Wonduruba area with dozens of other families.

She said they fled an attack on their village by gunmen wearing military uniforms and they have been living in the forest for days.

Meanwhile, Gordon Sasa, paramount chief of the Wonduruba area, reportedly told members of the fact-finding committee that the residents of the area who have fled do not want to return home until the SPLA Commando unit leaves the area and is replaced by other forces.

Other people who fled from the Wonduruba the area said they are afraid because the SPLA troops threatened to massacre all of them.

The paramount chief pointed out to the fact-finding committee that President Salva Kiir ordered SPLA not to wage any attacks but the Commando Unit violated the president's directive by carrying out an attack on rebel forces in the area on 10 September.

Radio Tamazuj is also informed that a UNMISS convoy came on Thursday to Lainya, proceeded on to Wonduruba on Friday but returned back to Lainya the same day. It is not clear why they turned back.

Audio: Survivor explains her situation (in Arabic)

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Ruling party MP accuses SPLA of terrorizing citizens in Wonduruba area (17 Sept.)