South Sudanese rebels allied to former first vice president Riek Machar have criticized Presidents Kiir’s call to the conflict-displaced people from Yei to return back home.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj yesterday, Wai Godwil Bizi, SPLA-IO military spokesman in the Equatoria region, said President Kiir’s call on citizens to return back to their homes is not a new issue.

He further said several politicians in the area have been calling on civilians to return back to their houses, claiming that more than 50 people who previously responded to the call ended up being killed or tortured.

“This is not the first time for the government officials to call on the civilians to go back to their houses, they did that several times and many of civilians who responded were killed,” Godwil said.

The rebel spokesman pointed out that the conflict-displaced people will not return back to their homes because they feel secure in Yei.

Earlier this week, President Salva Kiir called on the people of Yei who fled their houses due to insecurity to go back and start their lives normally.

File photo: Yei town/Radio Tamazuj