YAMBIO - 26 May 2015

Yambio govt refutes SPLA claims about rebel group in Mundri

The state government of Western Equatoria has refuted claims by the spokesman of General Salva Kiir's forces (SPLA-Juba) that a new 'rebel' group is active in the Mundri area.

Colonel Philip Aguer, spokesman for Kiir's forces, said on Monday, “There is a new rebel movement in Western Equatoria state. Security reported that somebody called Charles Balogore under Wesley Waluba” leads the rebellion.

Spokesman of the government in Yambio, Charles Kisanga, released a statement today saying the news of a new rebellion in the state were “not true” and reports about this were “one sided and not taking the WES Government account of things into consideration.”

“I stand by our earlier story that it was local youth who reacted to the looting and destruction by SPLA unit in Mundri on Friday 22nd May 2015 and took control. The Youth were angry at the assassination of their Executive Director plus random gunfire perpetuated by the army then,” he explained.

“Yes there was unknown gunmen who attacked some group of SPLA soldiers at night on Rumbek/Maridi roads junction but also some remnants of cattle raiders/rustlers had been attacking cars and civilians along the road in the area for sometimes and just a few days before the junction incident, two civilians were killed in circumstances related to the tension between cattle raiders/pastoralists, local civilians and the army and so the whole episode then was related to the previous tension with cattle raiders in the area.”

Kisanga said that the death of the county executive director John Keliopas also cannot be blamed on rebels because he was surrounded by security forces “all around” while he was inspecting the scene of the shooting where SPLA soldiers had been killed when “it seemed one member from the security forces moved a bit aside and opened fire killing the Executive Director and fire was also directed at the commissioner Hon Hassen Bhakiti who had to duck to escape the bullets and even his car was later hit.”

“How could fire be directed by rebels at only civilians in the group when army and police were all around them?”

Kisanga said the youth reacted to the killing of their county official because “Enough is enough and they must react because the Army was not protecting them but seemed to be against them. Now things been brought under control as the commissioner is now fully back in office and supported by the different SPLA reinforcement from Maridi headquarters of Division Six under the Division Commander.”

The Yambio government spokesman added, “The situation can be become rebellion only if authorities fail to answer the cry of the people for security and not rough SPLA soldiers and we are asking Army headquarters to change these units for better understanding and cooperative units who can live in harmony with the citizens of the area.”