The South Sudan’s rebel movement of former Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar has condemned the increasing insecurity in the greater Equatoria region characterized by road ambushes.
The SPLA in Opposition Spokesman, Mabior Garang Dr Mabior who is also the son of the SPLA/M founding father Dr. John Garang released a statement on Tuesday night a day after multiple attacks on buses in Yei-Juba and Nimule-Juba roads.
“The SPLM/SPLA (IO) condemns in the strongest terms the heinous attacks (targeting civilians on an ethnic basis) on the Juba-Nimule and the Juba-Yei roads, which occurred on 09/10/2016 and 10/10/2016 respectively,” part of the statement read.
The rebel movement is not happy with the way unfortunate incidents in Equatoria are being tagged on them.
“The SPLM/SPLA (IO) further condemns the attempts by the regime in Juba to politicize these heinous crimes and portray them as being carried out by the people’s Movement or by the people of Equatoria as a cultural identity.”
When 3 buses from Uganda were ambushed on Monday, earlier reports circulated that it was done by Machar rebels.
The SPLA-IO warned that the deteriorating situation in the region is also going to polarize relationship between different ethnicities.
The internal conflict that broke out in South Sudan in December 2013 immediately took ethnic inclinations and worst between Dinka and Nuer.
The rebel movement stressed that it is going to conduct its own investigations and also appealed to the regional and continental bodies to take interest in the events.
“The SPLM/SPLA(IO) further encourages the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to conduct their own investigation into the events, as the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring Mechanisms (CTSAMM) – of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) has become defunct since the collapse of the ARCISS.”
Relative calm temporarily returned in South Sudan in May when the two sides started implementing the peace agreement signed in August last year. It however only lasted for two months as war resumed again in July.
Machar has since fled the country and his movement fractured, creating a parallel leadership under the current Vice President Taban Deng but the former appears to be wielding more power in the group.