By Tereza Jeremiah Chuei
The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) has yesterday hit back at the Gatwech Kitgwang faction warning them to cease fighting civilians or prepare to face them (SSPDF).
This reaction comes as a response to SPLA-IO Kitwang warning and condemning the SSPDF against involvement in the communal fights in Chollo Kingdom.
It also comes barley few days when President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued directives to the SSPDF Chief of Defense Forces to send a force to quell the Upper Nile war.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, the SSPDF Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai said SSPDF will definitely come to the rescue of the ongoing communal fighting in Upper Nile Chollo Kingdom areas.
He further cautioned the Gatwech Kitgwang faction to stop fighting in Chollo Kingdom if they don’t need SSPDF involvement.
“There is no way, we will differently get involved so let them either be prepared to face us or stop targeting civilians in Chollo Kingdom,” Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai said.
However, SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang faction military spokesperson Brigadier Gen. Alfred Gach Thot in a statement issued on his Facebook wall, Wednesday; accused the government in Juba of supporting the Agwelek forces of Gen. Johnson Olony.
“The current involvement of the government on the side of Agwelek forces is uncalled for as it is going to escalate conflict, with a lot of human causalities and material destruction as the result,” he stated.
“We the SPLA-IO Kitgwang condemns and warns government forces against involvement in the fight between Chollo-Agwelek armed militias and the Nuer white army of greater Fangak in the west bank of Chollo-land,” he said.
Gatwech mouthpiece alleged that in July 2022 the Nuer group of white Army mobilized itself following General Johnson Olony’s Agwelek forces surprised attack on innocent civilians in Wec Panyikang and other areas closer to it, killing 21 innocent people.
The SPLA-IO Kitgwang however called on the regional and international communities to timely intervene and de-escalate the conflict.
Earlier this month, the Commissioner of Fashoda Joseph Aban Odhong reported an attack on civilians., “As we are talking people are in water, the area has remained with the attackers, the attackers came from Jonglei State, through Panyikang to Malakal up to Fashoda,” he said.
Aban however accused, forces of SPLA-IO under Dr. Riek and Kitgwang forces under Gatwech of joint operation against civilians in Fashoda areas.
But SPLA-IO under Riek distanced their military camp from the clashes that had reportedly claimed scores of lives.
SPLA-IO Machar spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel denied their forces’ involvement saying the clashes was a communal violence citing that they (SPLA-IO) weren’t involved.