By Abraham Anyon Ngoor
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLA-IO) has accused the movement faction of South Sudan United Front Army (SSUF/A) being led by Dickson Gatluak of luring the youth to join their camp.
Earlier, there was a media report that four SPLA-IO officers were detained in Rubkona on suspicion that they paid allegiance to the movement.
However, SPLA-IO military spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said the people detained are youth who were mobilised and promoted with ranks by Dickson Gatluak.
“What happened was that Dickson has been mobilising the youth and whenever there is defection, there is always misinterpretation. These are youth from the area who are being mobilised by Dickson Gatluak,” Col. Lam Paul told No.1 Citizen Daily newspaper in an interview yesterday.
“He (Dickson) calls them generals even those youth he promoted to be generals, this situation provoked the insecurity in the area that led the fight,” he added.
According to the press release issued by the SSUF/A yesterday, the four people were detained on the 10th of April 2023, and are being held in Tong base in Rubkona county of Unity State, and they include; Major Gen. Puok Nyeny Koh, Major Gen. Kew Kuol Riek, Col. Thai Gatiek Zaidor Tuoal, and Cde. Guong Kew.
Col. Lam added that SPLA-IO will coordinate with the authority in Unity State to determine their case since the detainees are civilians.
“We will make sure that they are handled by the local authority from the ground instead of the military so that their case will be heard clearly as they are civilians…. all we are trying to do is to avoid insecurity in our territory”.