By Bosco Bush
Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) has demanded an immediate investigation into a clash between its forces and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) that occurred in Kubri Bou, Nagero County, Western Equatoria State on Saturday.
On Saturday, SSPDF Spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang told reporters that, SPLA-IO forces have attacked an SSPDF infantry brigade tasked with the responsibility of removing illegal checkpoints between the neighbouring Western Equatoria & Western Bahr El Ghazal States.
Gen. Ruai claimed that the attack was launched by SPLA-IO forces against SSPDF soldiers in the wee hours of Saturday in Nagero County.
This, he said, came 3 days after the illegal checkpoint at Kubri Bou was removed following a consensus between SSPDF Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Dr. Paul Nang and his Deputy, Lt. Gen. Gabriel Doup Lam who doubles as the SPLA-IO Chief of General Staff.
Reacting to the matter on Sunday, SPLA-IO Spokesperson, Col. Lam Paul Gabriel expressed dismay and dismissed the statements made by the SSPDF Spokesperson as baseless allegations and violation of the revitalized peace agreement in Western Equatoria State.
Col. Lam in a statement, said the clash was a result of an aggressive attack by the SSPDF outside Kubri Bou.
He called on CTSAMVM and JDB to urgently probe the incident and hold the perpetrators responsible.
“The clashes that happened yesterday was an aggressive attack by the SSPDF outside Kubri Bou not as baselessly alleged by the SSPDF Spokesperson,” stated Lam.
“The SPLA-IO calls upon the CTSAMMVM and the JDB to urgently investigate this violation and bring those responsible to book,” he said.
Kubri Bou, Lam said, has been an assembly area of the SPLA-IO, not an outpost of the SSPDF.
But with the directives from the President regarding the closure of checkpoints, the SPLA-IO withdrew from Kubri Bou in the spirit of peace.
Regarding the consensus reached between the military chiefs as stated by the SSPDF Spokesperson, Lam mentioned that there has never been a consensus reached between the CDF and the Deputy CDF of the SSPDF who also doubles as the Chief of General Staff of the SPLA-IO regarding which force should be deployed in Kubri Bou.
To avoid such conflicting incidents in future, the SPLA-IO Spokesperson suggested the deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces to work on the removal of checkpoints in the area.
“The SSPDF cannot just enter into SPLA-IO territory as this would mean expansion of territory in the name of removing checkpoints. The Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) could have been deployed instead of the SSPDF,” he stated.
The SPLA-IO, Col. Lam said, are still urging the SSPDF CDF to coordinate activities in SPLA-IO territory with the Chief of General Staff of the SPLA-IO being Chair and Co-Chair of the Joint Defence Board respectively.
Whereas, “the SPLA-IO remains committed to the agreement but reserves the right to self-defence when aggressed,” he stated.