The South Sudan Peoples Defense Forces (SSPDF) has warned armed youth from Greater Pibor Administrative Area from marching toward Jonglei state in an attempt to attack.
SSPDF Spokesperson Maj Gen Lul Ruai Koang revealed that the Army Surveillance detected a group of armed youth from Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) Marching toward Jonglei.
“In the last three days, SSPDF aerial Surveillance Unit had observed and detected large columns of heavily armed youth from Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) moving toward Jonglei state” Lul said
In respond to the above hostile behaviour, the SSPDF given the armed youth 72 hours to halt the march and rather disperse.
“In line with our constitutional Mandate to protect the people and their properties against unwarranted and wanting destruction, SSPDF command strongly warns the armed youth to halt their march and disperse within 24 hours” he said.
“Failure to comply with the above warnings and Directives, SSPDF will not hesitate to deploy all capabilities at its disposal to pre-empt and avert planned large-scale offensive attacks” he added
Koang urged the youth to cease attacking Jonglei, stop their Marching and disperse to their various areas.
The Army spokesperson revealed that the SSPDF which constitutionally tasked to protect people, and the property has given the armed youth 72 hours to cease all their activities such as Mobilization and marching.
The Government of GPAA as well as Jonglei state is yet to comment on the unfolding security situation in their areas.
Early this year, the Political leaders in South Sudan’s Jonglei State and Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) last signed an agreement aimed at ending the cycle of intercommunal violence in the region.
Former Jonglei Deputy Governor Atong Kuol Manyang and Greater Pibor’s newly appointed Chief Administrator Peter Guzulu Maze signed the document in Juba, outlining new modalities to ensure rule of law and accountability following a three-day conference.
“This particular workshop is not to point out which side is right or wrong but to face the reality that activities of the criminals from both sides are affecting us, that two wrongs don’t make right hence revenge attack must be stop by youth from both sides,” said Atong.
Atong urged both governments to expedite the implementation of the agreed-upon resolutions.
“I’m appealing to the two governments of Jonglei state and Greater Pibor administrative area to develop mechanisms for speedy implementation of these resolutions,” he said.
Guzulu emphasized the need to treat criminals as criminals, regardless of their community.
“We need to convince our communities to treat criminals as criminals, whoever takes law into his own hand must be treated as criminal and should not be protected and if we don’t protect criminals, criminals will be located, targeted, arrested, and tried and we will be free,” he said.
Guzulu vowed his commitment to implementing the resolution to ensure peace prevails between the communities.
“As chief administrator I will try my best, I had a lot of complains that there are a lot of youth in bushes all over here. I’m trying with my team to see if we can reach out to those criminals to go home,” he said.
“We are working very hard to see that all our roads are opened peacefully. We want to see that there is a change this year and we need our people to live in peace than raiding themselves,” he added.
