July 30th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, led by the country’s former First Vice-President, Dr. Riek Machar has condemned attacks on high-ways in the country’s Central Equatoria region.
Last week, several civilians were killed when a bus traveling between Yei town and Lasu village was attacked by unknown armed men before another bus was also ambushed two days later.
No group has been accused for caring out the attack and no one has claimed responsibility for both attacks.
In statement issued on Tuesday,Wayi Godwill Edward, a spokesman for SPLM-IO governor of Yei River state, said the group condemns the attacks which he said were carried out by criminals he did not identify.
“Over the past week some armed criminal gangs have heightened their banditry activities targeting civilians and commercial vehicles along the highways leading to Yei town,” Godwill said in the statement extended to Nyamilepedia.
“On 25th July 2019, they shot and wounded two youth at Sanjasiri, just about four miles away from Yei town (Yei-Lasu road). On 27th July 2019, they simultaneously ambushed and destroyed commercial vehicles at Logboronga (Yei-Lasu road) and Payawa (Yei-Kaya road). They looted money and valuable property of the passengers and abducted some civilians.
“SPLM (IO) leadership in Yei River State condemns in the strongest terms these cowardly attacks on innocent civilians and urges the perpetrators to give peace a chance. Civilians and aid agencies must be free to move anywhere.”
The group further urged the regional bloc, IGAD, which mediated the revitalized peace agreement signed by the government and opposition groups in September last year, “to do everything necessary to bring the remnants of the holdout armed groups to the R-ARCSS.”
