January 21st 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan government forces in the country’s defunct unity state have abducted members of a family of a holdout rebel officer on Monday, a rebel spokesman said in a statement on Tuesday.
Sunday de’John, the spokesman for South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A), a rebel movement in South Sudan not a signatory to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement said a government forces commanded by Col. Gatgueng Bipal abducted family member of a senior rebel commander.
The statement said the orders were conducted in line with orders by deputy governor of Northern Liech state Laraka Machar Turoal. He said the government action violates the recent commitment between government and opposition groups to the 2017 ceasefire agreement.
“The South Sudan United Front/Army would like to inform her membership, the South Sudanese at large and the international community that yesterday night at around 12:30 AM, forces led by one Col. Gatgueng Bipal and acting upon the orders of the Deputy Governor of Northern Liech State Mr. Laraka Machar Turoal abducted all the members of the family of Brigadier Koang Makuei, the Operations Commander of SSUF/A in Bentiu area,” the statement extended to Nyamilepedia partly reads.
“This act of abduction was carried out in Boryan Village, East of Nhialdiu area and the abductees comprise of two wives of the said commander, namely Nyariek Dol Reat and Nyakoang Kuar Riek and their six children including two teen age daughters who are now feared to have been molested by the said forces,” the statement added.
“This act of abducting families of those in opposition has never been recorded in the history of our country and it happened for the first time in Bentiu area.
“This act was carried out in aggression of SSUF/A and especially after it has signed the Rome Declaration meant to pave way for peace.
“We are informing the international community and especially the United Nations Mission in South Sudan to trace the abductees and ensure that they are safely returned to their residence.
“South Sudan United Front/Army condemns this act and the Commander-In-Chief has called for restrain and re-commitment to cessation of hostilities despite the hostile environment created by the government of Northern Liech state.
“We therefore, ask the international community to keenly observe these hostile actions and hold the perpetrators responsible for the heinous crimes they are committing.
“By order of the Commander-In-Chief, all SSUF/A forces in all fronts are asked to restrain from any active combat and only act in self-Defense when attacked.”
