January 2nd 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – Youth leaders and intellectuals from South Sudan’s Pojulu community issued a statement on Tuesday condemning attacks they said were carried out last month by elements of the armed opposition NAS loyal to Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka who is also the leader of the holdout opposition alliance, the South Sudan National Democratic Alliance (SSNDA).
The statement dated January 1, 2019 and extended to the Nyamilepedia said the attacks by rebel troops of Gen. Thomas Cirilo took place on December 29th 2018 saying the violation of the ceasefire deal terrorized the people in a Lainya County village.
“This to inform peace lovers, general public and international community that Pojulu Youth and intellectuals particularly from Kenyi Payam of Lainya county of their civilians came under attack from holdout terrorist entity NAS led by Thomas Cirilo Swaka on 29th December 2018,” the statement extended to the Nyamilepedia partly read.
The statement said the attack violates Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) signed in Addis Ababa in December 2017 and the permanent Ceasefire Agreement signed in June 2018 by the government and opposition groups including the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) to which the NAS belongs belongs by the time.
“This is a violation or breach of [the 2017] COHA, thereafter; our leadership would like to, in strongest term possible, condemn this barbaric and terrorist act of holdout NAS led by warmonger Thomas Cirilo Swaka in Loka town, Kenyi and Limbe areas,” the statement added.
“This backward activities carried out by terrorist under command of warlord Kenyi Loburon raided and killed more innocent civilians who returned from camps to celebrate Christmas with their relatives and loved ones, and to start cultivation in their decent villages,” the statement added.
The statement further appealed to the South Sudan government to deploy more troops to the area to counter attacks against civilians from the holdout opposition group.
