Updated at 9:25Am, August 19, 2014(PST).
August 19, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — The Sudan People Liberation Movement, SPLM, in opposition accuses the government troops of planting landmines, gang rapping of women and displacment of civil population from their homes to refugees camps and neighboring countries .
According to Capt. Mabior Garang de Mabior, the chairman for the SPLM National Committee for Information and Publicity, the government has set up isolated Garrisons across the country.
In his report, the “government soldiers in these garrisons randomly and indiscriminately shell the nearby villages”.
This, according to Mabior, has continually displaced local populations to refugees camps, UNMISS, within the country and across the borders.
Mabior explains that the government troops plant landmines between villages near these Garrisons. The mines are believed to have claimed lives and will remain in the ground even after the conflict.
“Plant land mines in roads connecting the villages leading to these garrisons or to neighboring countries that are used by fleeing IDPs especially to Sudan and Ethiopia. The casualties, those killed and maimed are mainly women and children” Mabior said.
The opposition believe that the United Nations through UNMISS is aware of the use of land mines by the government in the country.
“the use of these land mines has been reported and UNMISS can bear witness to this fatalities” Mabior stated.
South Sudan government and its Ugandan allies have been accused and condemned for using the internationally banned clusters bombs on civilians in the country.
The government troops in these garrisons are also accused of gang raping women and young girls in the villages of Greater Upper Nile Region.
“Reports of gang rapping of women and girls have consistently been committed by their reconnaissance patrols.” The report continued.
“This has led to further displacement of the civil population from their homes and also from the locations to seek refuge in Ethiopia and Sudan, Kenya and Uganda. It also fuels the cycle of revenge that needs to stop” the report further stated.
Mabior reports that the SPLM/SPLA (in opposition) is obliged to raise the hostile activities of an elected government in the three states of Greater Upper Nile that now displaces the population from their homes.
“SPLM/SPLA has followed with concern the hostile activities of the government’s isolated garrisons in Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile. It is common knowledge that no citizens live in these garrisons.” the report reads.
“This is because the citizens in the nearby villages rightly perceive the government army as forces of occupation due to their hostile activities” Mabior explains.
The report reiterates that the government denies the humanitarian and relief agencies access to these isolated populations and therefore increases the chances of famine in the country.
“The garrisons on the other hand prevent and hinder access by the humanitarian and relief agencies to the citizens outside these garrisons contributing in a special way to the looming famine” the report continue.
According to the opposition, the loyal troops are starving in the areas they encroached, which force them to raid villages in search for food and livestock.
“The Government of South Sudan seldom sources its soldiers. As a result, these garrisons are hungry as they have no supplies prompting them to sneak into the nearby villages to loot food and livestock”Mabior stated.Mabior explains that it is because of these aggressive behaviors that fits the government against barely armed youth in many parts of the country.
“The perpetual aggressive and belligerent activities of the government forces in the garrisons has on several occasions provoked the armed youth to defend their villages and attack these garrisons.” the report concludes.
