Army orders arrest of suspects in Tambura violence

The South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) has ordered for the arrest of all suspects involved in inter-communal violence in Tambura of Western Equatoria State.
Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, SSPDF spokesperson

By Awan Achiek

The South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) has ordered for the arrest of all suspects involved in inter-communal violence in Tambura of Western Equatoria State.

Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, SSPDF spokesperson said the sixth infantry division commander, James Akech has been directed to arrest all suspects involved in causing insecurity in Tambura County.

“We gave clear orders to the commander to arrest all the culprits involved in causing insecurity, those who might have participated in murder, rape, looting and other forms of crimes including burning down of some houses. Those ones have to be arrested from both sides either from Azande and Balanda,” Koang told journalists during a media briefing at Bilpam, in Juba, on Wednesday.

General Koang admitted the involvement of some elements from both the SSPDF and SPLA-IO, saying they will also be arrested and dealt with in accordance with the law.

“There was a report of involvement of some elements from SPLA-IO and SSPDF. They took part as individuals along tribal lines, and he (the commander) has been mandated to arrest any from these sides,” said Koang.

He said the insecurity which is being witnessed is marked by targeted killing, road ambushes, looting, and beating, adding that there is no confrontational attack.

“I would like to make it very clear that the insecurity we have been witnessing emanated as a result of two rival groups, armed Azande youth vs Balanda youth. They don’t get into frontal confrontation. What they do is targeted killing, road ambushes, looting, and beating,” he said.

“If you are marked as a high value target, they either attack you on your way or in your residence, this is what happened and some of them are armed with all the different types of automatic weapons and some of them are using bows and arrows, machetes and Panga.”

The renewed violence erupted on 24th April 2024 between the Balanda and Azande communities in Tambura County.

The fighting has killed scores of civilians and displaced over 50,000 mostly women and children.

It is marked by killings, kidnappings, disappearances and destruction of property.

The conflict initially broke out in June 2021, pitting the Balanda community backed by the opposition forces SPLA-IO against the Azande community with clear backing of the SSPDF forces under James Nando. 

This month, over 600 SSPDF forces were deployed around Tambura which resulted in the arrest of 19 people allied to the SPLA-IO.

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