Gatluak Nyang Hoth denies having mobilized armed youth to attack villages in the neighboring Leer County.

This follows a report by the ceasefire monitoring body – CTSAM-VM, which accuses him and his Koch counterpart of having instigated the deadly violence.

Last month, armed youth allegedly from Koch and Mayiandit counties reportedly raided several villages in Leer County, resulting in death, destruction, and displacement.

CTSAM-VM alleges that the commissioners of Mayiandit and Koch are to blame for the deadly violence that rocked Leer County as well as parts of Koch County, last month.

“Mir Mir Cantonment Site was overrun on 11 February by Kit-Gwang elements & armed youth reportedly instigated by the Koch County Commissioner. Consequently, armed clashes spread to Mayiandit and Leer counties,” Lieutenant General Asrat Denero Amad, the Chairperson of CTSAM-VM said.

“There were reports of continuous attacks from 4th to 8th April by the Koch and Mayendit County Commissioners on SPLM/A-IO forces and the Leer population in Leer County.”

In his response, the Commissioner of Mayiandit County Gatluak Nyang says he wasn’t in the area during the clashes.

“In the previous days, a report was issued by CTSAMM accusing the commissioner of Mayiandit of mobilizing the youth in the area to attack Leer,” Nyang told Eye Radio.

“I would say these accusations are baseless. Knowing that these accusations must be based on reality,

“As commissioner, I have security and administrative tasks, and those who share these tasks with me are the police and then the army if necessary,

“On the incident of 6^th of April, I was in Mayiandit I heard their clashes in Mirmir, we have no connection with what happened in Mirmir.”

Gatluak Nyang claims that he was not able to control the armed youth whom he said are more powerful than the local government.

“I would like to add that we are commissioners, we do not have the authority or the ability to control the armed youth. Since the outbreak of the events in South Sudan, most young people have carried weapons,” Commissioner Nyang said.

“Armed youth, if you attack their cattle they will respond to the aggression no one has authority over them. Regardless of where you belong, whether from the opposition or the government. As long as you attack their cattle, they will deal violently with you,

“There is no single commissioner in South Sudan who can say that he has power over armed youth. What CTSAMM said about me mobilizing the youth to attack, is not true.”

According to UNMISS, some 181 people including 23 children have been killed since the violence began.