Hon. John Agany, Chairperson of Information Committee at the TNLA speaking to the Media after the launch of Strategic Plan 2021 - 2022 on Saturday 11th March 2022

A national lawmaker is calling on SPLM-IO leadership to clarify its position on the white army group, which stand accused of attacking civilians in the Upper Nile State.

Local authorities in Fashoda County said the armed militia attacked an internally displaced persons camp in Kodok on November 30 – leading to indiscriminate killing of civilians.

The attack in Aburoc of Fashoda County also displaced thousands of civilians with hundreds of children separated from their parents and families.

Speaking to Eye Radio on Monday, John Agany, the head of the national parliament’s Information and Communications Committee said the SPLM-IO needs to explain who is commanding the militias.

“The people who were brought to cantonment areas seem to be people who were brought from nowhere, but the real people with the guns these are the people who are turning up to kill our people,” he said.

Agany directed the appeal to First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, who is the leader of SPLM/A-IO – asking him to order the group to return to their places.

“We are calling on the leadership of IO to address this, because if we call the government and SSPDF goes to solve this problem, it can again get out of our hands and then people go back to war.”

“So, we need to address it through the channel of the leadership, especially the IO leadership as to address this and call these people to go back to their places and they must be disarmed.

When contacted on the matter, Puok Both Baluang, the spokesperson of the First Vice President refuted the claims that the white army is part of SPLA-IO.

“They are not part of the SPLM/A-IO, they are under the leadership of the spiritual leaders called “Puot” and they don’t take orders from the SPLM/A-IO,” Both said.

He added: “We condemn this irresponsible statement from that member of parliament, involving the SPLM-IO in a conflict that we are not part of.”

The SPLM-IO official said the insecurity in the Upper Nile requires a collective effort from the national and state governments.

“We condemned the violence in Upper Nile in letter and spirit, and it is not the work of the SPLM-IO itself or alone. It needs collective efforts from the national government in the different levels and institutions and stop the bloodshed.”