Speaking to Eye Radio on Monday evening, Changkuoth Ruon Jal said the directive affects residents as well as international and national non-governmental organizations operating in the two locations.

According to Jal, those affected have been instructed to relocate to the eastern bank of the Sobat River.

The commissioner said the directive issued on Sunday was the second evacuation order. An earlier notice was issued on March 1 and was set to expire on March 17.

Jal said the order followed concerns raised by local authorities and the county security committee about the presence of the former commissioner in Mandeng.

“This is not the first order; it is the second one. I wrote the first order on March 1 and it was to end on the 17th of this month,” Jal said.

He said local authorities had held discussions with the community and asked the group he referred to as Gat-luak to leave the area.

“We talked to the community of Mandeng and asked Gat-luak to leave the area so they can live in their own place, but they refused,” he said.

The commissioner said humanitarian organizations and residents were advised to distance themselves from the group ahead of the planned operation.

“That is why I ordered the NGOs and the community to distance themselves so they know what is going on and what is going to take place,” Jal added.