Picture of Tambura town taken in April 2019. (Photo/Charles Wote/Eye Radio)

The SSPDF has blamed the insecurity in Tambura County of Western Equatoria State on rival Balanda and Azande armed youth groups who have been carrying out targeted killings and looting.

Tambura County witnessed in recent weeks experienced skirmishes that left one person dead, and several houses razed down.

Catholic priest Luke Yugue and his boda-boda rider was also reportedly abducted along the Nagero-Tambura County road.

The incident involving the disappearance of a clergy is the first of its kind in South Sudan.

Speaking to Eye Radio this morning, SSPDF spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai said that armed civilians – mainly youth from Balanda and Azande communities in Tambura have been carrying out targeted killing and looting along ethnic lines.

“I would like to make it very clear that those who are posing security problems are armed youth from two rival communities -armed youth from the Balanda ethnic group versus the Azande ethnic group.

However, General Lul said there has been no direct confrontation between the groups.

“Those are the armed civilians who are responsible for the insecurity, and the insecurity that they are causing is targeted. They are not involved in physical confrontations.

“What they are doing  is carrying out armed robberies being targeted killings looting and they are doing it at along the line.”

General Lul added that the Chief Défense Force of the SSPDF has ordered the command of the 6th Infantry Division to relocate his headquarters temporally from Maridi to Tambura to oversee offensive operations.

“The SSPDF command under the Chief of Defence Force, General Santino Deng Wol ordered the command of 6thInfantry Divisio n Major General Akech to relocate his headquarters from Maridi to Tambura, so that he overseas offensive operations so that the normal security situation is restored.

” So, we are getting on top of it here. It started deploying forces based on security threats that were being posted by this rival armed youth,” Gen. Lul said.

He added that commander Major General Akech is also tasked to carry out peaceful civilians’ disarmament.

“There will be peaceful disarmament, and once it’s fails or geared little fruit, they will carry out of forceful disarmament. We want to collect all the firearms that are in the hands of the civilians who  are killing themselves.”

A week ago, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tambura urged President Salva Kiir to declare a state emergency in Tambura County as inter-communal tension sparked by banditry attacks in the area.

Early this week, Western Equatoria State governor said he would not tolerate not group causing insecurity in the county, and will launch a hunt after them in the bushes.