Army spokesperson –Maj Gen Lul Ruai Koang during Eye Radio's dawn show June 15, 2021/Eye Radio

The South Sudan army spokesperson said the country’s oil fields and facilities are safe and well protected from any threat amid fears of escalation in the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

Major General Lul Ruai made the remarks during a live talk show on Eye Radio on Thursday in response to recent media reports that a South Sudanese General provided intelligence about a planned aggression on oilfields in Unity State.

Local media cited the SSPDF Fourth Infantry commander in Unity State, Maj. Gen. Manyang Mayak, as saying that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are collaborating with a South Sudanese rebel group to launch an attack on Heglig oil fields.

Meanwhile army spokesperson General Lul Ruai maintained that the oil facilities within South Sudan are well protected.

Mr. Ruai said even though the pipelines pass through the Sudanese territory, the Sudanese will not intentionally order the destruction of our oil facilities regardless of their differences.

“Regarding our oil facilities on our side, they are well protected,” he told Eye Radio.

“Any threat could only emanate from the rival factions that are fighting, maybe, because most of our facilities are passing through different States in the Republic of Sudan but of course, the flow of oil is very important to all the Sudanese regardless of their political differences.”

“They have been getting cash from oil facilities that we have been renting, we have been hiring, so in one way, the Sudanese people have been direct beneficiaries of the oil and I strongly believe, the government will still engage them but our facilities on our side of the border are well protected.”

According to a 13th January story on the City Review Newspaper, Mayak, the SSPDF commander in Unity State said troops on the border have been monitoring the RSF’s collaboration with South Sudanese rebels under the leadership of Gen. Stephen Buay Rolnyang.

“We were informed by our soldiers on the border that the RSF and the forces led by Gen. Buay Rolnyang were about to attack Heglig oilfields on Wednesday,” he told the newspaper.

Gen. Mayak further alleged that the RSF had been recruiting South Sudanese youth to back them up in their fight with the Sudanese army.