Western Equatoria State map. (Courtesy).

An SPLA IO commander in the former Western Equatoria has apologized to the people of Tombura for crimes his forces may have committed during the conflict in the state.

Tombura is one of the states that have been affected by the conflict, especially following the renewed clashes in the July of 2016.

According to UN, the conflict between the government forces and opposition groups affected local people, mostly in the Equatoria and Upper Nile regions.

There have been reports of targeting of civilians, rape, abduction and displacement in the states, including Tombura, Amadi, Gbudue, and Maridi.

“I want to tell you that when we were fighting, so many people were killed, children died, men died and women died too,” SPLA IO commander, James Nando confessed.

Commander James then asked the inhabitant for forgiveness: “I stand in front of you today here to tell you that what had happen, forgive those of us who went to the bush.”

He went on to say that “it was not our intention to kill people, we went to the bush for the right of the people.”

In his assurances to the residents, Commander Nando said peace has come and that “everybody should put to their mind that peace has [surely] come.”

This came after CTSAM-VM and UNMISS facilitated a meeting between the government and SPLA IO in Tombura State earlier this week.