Puok Both, SPLM-IO Director for Information, also Acting Press Secretary in the Office of the First Vice President - Courtesy

SPLM-IO has described accusations that First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar interfered with the evacuation of SSPDF soldiers displaced by the Nasir conflict as “misrepresentation of facts”, while urging the army leadership to prioritize de-escalation.

On Monday, SSPDF leadership accused Machar of interfering with the evacuation of soldiers displaced by the Nasir conflict and stated that the First Vice President should also be held accountable for the loss of lives during an evacuation incident.

This was after the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reported that several SSPDF servicemen, including an injured General, were killed while attempting to evacuate from the area.

A UN assistant pilot was also killed during the attack at the evacuation site – which occurred after armed youth overran a military base in Nasir in deadly fighting with SSPDF on March 4.

Following the Nasir fighting, hundreds of soldiers fled to neighboring areas. Bilpam has confirmed that over 200 SSPDF soldiers are alive and expressed gratitude to the communities hosting them in Ulang and Akobo Counties.

Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang claimed – during a press conference in Bilpam – that Machar interfered with the evacuation of those soldiers – after he ordered his forces to remove them from custody of the local population.

“Dr. Riek Machar interfered with some of his officers here. They provided the local administrator in Akobo County with a list of the soldiers,” he stated.

“Riek sent his forces, under the command of Major General James Utong Liah, to forcibly remove those SSPDF personnel from the local population that had been protecting them for the past seven days.”

Gen. Lul said the local community had however resisted the move, expressing concerns that the safety of the soldiers could not be guaranteed if the soldiers were taken by a third party.

‘Misrepresentation of facts’

In response, Puok Both Baluang, Acting Press Secretary in the Office of First Vice President denied that Machar blocked SSPDF plans to evacuate their forces in Akobo, and regarded the accusations as baseless.

“We would like to categorically refute these baseless accusations, which are a complete misrepresentation of the facts,” Baluang said in a statement.

He narrated that the SSPDF soldiers in question were five and one of these five soldiers died along the way to Akobo, before the remaining officers arrived in Akobo West.

Upon their arrival in the area, Baluang said the SSPDF soldiers communicated their presence to the First Vice President after which Machar contacted his commander Maj. Gen. James Utong Liah to inform and direct him to provide them with protection.

“Demonstrating good faith and commitment to cooperation, General James Utong Liah, offered to escort the stranded SSPDF soldiers to Walgak, from where they could be transferred to Wat, the nearest SSPDF station,” he stated.

“However, the SSPDF soldiers declined this offer and instead opted to remain in Buong and await evacuation to Juba from that location. So, these SSPDF soldiers are currently in Buong by their own choice, where they are being hosted by local residents and are under the protection of the SPLA-IO.”

He further said Machar has been actively engaged in efforts to locate scattered SSPDF soldiers and officers in Nasir and Ulang counties, with the intention of facilitating their transportation to Juba.

“We anticipate that further soldiers will emerge from hiding as these search efforts continue. It is crucial to acknowledge the remarkable role of local communities, including the youth, in providing shelter and assistance to these soldiers.”

“We call upon the SSPDF to prioritize de-escalation and work collaboratively to resolve this situation constructively.”