According to the SPLA IO, the suspected SSPDF soldiers under the command of Maj. Gen. Gordon Banak reportedly attacked Liangji cantonment in Maban and burned the site to ashes.

In a statement seen by Eye Radio, the SPLA IO Military spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel however called on the CTSAM-VM and Joint Defense Board to investigate the matter.

“On 16/04/2022, the SSPDF under the command of Maj. Gen. Gordon Banak attacked the SPLA-IO forces in the Liangji cantonment site and burned it down to ashes,” Col Lam said.

“The SPLA-IO calls upon the CTSAM-VM and the JDB to investigate this violation and bring those responsible to book.”

Speaking to Eye Radio on Sunday, the SSPDF Spokesperson also confirmed the fighting but instead blamed the SPLA IO for attacking the SSPDF base.

Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang also appealed to CTSAM-VM to investigate the matter and held those responses accountable.

“I am making this known to the listeners of Eye Radio and I am also taking this opportunity to once again call upon CTSAM-VM to carry out the investigation and hold the violators accountable,” Gen. Lul said.

“We are really wondering why our peace partner is continuing to attack our positions when we are implementing the transitional security arrangement and our command was just recently unified.”

Early last week President Salva Kiir issued a republican decree to unify the command structure of the organized forces.

He later presided over the swearing in of senior officers representing SSPDF, SPLA-IO and SSOA in the unified command structure.

Last week, a political analyst told Eye Radio that Dr. Riek Machar and seven other armed opposition leaders have ceased to be Commanders-in-Chief from the day parties unified the command structure.

Maj. Gen. Lul Ryai Koang however said the new command structure is yet to be realized on the ground.

“The unified command structure is at the highest level. The forces that are at the training centers are the forces that are being unified,” Gen. Lul said.

“We are still having SPLA IO, having separate forces at the countryside that do not prescribe to what we are doing here and these are the forces that are responsible for violation.”