South Sudan army denies killing a trader in Amadi state

[Elisabeth Janaina]

South Sudan army denies killing a trader in Amadi state

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February 15, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan army (SPLA) has dismissed as
reports that its forces allegedly burnt down villages in Amadi, one of
the country’s newly created states, and hacked a citizen to pieces.

JPEG - 61.9 kb
SPLA soldiers in Malakal, capital of the battleground oil-state of
Upper Nile on 15 May 2014 (Photo AFP/Ivan Lieman)

The deputy spokesman of pro-government forces, Col. Santo Domic Chol
said the report “dangerous” propaganda being use by the armed
opposition forces to “solicit sympathy from local population and to
portray their forces as heartless and murderous”.

“First of all I would like to say there is nothing like that at all.
No such incident has ever occurred. It is not a tradition of the SPLA.
We are a national army mandated by the constitution to defend the
country, the territory and to protect the lives and properties of our
civil population and this is why we say you need to speak to relevant
authority whenever there are such unfounded and dangerous propaganda”,
Chol told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

The military officer was reacting to a report, which claimed the army
allegedly shot Samuel Phillip, son of late Canon Phillip Nyadringwa,
cut him into pieces and removed his intestines in Lui town, last week.

The deceased was a trader and citizen living in Lui town. The
circumstance under which he was killed remains unclear. Sources in the
area claims he was killed by the government forces after he was found
in possession of money and refused to give them, forcing government
soldiers to kill him after which his money was taken.

Another source claimed that the pro-government forces, on a mission
from Lui on February 8,2017 to Jambo, burnt down more than 75 civilian
houses at Doro, Buagyi and Lanyi respectively and looted food items ,
including cattle, forcing all civilians in these areas to run into the
bushes without food, clothing and water.

Sudan Tribune was, however, unable to independently verify the
authenticity of these various reports as clashes between the SPLA and
the armed opposition take place in remote villages without network
coverage and out of bound for journalists.

In the past, human right organizations have accused both the
government forces and the armed opposition troops of carrying out
atrocities, including gang rape and mass killing of innocent civilians
when taking over a territory previously held by the other.

(ST)