February 8th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan government has launched a crackdown on supporters of SPLM-IO in the government-held Jonglei state, the main armed opposition group have said in a statement.
Gabriel Chol Garang Chiping, SPLM-IO Information Minister for Jonglei state said in a statement extended to the Nyamilepedia on Thursday that opposition supporters are being arrested by the government in violation of the revitalized peace agreement.
“This is to inform all the parties and other stakeholders to the Revitalizes Agreement on Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R.ARCISS), that there is a subtle violation of the Peace Agreement behind the scene in Jonglei state,” he said.
“For the last two weeks now, there has been an ongoing crackdown on the supporters of SPLM–(IO) and other Peace partners in the state,” he added.
He said dozens of SPLM-IO supporters who reported themselves to SPLM-IO areas of cantonment have been jailed by the government of Jonglei.
“More than a dozen of Jonglei citizens are now in jails for identifying themselves as SPLM-IO supporters or sympathizers,” he said.
“These young men and woman are former soldiers who decided to leave the army during the civil war and live as underground supporters of SPLM–(IO), in the areas controlled by the government, now they are trying to surface after the Peace is signed,” he added.
He said the South Sudan governor of Jonglei state should instead call his counterpart in the SPLM-IO to celebrate peace to build confidence among the civil population.
