Rebel group accuses President Kiir of plotting against South Sudanese refugees in Uganda
MOYO.
The South Sudan Liberation Army in Opposition have accused the Juba government of planning to abduct and assassinate some of their members staying in Uganda.
A press release from the rebels indicates that a number of South Sudan intelligence officers and other operatives with the help of the Uganda government are already in Uganda’s West Nile region and other parts of the country, trying to identify people they believe belong to the rebel forces.
“After suffering a humiliating defeat in the nearly two weeks fight in Western side of Kajo-Keji County following its incursion into SPLA-IO controlled areas, the regime decided to deploy agents of the South Sudan National Security Service and the Military Intelligence to the West Nile region of Uganda and in Kampala to supposedly kidnap, extradite or in difficult situation assassinate Senior Members of the SPLM/A IO,” Part of the statement said.
SPLM/A IO stands for Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition, founded by former vice president Dr Riek Machar.
Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, DPLA IO deputy Military Spokesperson told Daily Monitor that the kidnappers under the command of 1st Lt. Lemi Polondoro are being directed by Isaac Moro who claims to be the Coordinator for the South Sudan Embassy in Arua District.
"The group is sent with much money for bribing individual officers to facilitate their evil plan of abduction and deportation. As of now, two wounded soldiers, two officers of the SPLA IO and an ambulance driver have been arrested and detained in Koboko. There is also a crackdown on South Sudan refugees along the border towns and some areas in Kampala on the basis that they are supporters and sympathizers of the SPLM/A IO," he said
He said the SPLA IO condemns such dubious activity of the regime in Juba and calls on the Uganda government to prevent the spill-over of the insecurity from South Sudan by arresting those elements sent to carry out operational activities in breach of the territorial integrity of Uganda.
"The SPLA IO maintains its honest respect to the government of Uganda as usual", he said
Ms Josephine Angucia, the West Nile Police spokesperson when contacted however denied the claims of deploying South Sudan government forces in the region.
"I don't know any plans about other security organs but as police, we are sensitizing the border communities to be vigilant and report such suspicious movement by armed strangers along the border line to the authorities for quick action," Ms Angucia said.
She however said deployment of Ugandan forces to secure border has been going on for some time. She said the reinforcement followed the recent attacks on the innocent Ugandans by armed South Sudanese men along the border.
"A lot of deployments were done along the border with both police and Army forces", She said.
She said over six detaches were opened including police posts to monitor security situation along the border lines.
When contacted, Brigadier Richard Karemire, the UPDF spokesperson referred our reporter to the 4th division headquarters in Gulu. However, by the time of filing this story, our attempts to get in touch with the spokesperson of the said division had proved futile.
