South Sudanese rebels blast government for spreading “lies and propaganda”

SPLA-IO Chief of General Staff Simon Gatwech Dual. Photo: File

Khartoum/Pagak, August 1, 2017 (SSNA) — The military command of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) has strongly criticized the government, saying Juba resorts to spreading lies and propagandas in an attempt to confuse the people of South Sudan.

The accusation comes days after a group calling itself “Jikany Nuer Community in South Sudan and Ethiopia” sent out a statement, claiming at least four rebel generals have defected to the government. The Generals in question are Khor Chuol Giet, Thok Chuol Luak, Thok Chuol Liah, and Pal Kun Kek.

The Generals have so far dismissed the report of their alleged defection as “nonsense.”

Brig. Gen. disclosed that the group recently circulated a fake news, claiming that SPLA-IO Chief of General Staff 1st Lieutenant General Simon Gatwich Dual and Deputy Chief of Staff for Finance and Administration Lt. General James Koang Chuol Ranley has been arrested by the Sudan’s government. Deng calls the news, “new and fresh lie.”

Brigadier General William Gatjiath Deng, the Spokesman for the SPLA-IO blasted the group behind the circulation of what he described as “one misleading lie after another.” Deng, who branded Kiir’s government as “ethnocentric regime,” asserted in the statement that the armed opposition is crashing government troops in and around Maiwut and that the SPLA-IO has surrounded the Juba-backed forces waiting for an order to deliver the final blow to the enemies.

“As its [government] forces are being defeated and surrounded in and around Maiwut-2 by the brave SPLA-IO forces of division five (5) and GHQs Tiger battalion, the ethnocentric regime of General Salva Kiir Mayardit and the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE) is now circulating another lie, that our SPLM-SPLA (IO) Chief of General Staffs, 1st Lieutenant General Simon Gatwich Dual and our Deputy Chief of Staffs for Finance and Administration, Lt. General James Koang Chuol Ranley have been arrested and detained in Khartoum, Sudan,” Deng said in the statement released late Tuesday evening.

“This new lie followed that from a group calling themselves “Jikany Nuer Community in South Sudan and Ethiopia” who earlier on falsely and spuriously claimed that our very own bravest General James Khor Chuol Giet, General Thok Chuol Luak, General Thok Chuol Liah and General Stephen Pal Kun Kek joined the Juba regime in our SPLM-SPLA (IO) Pagak Headquarters,” he explained.

The rebel spokesperson says the main purpose of pouring one misleading lie after another into public circulation by the group is to confuse the people of South Sudan and international community and divert the attention from the ongoing Juba military campaign and aggression. He elaborates in the document that South Sudan’s government is trying to tarnish the image of Sudan while Khartoum is a welcoming place for more than more than 650,000 South Sudanese who escaped the brutalities of Juba’s regime and further accuse Juba of paying Sudanese rebels to fight alongside government forces against the SPLA-IO.

Deng condemns the group that spread lies and propagandas and assures the people of South Sudan that the rebel top two Generals are not under any detention as alleged by the government-backed group.

Previous Post
South Sudan government officials banned from using SPLA for protection
Next Post
U.S. appoints new Ambassador to South Sudan

1 Comment. Leave new

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field
Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.