Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Minister of Information in Unity State says calm has been restored at the internally displaced people’s camps in Bentiu town after clashes between the army and SPLA-IO forces yesterday.
Minister Nyakenya Johannes Keah said the shooting broke out last evening between SPLA-IO and SSPDF forces stationed at the civilians’ protection site, and the cause of the confrontation remains unclear.
She stated this morning that the security situation has been brought under control and plans are in place to visit the site later today to gather facts.
“The events began on Saturday and continued into yesterday. In the evening, an incident occurred at the UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan), which was unfortunate. However, the SSPDF managed to push back the attacking SPLA-IO forces. During the night, the situation stabilized, thanks to security deployments around the city. This morning, everything appears to be under control, but we plan to visit the site shortly,”Minister Nyakenya told Eye Radio in an exclusive interview from Unity State on Monday, January 5.
“The recent tensions arose when, during the recent dramas, SPLA-IO forces started shooting at SSPDF personnel. The SSPDF is committed to avoiding war or conflict within the POC site. They responded by pushing the SPLA-IO forces out; some of these forces fled into the water, and others were captured,” he said.
She said Unity State is committed to restoring full order and providing safety and support to civilians seeking refuge at the Bentiu POC site.
“We want the people at the Protection of Civilians (POC) site to know that the Government of Unity State cares deeply for them. They should be assured that their safety is our top concern and that we will provide the necessary security, just as we demonstrated yesterday after the recent incidents,” she added.
Spokespersons for the SSPDF and SPLA-IO forces have not yet commented or issued an official statement regarding the incident.
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