Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The National Salvation Front has denied the reports of fighting with SSPDF at Mankar Island of Mangala Payam on the weekend.
Yesterday, the spokesperson of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces says they fought NAS forces at the island and captured their base.
Major General Lul Ruai Koang said the fighting erupted on Christmas Eve after the NAS troops attacked the SSPDF patrolling team.
In a statement seen by Eye Radio, General Lul says the government forces killed five of the opposition soldiers and recovered arms and ammunition.
In response, Suba Samuel Subek, the spokesperson of NAS refuted the accusation and says they don’t have a presence in the northern part of Juba.
“It’s the villages for civilians, but not a National Salvation Front hideout or basses,” Subek said.
Suba told Eye Radio that the fighting is between Bari youth and cattle keepers.
“The Bari youth are now being termed rebels by the SSPDF spokesperson, because they are defending their territory from brutality, and we have a government and we have police who cannot even go and help this civilian from this incursion,” he added.
“I want to clarify that we don’t have forces there, those are Islands for civilians who are doing their agriculture. Now the government is fighting their own civilians, we are not involved in that fighting, we don’t have even forces in Northern Juba.”
Eye Radio was not immediately able to verify either the presence of NAS troops in the area or the reported clashes.
In his press statement on Monday, SSPDF Spokesperson General Lul said they found 1000 military trenches the captured base.
Lul said the army has launched an offensive operation to force NAS out of several Islands that they have occupied between Juba and Mangala.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
