{"id":49889,"date":"2023-12-23T14:52:25","date_gmt":"2023-12-23T14:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/south-sudan-opposition-commander-defends-bentiu-withdrawal-citing-civilian-safety"},"modified":"2023-12-23T16:04:03","modified_gmt":"2023-12-23T16:04:03","slug":"south-sudan-opposition-commander-defends-bentiu-withdrawal-citing-civilian-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-sudan\/all-news\/south-sudan-opposition-commander-defends-bentiu-withdrawal-citing-civilian-safety","title":{"rendered":"South Sudan opposition commander defends Bentiu withdrawal, citing civilian safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Sudan. <\/strong><\/span>The commander of the main armed opposition SPLA-IO\u2019s Division 4A, Maj. Gen. John Turuk Khor, has defended his recent withdrawal from Unity State\u2019s capital Bentiu, attributing it to the protection of civilians.<\/p>\n

On December 15th, Governor Joseph Manytuil reportedly requested Turuk and his troops to leave Bentiu after the general allegedly refused to defect to the South Sudan People\u2019s Defense Forces (SSPDF).<\/p>\n

Turuk and his troops, along with several new defectors, relocated to Tong, a kilometer northwest of the state capital.<\/p>\n

Addressing his troops on Friday during a Christmas gathering at Tong, Turuk emphasized that his withdrawal aimed to prevent clashes with the SSPDF, which he asserted would have devastating consequences for civilians.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I hold a significant force, and the SPLA-IO presence extends across Unity State, my withdrawal shouldn\u2019t be misinterpreted as weakness. It was a courageous decision made for the well-being of our people,\u201d he declared to the hundreds of soldiers present.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we decided to withdraw from Bentiu town because of the safety and well-being of the people of Unity State. It is their right to live free and secure their properties,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Turuk arrived in Bentiu in 2021 as part of the reunification efforts within the South Sudanese peace process.<\/p>\n

While thousands of his troops have been integrated into the SSPDF, their deployment as stipulated in the revitalized peace agreement is yet to occur.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The commander of the main armed opposition SPLA-IO\u2019s Division 4A, Maj. Gen. John Turuk Khor, has defended his recent withdrawal from Unity State\u2019s capital Bentiu, attributing it to the protection of civilians. On December 15th, Governor Joseph Manytuil reportedly requested Turuk and his troops to leave Bentiu after the general allegedly refused […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":49888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[234,265,233],"class_list":["post-49889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-south-sudan","tag-south-sudan"],"yoast_head":"\nSouth Sudan opposition commander defends Bentiu withdrawal, citing civilian safety - South Sudan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The commander of the main armed opposition SPLA-IO\u2019s Division 4A, Maj. Gen. 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