Juba, Feb 16 (EFE).- At least 10 soldiers were killed and 21 others injured in South Sudan after an “ambush” by a group of armed youths in the eastern state of Upper Nile, the army said on Sunday.
The attack occurred at 3 am on Sunday in the town of Nasir, army spokesperson Lul Ruai Kong told EFE.
Kong blamed the attack on the armed wing of the opposition party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO).
He alleged that the SPLM-IO, led by Vice President Riek Machar, a longtime rival of President Salva Kiir, had “incited” local youths to attack army positions.
“What these armed youths did in Nasir was due to incitement by opposition forces in the area to deepen divisions among the local population,” Kong said.
He added that the army has “sufficient evidence” and plans to present it to the ceasefire monitoring committee to hold the opposition able.
A ceasefire has been in effect since 2018, following a peace agreement between the government and the armed opposition.
However, spokesperson for the opposition rebels Lam Paul Gabriel denied the allegations, stating that their forces were not involved in the attack.
“We have not carried out any attack, nor have we incited local youths. The army has issues with the local population,” Gabriel said.
He claimed that the army first attacked civilians in Nasir, prompting the youths to retaliate.
Government forces control part of Nasir, while the opposition rebels hold the remaining areas.
In recent weeks, clashes between the army and opposition rebel groups have also erupted in other parts of South Sudan, particularly in the southwest.
The violence comes amid political uncertainty following a recent government reshuffle by President Kiir.
Tensions have also risen due to delays in implementing the 2018 peace agreement, leaving the country in a fragile political state. EFE
asm-kba/bks
