South Sudan blames armed opposition group for abducting over 100 civilians

Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-07 01:28:54|Editor: huaxia

JUBA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan army on Monday confirmed that more than 100 civilians have been abducted by the opposition's National Salvation Front (NAS) group under renegade general Thomas Cirilo in Yei-River state bordering Uganda.

Lul Ruai Koang, the spokesman of South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF), disclosed that the civilians were abducted by NAS in the Mukaya area last week.

"The information we got about a week ago, was that NAS forces dispersed their units with the intention of recruiting young men in those areas. They are on a recruitment drive, so probably these young men who were abducted were taken by NAS so that they could become their fighters," Koang told Xinhua in Juba.

According to the South Sudan media Radio Tamazuj, NAS denied involvement in the abduction. Instead, the group accused government forces of abducting civilians.

On several past occasions, SSPDF has been accusing NAS of violating the peace deal by ambushing civilians along major roads in Yei River state, located southwest of the capital.

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