Hentet fra South Sudan News Agency (ingen journalist kreditert)
The Spokesperson for the South Sudan armed opposition, SPLA-IO, said in a statement that the failed abduction of their Deputy Spokesman Col. Paul Gabriel Lam in Uganda fits the definition terrorist activities.
Paul Gabriel was abducted last Friday by armed Ugandan men and a woman who repeatedly asked him why he talks too much in the media. The abductors also told him to shut up or else. The kidnappers then attempted to smuggle Col. Paul to Juba, but Ugandan police were notified and quickly rescued the rebel official.
In a strongly worded statement, Brig. General William Gatjiath Deng, the Spokesperson for SPLA-IO, blasted South Sudanese government over the abduction, saying the kidnapping was a coordinated by South Sudan’s embassy in Kampala and agents of the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE).
“On Friday, August 18, 2017, the South Sudan embassy in Uganda and the agents of the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE) regime in Juba abducted Col. Paul Gabriel Lam Oyihi, our SPLA (IO) Deputy Military Spokesperson, in Kampala, Uganda,” Gatjiath said, adding, “Upon learning the abduction, the Ugandan police and security agencies quickly intervened and successfully rescued Col. Paul Gabriel Lam Oyihi from being smuggled illegally to Juba without the knowledge of the Ugandan authorities.”
Gatjiath said Juba’s regime resorts to kidnapping rebel officials and said the armed opposition condemns such a practice.
“This time, the same Juba regime is targeting political opponents and the abduction and kidnapping of Col. Paul Gabriel Lam Oyihi has revealed a lot more than meet the eye. This is terrorism by the true meaning of the word and we in the SPLM-SPLA (IO) condemn it very strongly,” he explained.
Riek Machar’s press secretary James Gatdet Dak was kidnapped in Nairobi in November 2016. South Sudan government agents with help from some Kenyan police and officials also abducted Dong Samuel Luak and Aggrey Idri early this year.
Brig. Gen. William Gatjiath thanks the Ugandan police and security agencies for protecting South Sudanese who seek UN protection after they were driven out of their homes by what he described as “JCE-led regime.” He calls on the Ugandan government to protect its good refugees’ policy.
Gatjiath also alleged in the statement that Juba’s agents previously attempted to commit atrocities by poisoning water tanks used by non-Dinka refugees in a Ugandan camp.
SPLA-IO Spokesman says Juba’s kidnapping activities amount to “terrorism”