"There is no joint military build-up in Yei" - SPLA-IO

The SPLA-IO representative on the Joint Defence Board says there is no joint military build-up between the SSPDF and the SPLA-IO in Yei river state to confront forces of the National Salvation Army under the command of Gen Thomas Cirilo.

Lt Gen James Koang Chol who is also the co-chairperson of the Joint Defence Board refuted the reports which he said had been circulating on social media, saying there are no plans for a joint offensive against Cirillo.

The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) this week expressed concern over deployments, saying it had received several credible reports of troop movements by both the government and Cirillo’s forces.

Lt Gen Chuol made the remarks at the opening of an Orientation and Coordination Workshop organised by JMEC for all security mechanisms responsible for the implementation of the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements.

In his remarks, Lt Chuol also spoke of breakthroughs made by the Joint Defence Board in the identification of cantonment sites.