The leadership of South Sudan’s armed opposition movement (SPLM-IO) has accused military intelligence personnel of arresting its members in the Northern Bahr El Ghazal State capital, Aweil.

The act, the group said in a statement issued on Saturday, undermines efforts to implement the peace deal the parties signed in September 2018.

“SPLM (IO) Leadership in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State, under Hon. Aweng Abraham Akoon would like to bring to the public attention that, on August 17th, 2022, at around 4:00 PM, local time, the SPLM (IO) Deputy Chairperson who also doubles as the Deputy Chairperson for the employee’s Justice commission in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Hon. Dominic Ukech Bol and Acting Secretary for information, Comrade Nicola Ngong Elias Ngong was arrested by Military Intelligence (MI) for the 3rd infantry division”, partly reads the group’s statement.

It added, “Comrades were picked up by military intelligence personnel when they were heading to their residences. They were stopped at gunpoint and asked to go to Mathiang military barrack for interrogations”.

No reasons, the SPLM-IO explained, were given for the arrest of its members.

“It is not clear why our comrades were being arrested, but an officer-in-charge revealed that the security personnel have been instructed to arrest Mr. Chan Madut, SPLM-IO interim chairperson of Aweil centre who is suspected to be one of the members of Gen. Paul Malong Awan without evidence being produced,” it noted.

The armed opposition’s chairperson in the state said its members from Aweil Centre are being at the 3rd division infantry headquarters in Wun-yiik for allegedly backing South Sudan United Front Army (SSUF/A) led by Malong.

He said the threats and arrests were meant to silence the armed opposition.

“The random arrest was organized intentionally to scare those who are interested to join the SPLM-IO to advance the reform Agenda under the charismatic Leader His Excellency Dr. Riek Machar Teny,” stressed Akoon.

The senior SPLM-IO official strongly condemned the arrest of its members, reiterating their commitment to the implementation of the peace accord.

Relations between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar are unpredictable, with observers arguing that the two leaders do not have a coherent approach and way of handling a situation before it escalates.

In recent years, disputes over small issues have caused national concerns.