The opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) has firmly denied any involvement in issuing instructions to confiscate vehicles operated by humanitarian groups in northern Jonglei State.
The denial came on Thursday, following sharp criticism from a group of Western governments that labeled the alleged directive a grave violation of humanitarian standards.
SPLM-IO spokesperson Pal Mai Deng described a widely circulated social media document—purportedly signed by SPLA-IO Major General John Luk Bayak—as completely fabricated and forged.
He stressed that no such command had ever been given.
“There was no such order,” Pal emphasized.
He added that Major General John Luk Bayak was unaware of the alleged letter and had been caught off guard by the media reports surrounding it.
The controversy began on Wednesday when the embassies of Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States released a joint statement.
They condemned what they described as an order from Gen. John Luk—commander of SPLA-IO Sector 3—directing humanitarian organizations in northern Jonglei to hand over their vehicles.
The diplomats called the reported move a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian principles” and demanded its immediate cancellation, along with the prompt return of any assets already taken.
“No party or individual in South Sudan has the right to confiscate assets provided by our governments to implementing partners in support of life-saving assistance to South Sudanese in need,” the joint statement declared.
In response, Pal Mai Deng reported that Gen. John Luk had promptly formed an investigative committee on Wednesday evening—soon after the embassies’ statement—to trace the source of the document and verify whether any vehicles had actually been seized.
The general also directed that any humanitarian vehicles found to have been taken should be returned without delay.
Pal noted that details about the committee’s members or leadership were not yet available to him.
“So far, no one is aware of any NGO vehicles being taken forcibly,” he said.
The probe, he explained, aims to identify the forger of the document and clarify the real situation on the ground.
The incident unfolds against a backdrop of rising insecurity in northern Jonglei, where recent weeks have seen intensified fighting between government forces (SSPDF) and SPLA-IO units.
Clashes have displaced large numbers of civilians and severely hampered humanitarian activities in an area already reliant on aid for survival.
Since late December, violence has escalated further in the region. SPLA-IO forces have captured key towns including Waat and Yuai from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), raising fresh alarms among aid organizations working there.
