Residents of Bor town in South Sudan’s Jonglei State have voiced concerns of army brutality, a claim the army refutes.

Last week, the South Sudan People’s Defense Force officers (SSPDF) were deployed in Bor Town to provide security after the murders of three policemen by armed local youth. Bor Town Mayor James Gai said the army will take over the control of the town for six months.

But Bor residents who spoke to Radio Tamazuj on condition of anonymity for security purposes accused the officers of extortion and torture.

“They caught me while going back to the school dormitory for studies at 8 pm. The curfew is from 11 pm to 5 am. They beat me up for no reason. I showed them my student ID card but they refused to listen. We, the civilians in Bor are very tired,” said one furious resident.

 “They torture people before investigations and take anything in the pockets,” he added.

Another Bor resident said she was arrested and detained with a friend for several hours for wearing a trouser.

“We were arrested in the market and taken to a detention facility. They did not beat us. But I know of three friends whose skirts and trousers were torn in public yesterday. This is an embarrassment,” she said.

However, Daniel Deng, also a resident welcomed the deployment saying it will help bring order in the town.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Jonglei Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (JIPDD), local civil society group Juuk Othana Mading, said the presence of the army in the town poses a gross human rights violation as they torture and tear people clothes, adding it had built a mistrust between the civilians and members of the organized forces.

The commander in charge of the army operations Jiel Mangok Yel denied the allegations and urged the residents to report any harassment by the forces for investigations. He further appealed to the locals to cooperate with them as they pursue suspected drug dealers.

Yel said they have arrested 153 suspected criminals including 89 soldiers who have been handed over to relevant authorities since Friday.