The spokesman for the armed opposition in South Sudan, Manawa Gatkouth ,on Sunday criticized South Sudan's Information Minister Michael Makuei for remarks in which he alleged that internally displaced persons are behind the spread of crime in Juba.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj yesterday, Gatkouth said that they have followed the statements of the minister of information who is also the  spokesman for the government three days ago, in which he referred to the crimes in Juba as a result of displaced people in the United Nations camps in Juba.

He added that Makuei claimed that IDPs in United Nations refugees’ camps take up arms at night and carry out looting and killing in Juba and its environs.

Gatkouth said that Makuei should be held responsible for any harm that is inflicted on IDPs who are taking refuge at the UNMISS camps as a result of such irresponsible rhetoric.

He added that such statements encourage security and other regular forces to target the internally displaced persons, accusing Makuei of making such statements which always result into attacks on IDPs, referring to last year's attack on a internally displaced people at a camp in Bor in Jonglei State.

Makuei had made many hostile statements about the United Nations and the displaced people prior to the attack on the UN base in Bor last year, in which more than 50 people were killed.

“We are considering it as an irresponsible statement by Makuei Lueth. His statement is calling on the security forces indirectly to target the IDPs who are taking refuge in UNMISS.”

Gatkuoth added, “Makuei knows very well that those who are in UNMISS camp are there because they were deliberate and organized killings which were imposed on them by the SPLA forces during the 2013 crisis. They are in UNMISS because of the death threat.”

He added, “They are waiting for this peace agreement to be implemented so that they come out and meet their relatives.”

File photo: Manawa Gatkuoth