The opposition National Salvation Front (NAS) and the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) on Sunday accused each other of abducting civilians in Central Equatoria State.

Last week, a lawmaker said 107 youth were abducted by unknown gunmen in Mukaya payam of Lainya County.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, NAS spokesman Suba Samuel Manase denied his group’s involvement in these abductions.

He instead accused government forces of abducting civilians in Mukaya payam.

“We have not abducted civilians and it is not our culture to abduct civilians. That is a plan by the Juba government to destabilize the Rome Declaration. They came up with the plan of abducting civilians to tarnish the image of the National Salvation Front,” he said.

For his part, however, the South Sudan army (SSPDF) spokesperson, Major General Lul Ruai Koang refuted NAS’s accusations.

 “We are in control of clear strategic areas in the country and our locations are known. There is no reason for us to abduct civilians in our areas of control and take them into deep bushes. It is the non- state actors like NAS who have been active in that part of the country. It is very unfortunate that they are abducting civilians under their areas and they should be hold responsible,” Koang said.

The military spokesman reiterated their commitment to the cessation of hostilities agreement.

The holdout opposition group signed a truce agreement with the government in Rome on 12 January.