South Sudan denies Port Sudan government’s allegations that South Sudanese constitute 65% of Rapid Support Forces
JUBA: Sudanianews
South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Tuesday expressed displeasure at the Sudan Armed Force (SAF) linking its citizens to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Addressing a press conference in Juba, the Foreign ministry Spokesperson, Apuk Ayuel Mayen, said they regretted the statements in the wake of the unprovoked, horrific, and despicable massacres of South Sudanese citizens in Al Jazeera State last month.
“On January 20, 2025, media outlets broadcasted a video footage of Gen Yasser Al-Atta, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of SAF, addressing troops from an undisclosed location. During this address, he claimed that South Sudanese citizens constitute 65% of the RSF force. Gen Al-Atta also sent mixed messages, expressing his trust in President Salva Kiir and the leadership of South Sudan while simultaneously accusing South Sudan of doing nothing to prevent South Sudanese from joining RSF,” she said.
Mayen said that although Gen Al-Atta acknowledged that many who joined RSF were opposition elements, singling out the group led by Gen. Stephen. Buay, which the Government of South Sudan does not control, they condemned his assertion that South Sudanese make up 65 percent of RSF.
She said South Sudan believes that Gen Al-Atta was well aware, through his long experience in South Sudan that the Sudanese Army has had a tradition of arming South Sudanese militias for which SAF has a special Department called the Department of Popular and National Forces tasked with recruiting South Sudanese nationals.
“When South Sudan fortunately proves undefeatable through militia proxies, those militia elements continue to lurk along the borders where the Sudanese Military Intelligence uses them. Some were even sent to faraway wars, such as Yemen. According to our authentic records, two groups of South Sudanese nationals were sent to Yemen by the Sudanese government: the group led by the late Gen. Peter Gatdet Yak and Gen. Thomas Theil Awak. It is under such conditions that those Khartoum-backed militia elements found themselves entangled in the Sudanese war,” Mayen said
