SPLM/A-IO State governor of the defunct Sobat State, Lt. Gen. James Banak Reang. credited: ssnewsnow
Soldiers loyal to First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny’s SPLM/A-IO last week seized and kidnapped an Ethiopia citizen from the Gambela region.
The Ethiopian citizen whose name is not to be revealed for security reasons was forcefully kidnapped last week in Burebi border by heavily armed SPLM/A-IO soldiers who crossed the border at night under the order of the SPLM/A-IO Military governor of Sobat State, Lt. Gen. James Banak Reang.
They took him to prison in Nyatoot, a small military base for the IO closed to Ethiopia border. The man was severely tortured according to an insider who spoke to Ramciel Broadcasting from IO military headquarters, Mandeang, Nasir county.
The victim is a customs official who came to the border to inspect illegal activities carried out by the members of the SPLM/A-IO at the border. Unfortunately, he was forcefully captured and thoroughly beaten before being taken into the other side of the river, a source who spoke to Ramciel Broadcasting from Burebi said on Monday.
“One of our citizens has been kidnapped. It was at night. They came to his house heavily armed and took the man. We first thought they are our guys, but it turned out in the morning they were South Sudanese soldiers under Dr. Riek Machar” said a man who identified himself as Ato Fekadu a close friend to the victim.
“He came here to do custom work because there were illegal activities going on here carried out by South Sudanese”
“We now closed the entire border. They are members of IO doing this. We don’t know their motive, but the matter is being handled by the regional government and will be further reported to the national government if they don’t release him” he added.
The Authority in Gambela region already notified the SPLM/A-IO leadership in Bureybi but no response.
South Sudan and Ethiopia currently having difficult relationships as Addis Ababa accuses Juba of getting involves in affairs with Egypt on the issues of the dam.
Ramciel Broadcasting could not immediately reach the SPLM/A-IO State governor of Sobat State for further clarification on this issue.
The defunct Sobat State is bordered by Ethiopia to the East and it is stretched more than 35 kilometres away from the Nasir town to the border town, Bureybi.