Gen. Nando’s absence stalling forces transfer

The trucks expected to transport Gen. James Nando and his forces to Maridi are in Tombura amid his disappearance.

The Western Equatoria State government said it found it hard to evacuate the remnants of Gen Nando’s forces as his whereabouts remained unknown.

The state minister of Information and Communication, William Adriano Baiki said the state government was in confusion over the matter which is deemed crucial for returning calm in the area.

“The trucks left Yambio early morning [Sunday] and will arrive in the afternoon, but the issue is that Gen. James Nando is not present in Tombura and we don’t know how the evacuation of the remaining forces [is] going to happen,” said Adriano.

He added, “This is a matter of concern because the area is supposed to be demilitarised as agreed by leaders to allow citizens to return home without fear of being displaced again by attacks,” he said.

Adriano was speaking to The City Review on a phone interview from Western Equatoria State capital, Yambio on Sunday afternoon.

Gen. Nando reportedly fled Tombura amidst heavy gunfire on Thursday evening and since then his whereabouts remained unknown

On Thursday last week, Adriano told The City Review that Gen. Nando secretly left his base for Source –Yubu, a small town bordering South Sudan and the Central Africa Republic, and unfortunately fell in an ambushed where his forces and those of armed youth exchanged heavy gunfire.

Reading mischief

But the state government perceived Gen. Nando’s abandoning his base in Tombura as an evasion of the SSPDF deputy division commander’s mission to evacuate him and his forces from Tombura.

“So when he heard that the deputy division commander of SSPDF was going to relocate him last night [Wednesday], he decided to escape out from Tombura.” Said Adriano on Thursday last week.

The City Review tried to contact Gen. Nando for comment but the efforts were futile as his phone was unreachable by the time of the press.

According to several sources, Tombura County has become a ghost town due to the on and off clashes between armed youth and forces of Gen. Nando. These conflicts have forced residents to flee for safety to neighbouring towns and villages.

Houses and community livelihoods have been destroyed leaving women, children, and elderly people in a dire need of humanitarian assistance.

Early this month, SPLA-IO forces under the Command of Gen. Tartizio Donato left Tombura to comply with the authority’s directive and they are currently in Rangu awaiting transportation to Maridi training centre.