A Brigadier General who commanded the SPLA in the Pibor area has been arrested. The name of the army officer has been withheld, but he in charge of disarmament in Pibor, where claims of human rights abuses have widely been reported.

“He is the commanding officer of the forces that are in Pibor and there are several charges including people that have been killed inside Pibor,” Colonel Philip Aguer told Eye Radio.

A military investigation has started into the conduct of the Brigadier General. According to the SPLA spokesperson Colonel Philip Aguer, the Brigadier General will remain under detention while the investigation takes place.

“There were incidents of shooting inside the town and these are the charges the Brigadier General will have to be investigated for, it is not everything that will be blamed on one person, “ he said. “He was the commanding officer inside the town, then whatever has been reported in town he has to answer for it.”

International human rights organizations and members of the US senate have expressed their concern about alleged human rights abuses in Pibor County of Jonglei state.

During the Martyr’s Day commemoration last month in Juba, President Salva Kiir instructed the SPLA Chief of General Staff and Army General Command to conduct investigations on the alleged crimes in Pibor, and publicly expose anyone guilty of such crimes.

President Kiir urged the army to act transparently on the charges so as to regain the confidence of the public –especially of civilians in Pibor County.

Colonel Aguer told Eye Radio the result of the inquiry into the conduct of the Brigadier-General will be made public when it is completed.