SPLA-IO Accused of Detaining Civilian Boats, Demanding $4,000 Along Sobat River
Boat ferrying civilians Nasir, Upper Nile State Authorities in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, have accused forces loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army In Opposition (SPLA-IO) of detaining civilian riverboats and demanding ransom-like payments of up to $4,000 from traders and passengers along the Sobat River. According to Nasir County Commissioner James Gatwech Joak, several boats traveling from Matar in Nasir County to Malakal were intercepted by SPLA-IO soldiers in Yakuach, an area in Nyirol County, Jonglei State. “Our traders paid local taxes to SPLA-IO in Mandeng before setting off. But on reaching Yakuach, they were detained again and told to pay an additional four thousand U.S. dollars,” Commissioner Gatwech said. He explained that the detained boat operators and traders were reportedly held for four days while armed men demanded more payments. Some of the passengers were women, children, and patients traveling for medical treatment in Malaka...
