SPLM/A-IO denies ordering NGO vehicle seizures, calls directive ‘forgery’

JUBA – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) has denied issuing an order directing the confiscation of vehicles belonging to humanitarian organisations in Jonglei State, describing the alleged directive as a forgery and vowing to return any seized assets.

In a statement issued on Thursday, January 8, 2026, SPLM/A-IO spokesperson Pal Mai Deng said the handwritten order circulating on social media and allegedly signed by Sector Three Commander Maj. Gen. John Luk Bayak was not authentic.

Mai stressed that Gen. Luk did not author or authorise any instruction for the forceful confiscation of NGO vehicles operating in the Jonglei–Equatoria front.

“The order was and is a forgery,” Pal said, adding that an internal investigation has been launched to identify those responsible for producing and circulating the document.

He further noted that Gen. Luk has already issued an order for the immediate return of any vehicles taken from humanitarian organisations, should any confiscation have occurred.

The clarification follows reports that armed individuals seized three NGO vehicles in Walgak, Akobo County, allegedly acting based on the forged order.

A separate statement issued the same day by Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, the spokesperson of the opposition military wing, acknowledged that a “communication error” led to the unexpected acquisition of the vehicles by individuals who falsely claimed to be acting under the authority of Sector Three command.

According to Lam, the SPLA-IO Acting Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Peter Thok Chuol Lual, has assured concerned parties that the incident is regrettable and will be rectified swiftly.

He emphasized that anyone found culpable will be held accountable and reaffirmed the group’s commitment to civilian protection, including the safety of humanitarian workers operating in opposition-controlled areas.

The SPLM/A-IO statements come amid mounting pressure from the international community, which earlier issued a strongly worded joint condemnation of the reported order.

In a statement led by the United States and endorsed by the embassies of Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, diplomats described the alleged directive as a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian principles.”

The joint statement warned that any attempt to confiscate NGO assets places aid workers in danger and demanded the immediate reversal of the order and the return of all seized vehicles.

The diplomats stressed that no party in South Sudan has the right to confiscate assets provided by donor governments for life-saving humanitarian assistance.

Humanitarian organisations operate in increasingly insecure conditions in Jonglei and most parts of South Sudan, where access constraints and armed violence continue to hinder aid delivery.