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Sudan Tribune

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S. Sudan Assembly hears report on Malakal fighting

By Isaac Vuni

March 17, 2009 (JUBA) – In a debate over fighting that occurred last month in Malakal, the South Sudan Legislative Assembly was for the first time in its history divided along party lines since its inception in 2005 and it was clear that prominent SPLM debaters and chairpersons had boycotted the deliberation, paving the way for NCP to dominate the floor of the house.

The parties deliberated on the case of controversial Sudan Armed Forces General Gabriel Tanginya and referred the case to legal experts to come up with a possible remedy for the house to adopt later. Tanginya’s return to Malakal last month, ostensibly to visit his family, prompted a costly military stand-off at the airport and other areas of Malakal.

The former militia leader had been living in Khartoum since being implicated in an even heavier case of fighting in Malakal in 2006 that killed 150 people.

The Security and Public Order Committee made a report based on an investigation headed by Deputy Chairman Hon. James Janka Duku (SPLM, Central Equatoria) accompanied by Hon. Benjamin Majok Dau (SPLM, Unity State) and Hon. Riek Bol Nyoac (NCP, Upper Nile), who looked into the causes of insecurity in Malakal including clashes in February between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in the Joint Integrated Units (JIU) and forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).

For two days, the house indeed listened to the elaborate insecurity report on the incident in Malakal presented by Governor Gatluak Deng Garang (NCP), chaired by Hon. Speaker Daniel Monydit Deng, chairman of the specialized committee on security.

According to the governor, 57 people were killed and 94 wounded including 26 civilians killed, 21 wounded, 15 SPLA killed, 40 wounded while 16 SAF were killed and 33 wounded.

Though the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have denied that they sent Tanginya to Malakal to instigate anything, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army claimed that he was accompanied by military intelligence personnel. Southern lawmakers in the debate regularly referred to Tanginya’s militiamen as SAF, since in fact they had been formally incorporated into the SAF in accordance with the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Hon. Simon Kun Puoc (SPLM, Upper Nile), Commissioner of South Sudan Relief, Rehabilitation and Humanitarian Commission (SSRRH), cautioned the August House on the danger posed in Malakal at the instigation of the National Congress Party and said they intend to deny southerners’ chance for participating in the coming general election scheduled for July this year.

Echoing a theory voiced by lawmakers at the time of the fighting, he asked why President Bashir sent his general to cause havoc in Malakal while pretending to come for the presidency meeting in Juba, adding that General Gabriel Tanginya and President Bashir are out to destroy even the coming CPA referendum scheduled for January 9, 2011. If so, he noted, Tanginya and Bashir ought to be taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Hon. Peter Longole Kuam advised southern parliamentarians to refrain from dividing themselves along party lines simply to appease the interest of NCP-led government in Khartoum, adding that President Bashir’s general and elements plotting to oust Governor Gatluak Garang must be arrested either directly or through the ICC since President Bashir has no ability now to represent Sudan abroad.

Hon. Kout Deng Kout (SPLM, Warrap), suggested that NCP should be given another state to manage instead of Upper Nile since NCP and SPLM are principle signatories to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Hon. Oliver Mori Benjamin, a veteran journalist for SPLM from Juba, said that Tanginya is one of the generals who should be held responsible for killing and destruction in Malakal while management of Upper Nile by NCP should be transferred to another southern state.

Members of NCP led by Hon. Caeser Baya Loyalala, Acting Chairman of Legal Affairs Committee, kept on interrupting various debaters to urge them from linking the Malakal incident with the indictment of President Bashir whom their party has nominated as candidate for president in the general election scheduled for July 2009.

Minister of Internal Affairs Paul Mayom Akech said states’ security lies with each governor to coordinate with his ministry. The minister further disclosed that Tanginya has of late been promoted from the rank of Major General to that of Lieutenant General after the Malakal incident.

Acting Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Bariaba Marial Benjamin, assured the House that the southern region’s president will act on recommendation of the legislators to arrest the controversial general.

During the discussion there were 218 MPs and guest visitor Dr. Jan Nico Scholten while there was no single GOSS minister in attendance. However in the afternoon, the minister of regional cooperation who is also the acting minister of parliamentary affairs and minister of internal affairs, and and the minister of internal affairs, Paul Mayom Akech, participated in the deliberation on the governor’s reports as demanded by members during the morning session.

(ST)

14 Comments

  • Mimama
    Mimama

    S. Sudan Assembly hears report on Malakal fighting
    Tangi nye should have been arrested by Riek machar during his prompt arrival in malakal.
    Instead Riek put Tangi nye in his plane and flew to khartoum with him.
    He knew very well that president Kiir had ordered for his arrest following the killing of massive numbers in malakal by his forces in 2006.
    The so called South vice president puttting the most wanted criminal in his UN plane and escape to khartoum with him.
    can you see how a Nuer think?
    An SPLA/M chairperson protecting Tangi nye by giving him a lift and later claimed that the capture of Tangi nye is a complicated matter. How narrow-minded they are.
    Riek must be investigated on his involvement on the Tangi nye case.

    It is good idea that the SPLM LAWMAKERS refuse to debate the matter because people should not crack their mind offer traitors matters.
    Salva Kiir must fire Riek if the South is to go forward.
    He is an enemy within and must be deal with accordingly.
    OOH! MY GOD when will Nuer learn how to be good leaders.

    Reply
  • PETERPALALDA
    PETERPALALDA

    S. Sudan Assembly hears report on Malakal fighting
    Guys,

    Leave Riek machar alone. God has a plan for him why he left him and took DR Garang.
    Stop deviating the topics onto riek,dinka and nuer.
    Let’s be united for the sake of protecting CPA.
    Tribalism will take us nowhere!

    Reply
  • Dengtaath
    Dengtaath

    S. Sudan Assembly hears report on Malakal fighting
    Mimama, I think our land S.Sudan can be affected by any of us action, no matter who by the name you trying to categorise.I think we are all obsess for need of quick actions, proud about where we are belonging in term of our ethnicities,irresponsibilities of thinking.
    We all men having testicles and women carrying breast on their chest but difference the way we view the world and executing issues that are matter on our lives.

    Brother capturing Tanginy as got nothing about loyalty of SPLM/A,there are many parties in the South who are not belong to SPLM but not happy with Tanginy, but it has got some thing to do with stability of the CPA. Any bloody occasion that can bring room to the break down of the CPA aggreement, I hope any sound minded individual would regret. I know if the campaign of Malakal, subdueing Tanginy continued with out intervention from the higher authority of SPLM, you wouldn’t dare to send that disturbing message, you would be thinking of what do since the situation with out prediction could have been gone worst.I don’t care whether Riek Machar, Salva Kirr or Wani Ega, but good judgemental is a matter, please leave the leaders alone. Thank bro

    Reply
  • mathem jech amer
    mathem jech amer

    S. Sudan Assembly hears report on Malakal fighting
    I am sorry for the SPLA army for great number lost. 15 SPLA killed, 40 wounded, while SAF, 16 killed 33 wounded. What a shame is it!

    Can SPLA prove that they are ready to depend its territory? What if the JIUs in Khartoum fight themselves? How many people will be killed by SAF? Definitely SPLA-JIUs will surrender to SAF-JIUs.With the presence of JIUs and SPLA proper, still we lost big number.

    More military trainings and tactics is needed as soon as possible for both JIUS and SPLA proper.

    Mathem Jech Amer.

    Reply
  • postmortem
    postmortem

    S. Sudan Assembly hears report on Malakal fighting
    I am just getting tired of the state of our lawlessness whether in the army or in our civil courts. I am disappointed with our legal provisions that allow killing to be remedied by animals. Human beings are now becoming less important to animals and this explains why individuals are killing with impunity. Why should a custom take over criminal law?

    If there are no competent lawyers or judges in the court martial, the government should bring some from the civil courts to try these lawless soldiers. Parliament should repeal all statutory provisions providing for compensation where a person was intentioanally killed. Murder should be considered an offence against the state and if the law provides for hanging to any one convicted, should be hanged.

    Tang Ginya should be arrested any time he comes to the South and tried according to the military laws of SPLA.

    We are tired of every time investigations are done and reports to parliament but we do not see any action. All we hear is that we have made recommendations and that is all. They get their monlty salaries for for sitting to hear such reports and our people continue to be killed.

    Reply
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