Confrontation in Rumbek East leaves 3 civilians and 13 SPLA soldiers killed
By Manyang Mayom
January 2, 2010 (RUMBEK) – Thirteen (13) soldiers belonging to South Sudan’s army, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), were killed in the southern part of Akot payam of Rumbek East County of Lakes state, allegedly as part of a revenge attack carried out by pastoralists.
Armed civilians yesterday by one account ambushed a lorry which was carrying food to Akot, killing 13 soldiers and wounding 20 others at Makur-Agar. The civilians who attacked the truck took away 20 firearms. This information was relayed by the official SPLA Spokesman Maj-Gen. Kuol Deim Kuol.
“We are sending in more reinforcement troops to Lakes state. We must disarm those civilians by all means,” said Kuol.
However, local sources described the January 1st confrontation as beginning on the premises of the house of Paramount Chief Dut Malual Arop. Community leaders denied the statement of Kuol saying that the community was resisting disarmament.
Chief Sahwat Malual Arop confirmed that 3 civilians were killed on the premises of the house of the paramount chief, while 4 sustained injuries in an attack that he said was organized by SPLA soldiers.
According to the account of Chief Sahwat Malual, the soldiers arrived at Chief Dut Malual’s house located at Makur-Agar. However, Chief Dut was in at his house’s birth-room. When the soldiers found youth playing a traditional game under a tree, they immediately started firing at youth killing 2 brothers.
Chief Malual said “All the houses around Akot were burned down by soldiers – what is the matter? – is this government loyal to protect her civilians? Communities’ properties are burnt down and looted by soldiers. Those soldiers are having a different agenda against the community”.
An angry youth member told Sudan Tribune that “those who are sent by SPLA headquarters to disarm our youth in Lakes state are militia groups — they are not well trained soldiers. They are from Division 5, all of whom are Nuer tribesmen who fought badly with us during Dr. Riak Machar’s defection in 1991”.
“Nuer usually loot our cattle across Lakes state and our state government orders us to return back their looted cows but Nuer natives do not return back our cows that they have looted,” said the youth member. However, the SPLA spokesman dismissed this tribal designation, saying “There are no tribal soldiers in South Sudan; all in Division 5 are SPLA soldiers“.
In an earlier clash in the same payam last Monday, December 28, two SPLA platoons fought a three-hour gun battle with forces loyal to the same chief, resulting in the deaths of five soldiers and two or three pastoralists.
Colonel Mou Wol Lueth, who led the SPLA Division 5 soldiers in that engagement, faced censure from members of the state SPLM Liberation Council in a meeting on January 1 chaired by the governor. Some called for the arrest of the colonel, known as Muoranyar.
The colonel, who was wounded in the fighting, is hospitalized and could not be reached by Sudan Tribune. Last month, Muoranyar clashed with Yirol West County Commissioner Agok Manyiel Dhieu when the latter claimed to have discovered that his SPLA forces looted some cows.
Lakes state leadership under Governor Daniel Awet Akot at the emergency meeting on the night of January 1, 2010 failed to come to a decision. But some voices on the 51-member council were calling for immediate withdrawal of Division 5 forces in Akot to be replaced by “SPLA soldiers loyal to the community”.
Liberation Council members blamed two of the soldiers in the killing of the civilians, calling for their arrest along with Colonel Mou Wol Lueth. Commenting in the forum, Governor Awet said “If I was appointed as SPLA chief of general staff, I would have dismissed all generals in the SPLA armed forces and that was the cause the president declined to appoint me”.
But the officer in charge of the operations department at the Akot military barracks, SPLA Brigadier Stephen Nhial Gatduel, told the Liberation Council members that “We are for you, the people of Southern Sudan. All those organized SPLA forces are under the command of Lt-Gen Daniel Awet Akot. The civil authority are upper class in ruling us — there is no way that we can separate army from civilian because they coexist.”
Brigadier Gatduel also insinuated, however, that the county commissioner of Rumbek East was to blame for not having cooperated with the military. That commissioner was reportedly absent from the county when the clashes occurred.
A curfew is imposed from 9:30 p.m. until 6:00 a.m., according to an emergency announcement over state radio by the governor.
(ST)
Dinka Boy
Confrontation in Rumbek East leaves 3 civilians and 13 SPLA soldiers killed
This incident is too dangerious.
The death of SPLA and the civilians is the greater loss in the South.
murlescrewed
Confrontation in Rumbek East leaves 3 civilians and 13 SPLA soldiers killed
Looks like these soldiers are indeed untrained since they lost many of their colleagues to civilians. That is a shame. SPLA should be taken out of the equation and a paramilitary unit put together to do disarmament.
Akot Deng
Confrontation in Rumbek East leaves 3 civilians and 13 SPLA soldiers killed
it is not a matter of training but it is the issue of hostility by the citizens in that locality and you should remember that SPLA is not consisting one tribe
Gatwech
Confrontation in Rumbek East leaves 3 civilians and 13 SPLA soldiers killed
Dear readers,
Journalist Manyang’s reports are always bias and unprofessional. Why do you (Manyang Ma-whaever) have to always associate whatever evil that happens in Lakes state to Nuer? Yes, every body knows that Division 5 in Central Bahr el Ghazal (Lakes state up to the HQrs Ramkel) is commanded by a Nuer general in the SPLA. But does this give you the right to associate every thing with Nuer as a tribe?
It is clear that it was the civilians who first attacked the soldiers on January 1st 2010 as the civilians were celebrating the new year in that violent way. And the soldiers attacked were not Nuer even their commander (Colonel)was from Dinka. Read it below in your own sentence, or do you think we don’t know Dinka names?
“Colonel Mou Wol Lueth, who led the SPLA Division 5 soldiers in that engagement, faced censure from members of the state SPLM Liberation Council in a meeting on January 1 chaired by the governor. Some called for the arrest of the colonel, known as Muoranyar.”
Again it was the civilians who attacked the SPLA truck killing 13. So the two incidents were caused by the civilians surprising attacking the SPLA soldiers. Now wait when the SPLA will retaliate if you resist the forced disarmament after your community’s criminal acts twice.
Again, the fact that the Nuer are the majority in the SPLA forces should not be a worry at all to you. And also don’t mistaken your Agaar Dinka soldiers from your community for Nuer soldiers. You know that the Agaar have also adopted the Nuer facial marks and you would never know their difference with the Nuer. So please don’t segregate the SPLA soldiers.
The Nuers among the forces may be many but they are SPLA. Yes, I know that the overall General who commands the whole Division 5 in Lakes state is a Nuer but the forces he commands are not doing the Nuer interest but the interest of the SPLA.
It is unfortunate that Rumbek opened the new year celebration with killings of soldiers. This marks the 2010 a very bad year for the state. The soldiers must be ordered to carry out a well organized forced disarmament to these armed groups of civilians and any resistance must be met with full force. 2010 is already too bad!!!
Oduck Bol
Confrontation in Rumbek East leaves 3 civilians and 13 SPLA soldiers killed
I told you that those guys are not yet civilized.It is dangerous to let those people to live among you or come to your state,and if you allow them,then result will be like Kenyans innocents,and also do not be surprise. They need fifty years more to be socialize or to be like others southerns.
They need special training for how to live peaceful with other human being.
Dr.Agany
Confrontation in Rumbek East leaves 3 civilians and 13 SPLA soldiers killed
THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!
The so call army spokesman should have not released such damaging communique! How can u loss in the ration of 13 professionally trained soldiers to 3 untrained civilians? This is quite negative to reputation of the SPLA as a national army. I know the SPLA department of training and logistics has been working hard to ensure that the force is well trained but yet the skills they acquired is not bearing fruit expected. That could be the waste of time and resources. People are suffering in south sudan in various levels of service because they tightened their belts every year and give more than 40% of national budget to the army, expecting positive signal back but it seems that the investment is at risk, nothing beneficial at all.
Daniel Juol Nhomngek Geech
Confrontation in Rumbek East leaves 3 civilians and 13 SPLA soldiers killed
JOURNALISM IS THE PROFESSION WHICH NEEDS PROFESSIONALS
I do not blame Manyang Mayom for the contradictory information that he feeds us with, instead, I do blame Hassan, the BBC focus on Africa reporter and presenter who elevated him to that highest position to be the ear and the eye of the society.Manyang has not understood the professional ethics of journalism, which says that a journalist must be impartial and honest in his report. This is not with Manyang Mayom, which not good.
Stinging Bee
Confrontation in Rumbek East leaves 3 civilians and 13 SPLA soldiers killed
All the time things are going wrong in the state of Lakes; specially town of Rumbek. Currently things are at turmoil situation of which no one can reject the reculcitrant of this state. Lakes, in fact of analysis, it is the state of war culture not peace culture. The reason I am putting it that way is because of what I have realized out of the situation it people. If you look at a politician of Rumbek or Lakes he/she full of self-authentication proud of her/his prestige which he/she has gained by birth or bought it with owned money. the heart of the politicians of this State is totally occupied by selfishness and jealous political antigonism; so called citizens and civilians are out of their mind and policies making. In the political behaviors and camps of Lakes state is absolutely in sort of band society gathering. Like the recent inccident of Akot where the soldiers who were deployed there to protect their civilian from an anticipated threat clashed against each other. Protectors and protected fought. Now, to whom is this blame be casted upon? Government of this Lakes State. Because those so called Gelweng is the army without commanders which should command them. It is like body without head. And now the state government has allowed the organized force to be deployed at a place of Raiders calling them civillians.
So, my caution to the politicians of Lakes state is that you bit the drum of election and put in mind that this time we citizens also called civillian are not playing with you again. No consideration of Kinship any more. Kinship has just turn to Desasterous line. Only competency, effectiveness, insightful and ideal will win.