Gen. Athor rebellion: don’t rely on talking to him alone
By Isaiah Abraham
May 6, 2010 — The incident at Deleib Hill SPLA military barrack in which 5 soldiers were killed and others seriously wounded remains a sad incident indeed. Fingers linking the incident to Gen. George Athor are many. Yet there are those who think that Gen. Athor can’t be associated with that cowardly act. The author wasn’t left behind- not convince that George could do just that. However time has proven things otherwise. This is how: despite the denial Gen. Athor made a reckless statement on Monday that he was to be arrested by President Kiir, and his loyalists’ soldiers resisted it. Without further explanation, what does this tell you about the General implication? That is your assignment. In a nutshell though, waters have passed through the bridge.
But the incident has angered every true Southerner at heart across our political and social divide. People on the streets of our cities and villages couldn’t understand why it happened. Their minds are reminiscently wired to the 1990s madness, when Southerner took the live of his fellow Southerner. I have kept asking myself a hundred times ‘could Gen. George be behind that attack on innocent SPLA men’? If yes, why so? I find myself not alone.
I curse the phone that burst it on my ears in the morning of Saturday; but had insisted to my caller that Comrade George Athor can’t be involved. Unfortunately, the truth came out slowly against the general. Reading through daily sources coming down from Jonglei State, there is more to say about George Athor implication, the very person we all know during the war. Youths are on the move (mobilization); he issued threats almost everyday and has applied ‘shifting posts’ from one argument to the other. Korfulus people are confused, even soldiers around there don’t know who is who in relations to Athor rebellion. May God of peace be with our men and people over there!
If that is the case then, where does this leaves you as far as security of our people and their properties is concerned? How will this scenario going to end, just to say it in another word; will it end peacefully or militarily, if yes, how? Well, suggestions are floated by many, but to date, our leadership in Juba is skewing toward peacefully resolution of the problem through his colleagues and the community. The Commander In Chief of our forces has made it clear that, he doesn’t want blood to be dropped among Southerners anymore. He seems to be genuine. He must be supported by peace lovers around here and outside.
The State security apparatus that could be 500 times more than those with Gen. Athor are bidding their time, until the diplomatic channels charted out by the C in C are exhausted. Some people have already picked up conclusions that His Excellency quiet diplomacy has started to work. Gen. George might find himself fighting none, but to himself, they say. I don’t know whether that is the case yet.
Generally, life in Jonglei and other part of Southern Sudan goes on normal. Ears and eyes are still fixed to National Election Commissions about the remaining National electoral results. People expected Mr. Alier team to announce the names of their representatives, and subsequent swearing in of our President before the House. I’m hearing/reading ‘independent reporters’ taking this matter of Gen. George too far. Please be responsible, our leaders and Gen. George are talking, stop stoking fire for the sake of it. There is calm all over, and the business hasn’t been interrupted even around Pigi County.
Doleib Hill incident has overshadowed an SPLM overwhelming event/victory in the just concluded elections. Southerners were more upbeat about the future after the election. People have fixed their eyes in the remaining small period leading to Referendum in January 2011; it has been a long and difficult transition period ever. Problem after every problem! But we are proud of what the SPLM party has thus far achieved on the political front. The party has kept it bargaining side in tact. Some of us are of the opinion that the SPLM party is learning and is well placed historically to oversee our affairs, at least for the next few years.
On this matter at hand, Juba leadership should know this is purely unjustified and if Athor is involve because he has lost an election, then the man has no case. He must be broght to book. He has fairly and democratically lost that election and nothing will change this fact. What does that to do with killing of innocent soldiers on their duty? Politics is a game of numbers; you get less you go down, period. How dare is he to dispute a margin of 100,000 votes between him and his triumphant challenger (Gen. Kuol Manyang)? He lost seven counties out of ten. He should have been graceful and humbly accept the defeat, by congratulating his people and the Governor elect Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk. What makes him think that he won that election and was rigged out? If he thinks he has a case why not go to court than rush to gun and military threats? He hasn’t been serious, therefore shouldn’t be taken serious.
Let’s guess facts about Gen. Athor motivations. One is his obsession with the past achievements and the name he has acquired thereof. He believes he has done enough to make him climb the last ladder defined by Abraham Maslow. In the military in fact, the general was revered and respected; he was feared by many junior officers. He was a good soldier especially his guerrilla tactics. But the general has blown up in flames everything by that trigger on Friday. The general (if indicators stand that way) has done silly thing that has scrapped everything we thought was positive about him. An Arab jabs about short people on ‘fitna’ and ‘thagina’, could be true about this man! I don’t think the president approach will work alone without other approaches, given this man wily and wicked character (am rude, yeahJ). This where am coming from!
I didn’t buy either the lie that Gen. George departure will weaken the military might of the SPLA. Yes it’s a blow but we must not overestimate his military capabilities. We have others more capable than him. Other tough officers are even coming up. SPLA has suffered before in the hands of feeble hearted people like him who come behind to attack and brag about it. But in the end, it is this SPLA that makes someone somebody! Athor furthermore isn’t that great soldier; we have others in the likes of Oyay, Oath, Pieng and Mamur. If by burning alive innocent children and their mothers in Ayod a stepping stone for greatness, then excuse me, that isn’t a laughing matter?
Hey, what battle against Arabs did Gen. George participate fully and unilaterally? To my best knowledge, Gen. Athor has participated in no military operations against Arabs since his graduation on the 28/12/1983 with Jamus Batallion. He was a junior officer until 1991 when he broke rank with Nasir faction and started to commit unthinkable crimes against unarmed civilians in Nuer land. He is furthermore fond of disagreeing with his bosses. Who can forget the story about him throwing away AKM 47 at Khor Machar in the 1980s, when men were driving to battle? I don’t think it is fair to go down on our knees shivering because George Athor Deng has left Southerners and joined other traitors who relish in stabbing Southerners at the back. I’m excited he is from Dinka anyway…
SPLA top brass are advice to take Doleib Hill incident very seriously. Mutiny is a mutiny, whether it involve deaths or not; they need to employ both diplomatic and the military against Gen. Athor. He isn’t sleeping after realizing he has committed a mistake. This is so: he has been sending mixed signals through international media, something very abnormal and worrying for someone who was seen to be in the fore front fighting for Southern cause. Don’t leave anything to chance. Power hungry people are dangerous.
This however doesn’t amount to declaring war against Gen. Athor. War is bad unless imposed (like this one), it has no benefit to everybody, yet there is need to be extraordinary careful when handling that renegade general. He isn’t Athor we all know before. There are others who are morally and materially ready to support him, hoping for the disintegration of the Southern Front under the SPLA. They must forget it! Enough with divisions among our forces based on tribal, the law will deal with only law breakers. Gen. Athor in this particular incident must clear his name in the court of the law, whether there is a price to pay or not- for the sake of who would be following the same foot steps.
Isaiah Abraham lives in Juba; he can be reached at [email protected]