Machar urges former rebel leader to surrender his forces to the SPLA
June 26, 2012 (JUBA) – A former rebel leader who recently declared his intention to rejoin the government of South Sudan has been urged to expedite the process of surrendering his forces to the national army, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
Like the rest of the rebels or militia forces, Ayat was based in Khartoum and claimed to have recruited a force of not less than 4,000, mostly from his home state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal in order to wage war against the system in Juba.
However, since his declaration to stop the rebellion his forces have not yet been reintegrated into the SPLA.
On Tuesday he met with the country’s Vice President, Riek Machar Teny, in his office and reiterated to him his desire to see his forces assembled and reintegrated.
Machar has urged the former rebel leader to expedite the process of assembling and reporting his forces to the SPLA, adding that the process of reintegrating the former rebels was winding up.
There are a number of rebel groups in South Sudan which Juba says are sponsored by Khartoum. Last month, Juba claimed, a group of hundreds armed by Khartoum decided to join the SPLA in Upper Nile state without a fight, bringing with them ten trucks mounted with heavy artilleries.
The group under the command of Maj. Gen. Duit Yiech, said that they were armed by Khartoum and directed to close routes connecting Ethiopia and Upper Nile state.
Yiech’s forces as well as the forces of the late George Athor Deng are undergoing the process of reintegration in Jonglei state. President Salva Kiir met the group leaders in Juba in May and commended them for the decision to join the SPLA, saying his government was ready to receive them with open arms.
Khartoum denies supporting rebels in South Sudan and accuses Juba of backing rebels in its territory.
(ST)