S. Sudan rebel commander downplays sanction, calls for justice
July 3, 2015 (KAMPALA) – A South Sudanese rebel commander has said the United Nations Security Council sanctions slapped on him will not end the ongoing conflict and instead urged the international community to find alternatives way of bringing the country’s warring parties to the negotiation table to resolve the conflict in the country.
Also on the list of UN sanctions are five other commanders from both the armed opposition forces and the South Sudanese army (SPLA).
But Koang, in an interview with Sudan Tribune, welcomed the sanction, saying he was prepared to face courts of law.
“Whether it is the International Criminal Court or any court of justice from anywhere, am ready to go for it. I have done nothing in this crisis imposed on us by President Salva Kiir,” Koang said on Friday.
Previously the commander of the army’s fourth division in Unity State, Koang, said he was forced to take up arms against government after thousands of his Nuer tribesmen were allegedly murdered in the capital, Juba in December 2013.
He vowed to cooperative with any court of justice, if approached.
The sanctions, he said, would not in any way affect the armed opposition’s fight for reforms with the country’s ruling party (SPLM).
“We will not give up from fighting, we are victims of this war because
President Salva Kiir has killed South Sudanese citizens and therefore
we are working to bring change to the country,” stressed Koang.
DISMISSES UN REPORT
Meanwhile, the senior rebel commander accused the UN of wrongly reporting on what happened in Unity state capital, Bentiu last year.
“Even the UN knows very well that those killed in Bentiu during the May offensives last year were rebels from Sudan. If they were not rebels, why did they refuse to be transported to Sudan after the UN collected the wounded from Bentiu?” he asked.
“By the way, these are merely allegations from wrong people. Am optimistic of winning the case. What I know is that we are on the clean side of this mess,” added the rebel commander.
The UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said it had documented incidences of war crimes committed by the armed opposition forces when they recaptured Bentiu town from the army in May last year.
However, although the UN report made no mention of the alleged presence of members of Sudanese rebels in Unity state, it clearly stated that crimes committed violated existing international laws.
(ST)