SPLM-N RIFT: Nuba body sacks SPLA-N chief of staff
June 10, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – In a new escalation that further complicates the rift within the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), the Nuba Mountains Liberation Council (NMLC) Saturday sacked the SPLA-N Chief of General Staff Lt Gen. Gagod Mukwar.
In a decision released Saturday, the head of the Nuba Mountains body Omer Rambawi, dismissed Lt Gen Mukawr and appointed Brigadier General Jacob Carlo Trelli as new Chief of General Staff of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N).
To explain his decision, Rambawi listed three reasons indicating that Mukawr does not support the recent move against the Chairman of the Movement Malik Agar and the Secretary General Yasir Arman.
He pointed that the chief of general staff tried to arrest some NMLC members, besides his refusal to recognise the NMLC decisions from (1 to 5).
The rift within the armed group that fights the Sudanese army in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states surfaced when the Nuba Mountains body announced on 25 March 2017 its rejection of the resignation of the deputy chairman Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and decided to sack Yasir Arman from his position as secretary-general and chief negotiator.
On Wednesday, the Nuba Mountains regional body decided to install al-Hilu as temporary chairman of the Movement, to relieve Agar from the leadership of the armed group together with Arman, and to prevent them from entering the SPLM-N controlled areas.
But, Agar swiftly rejected the decision, describing it as a “coup d’état” and called to form a temporary leadership to hold a general conference and elect a new leadership stressing that he and Arman would not run for any position again.
This development may extend the rift between the factions to the army, something that many warned that a split among the SPLA-N would lead to armed clashes and deteriorate the humanitarian situation in the area.
Sudanese government Saturday said differences within the rebel SPLM-N would obstruct peace talks and exacerbate the suffering of civilians in the Two Areas.
(ST)