South Sudan army says ready to force out militias

July 27, 2006 (JUBA) — The Sudan People’s Liberation Army said they are ready to use force and to finish off with all the independent militias in southern Sudan. The top command of the SPLA said they are just waiting for political decision.

Soldiers of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army train in the southern Sudanese town of Rumbek.

The SPLA chief of staff, Maj-Gen Obuto Mamur, said that they are only waiting orders from the southern government to force out the militias in the south, The Juba Post reported Thursday.

In an interview with The Juba Post, Mamur said that the SPLA are only waiting for commands and orders from First Vice-President and South Sudan President Salva Kiir to fight out the illegal armed groups and the other militia groups from the south as it is granted by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

“Soon we are ordered to fight out those illegal armed groups, the public will witness how those who are creating insecurity in the Government of South Sudan should run out from the south, including the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), if they fail to reach an agreement wit the Ugandan government,” he warns.

The Minister of National Defense, Lt- Gen. Abdelrahim Hussein has accused the SPLA of violating the terms of the CPA, explaining that the disarmament of the tribes in Southern Sudan came within the responsibility of the Commission of Disarmament, Demobilization and Re-integration (DDR) and it is not the responsibility of the SPLM army.

Since the installation of the Government of Southern Sudan after the signing of the CPA, the Nuerland witnessed clashes between the different militias and the SPLA over the disarmament issue and the dislocation of unallied militias.

Independently of the ruling National Congress Party will to maintain these militias and to use it to protect oil exploitations in the south, the tribal a hostilities between the Nuer and the Dinka complicate merger process and confidence build-up.

The SPLA is under growing pressure to stop the continuous insecurity caused by militias. One year ago Salva Kiir promised to stop them.

During Kiir’s four day tour of the USA, he mentioned the names of all militia leaders who still refuse to join the SPLA and are still active in the south: He mentioned Gen Gordon Kong Chol (Nuer – Upper Nile), Gabriel Tang-Ginya – (Nuer – Jonglei), Ismail Konyi Alau – (Murle Jonglei),Tom al-Nur (Bahr El Ghazal), Peter Lorot – Equatoria (Didinga Hills) and Fabiano Odongi Oriom of the former EDF.

Papers to read:

Sudan’s Nuer condemns disarmament process in the Nuerland

Disarmament, a rescuing process to South Sudan

(JP/ST)