SPLA planed to assassinate general Tang – SSDF

November 29, 2006 — In desperation, confusion and fear of continued defection to the SSDF forces, the SPLM/A leadership led by Slava Kiir, Dr.Riak Machar and their cronies had planned to assassinate SSDF Chief of Operations, Major-General Tang. The aborted assassination was planned in Juba. Nevertheless, it thwarted because it leaked to the SSDF intelligent services prior to its execution in Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile State. Malakal is the stronghold of the SSDF one the largest autonomous army in South dubbed by the SPLM/A leaders as “government militia” since the signing of the SPLM/Khartoum Peace Agreement (CPA) on 9 January 2005. The plotters collaborated with Dr. Machar, the VP of the de facto GOSS, James Kok Ruae, Gatjiath Thot, Duier Jakoak and company, who unilaterally selected a protégé Maluit Wie vying to become the Commissioner of Fangak District against the will of the people.

According to the reports from Malakal, the SPLA soldiers attacked General Tang residence. An SPLA source told Sudan Radio Service (SRS) producer Koang Pal Chang in Malakal that the fight started following the alleged shooting of two SPLA soldiers by gunmen in civilian clothes. This is a bias or prejudice reporting. Another credible source alleges that the gunmen were part of Maliuet and Both Teny groups the main perpetrators of the plot to assassinate General Gabriel Tang. The SPLA claimed it responded by attacking General Tang’s position, forcing him and his bodyguards to make a tactical withdrawal to the SSDF barracks in another section of Malakal town. The SPLA pursued the SSDF. The SSDF did everything humanely possible to avert the incident but the SPLA continued to pursue the General and his entourage, unfortunately.

The SPLA attackers were chased away by the General’s personal bodyguards. It also reported that at least 3-5 of them slightly wounded. At the end of this incident, the attackers came in with tanks to ram and demolish the General’s residence and as a result, a full scale fighting broke out between the SSDF and the SPLA assassins. The SSDF forces made a tactical withdrawal to their Headquarters at Malakal International Airport in order to avoid and minimize civilian casualties.

According to the reports, the SPLA pursued the SSDF forces to their base. There the fighting ensued and more than 150 SPLA soldiers killed inside Malakal city, many have drawn into the river and more are unaccounted for as this time. The SPLM/A Commander Marial Chanoung admitted that they have been flashed out of Malakal city by the SDDF forces that have cordoned the city at different prongs. SPLA Brigadier General Marial Chanuong admitted on phone to Sudan Radio Service (SRS) from Juba alleged that he believes General Tang, who the SPLA alleges to be responsible for the clashes, has been evacuated to Khartoum by the Sudan Armed Forces. Again, this is a contradiction. The incident was engineered from Juba with the blessing of Slava Kiir and Dr. Riak Machar and their sycophants and cronies. They should be the ones to shoulder full responsibility of the incident in Malakal. The SPLM failed to provide constructive synergic leadership and neo-thinking to govern and unite the South. It opted to attack the SSDF because it wishes to propagate that Khartoum is the one responsible for the lack or the absence thereof of implementation of the 2005 peace agreement. Furthermore, it is to cover up rampant corruption in government and the latest charges on human abuses by the UN Security Council against the SPLM/A on child or minor conscription into military service. The so-called “Lost Boys of Sudan” were all former conscripts who were snatched from the bosoms of their moms and dads to be educated in Ethiopia. This promised never happened. Many of the young boys between the ages of 5-8 and 8-12 years old were conscripted by the late Garang , Slava and Dr. Riak Machar. Many of them died en route to Ethiopia and many more murdered similar to the Hutus Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994 in the aftermath of the split in August 1991. Many SPLA commanders in the government today should be charge for human rights abuses and are unfit to undertake public service.

The world should know and understand that any allegations of complexity that the Sudan Armed Forces attacked the SPLA during their effort to take control of the town this morning is false, groundless, baseless and lacks credence. The SPLA does not have the gut and gusto to defeat the well trained and combat experienced SSDF. The Sudan Armed Forces are not a party to this fight. They have no troops in the area. It is purely between SSDF and SPLA fight. The truth has to be told instead of denying the fact.

The SPLA intentions was not only to assassinate the General but it had the plan to occupy the stronghold of the SSDF, to hoist the SPLA flag, and to committee atrocities against anyone opposed to their tyrannical rule and speaking out of corruption in the government. Most importantly, the SPLM leadership in Juba is antidemocratic and resent opposition against it. This is a repeats of the SPLM/A’s culture of violence vs. the culture of peace and democratization that the overwhelmingly South Sudanese stand up for and fought for the past five decades.

The SSDF would like the international pace sponsors (the USA, the UK, Italy and Norway) to revisit the 9 January 2005 the so-called CPA before it is too late. SSUDA, which is the political of the SSDF calls on the SPLM for an immediate and unconditional dialogue for power and resources sharing to prevent any further escalation. We have fought together in the bush; therefore, we should enjoy together the fruits of our hard won labor.

The deliberate and willful interference of outsiders in the domestic affairs of Fangak community is extraordinaire, dump and unprecedented. In a democratic society, the people have the inalienable right to choose their leaders. Therefore, external imposition of a leader to any people anywhere in the world, including Fangak District, is illegal, unprecedented. The Fangak community in Sudan and in the Diaspora requests Dr. Riak Machar to keep hands of Fangak community affairs. Additionally, we also calls on all the native sons of Fangak whether they are loyalists SPLM/A, SSDF, academics, professionals and artisans, members of the de facto and corrupt government in Juba to denounce in the strong language possible the deliberate and willful interference by the predominated tribal, government in Juba to abscond itself from the affairs of Fangak community. Continues interference, could have serious consequences for the so-called GOSS. It is an insult for our community for Slava and Riak Machar to select our leaders rather than native sons of the area in question.

SSUDA appeals to South Sudanese to reject Slava Kiir Mayardit appeals to General Matip Nhial to send reinforcement to Malakal. We call on all native sons of South Sudan to unite rather butchering each other. The South belongs to us all. We have no reasons to kill each other because of selfish power elite bad governance or the lack thereof of good governance in Juba. The world should underscore now that the state of civil war now exists in South Sudan. The SPLM/A leadership should bear full responsibility.

SSUDA appeals to international non-governmental organizations to send food, drugs, medicine, and basic humanitarian relief assistance to Malakal to treat civilians.

More details will be forthcoming.

Signed: Peter Chuol Gatluak,
SSUDA, Information Secretary.

Contact information:
Email: [email protected]