TEXT – South Sudan pledges to investigate Malakal clashes
Dec 4, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The Vice President of the government of southern Sudan pledged in a statement issued on 29 November to investigate the causes of Malakal fighting during the last week. He also said responsible will be brought to justice.
Further more he urged Upper Nile population to promote peace and harmony.
Below the text of statement by the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS):
I believe all of you have been following with great concern the unfortunate outbreak of violence in Malakal town which intensified (yesterday) 28 November and continued until about midday today, 29 November 2006.
The events that led to this state of affairs were triggered by the actions of Maj-Gen Gabriel Tanginya (otherwise known as Gabriel Gatwech Chan), who hails from Fangak County in Jonglei State.
On 24th of this month, a section of his militia forces attacked the residence of Mr John Maluit Wei, Commissioner of Fangak County, in Malakal town, wounding one SPLA soldier and a civilian.
Two days later, on 26 November, a fake attack was staged by Tanginya’s forces by shooting randomly over the houses in the vicinity of his residence. The aim was to create panic in the town’s population and cause a situation of general instability. Nobody was killed or wounded during this shooting, for neither the police nor the SPLA units in the area responded to the provocation.
The next day, 27 November, Tanginya sent a squad of his followers to Assosa, a residential area in the centre of Malakal town, where they killed one SPLA soldier and wounded another. Some policemen from a nearby police station responded by attempting to arrest the attackers. But the attackers assaulted them, killing one of them before running into the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) garrison headquarters. Tanginya realized that his men had then caused enough tension and that he would be arrested. He then ran to the SAF garrison where he took refuge.
The SPLA unit in the area demanded from the SAF garrison commander that Tanginya be handed over to them or the police so as to be brought to justice, but the commander refused.
As tension mounted, the security committee of Upper Nile State, under the chairmanship of the governor of the state, decided to expel Tanginya from Malakal, together with his deputy Maj-Gen Thomas Mabor Dhol. The committee also decided to relocate the Commissioner of Fangak, Mr John Maluit Wei, to Bor, the headquarters of Jonglei State.
Tanginya was persuaded to leave Malakal and was actually whisked out of the town yesterday, 28 November and taken to Khartoum. However, his deputy Thomas Mabor Dhol, refused to leave town, selecting instead to initiate a showdown with the SPLA.
At 3 p.m. yesterday, 28 November, their militia forces attacked the residence of SPLA monitors in Hai el Jalaba residential suburb close to the city centre. SPLA monitors in the residence returned fire but nobody was hurt. Tension mounted and the town fell in the grip of panic and terror.
At 6:15 p.m. the same day, four soldiers from the same militia went on a rampage in the city shooting at random and reinforcing the panic of the civil population of Malakal town. Again, SPLA soldiers tried to confront the culprits but they ran into the SAF garrison. Although SPLA and SAF forces had tried to observe restraint, the exchange of fire that ensued as a result of the hot pursuit dragged the SAF and SPLA forces into the confrontation. Shooting continued throughout the night and only subsided by about midday today. Calm has now returned to Malakal town.
The exact number of casualties is still undetermined at this point in time. State authorities have been ordered to take stock of the loss in human lives and destruction of property.
In the name of the GOSS, I call upon all our citizens in Malakal town to remain calm and thereby contribute to restoration of law and order in their town. Military forces have been instructed to withdraw to their original barracks or bases. Police forces shall take charge of maintaining law and order in Malakal town.
The GOSS will immediately carry out full investigation into the causes of these unfortunate events and those found responsible will be held to account and brought to justice. I call upon all Sudanese people in Malakal town and Upper Nile State in general to do everything in their power to promote harmony and peace, for it is not in anybody’s interest to plunge our nation back into instability and self-destruction.
Dr Riak Machar Teny,
Vice-President, Government of Southern Sudan
Juba, Sudan
29 November 2006.
(ST)