SPLM: “some quarters” attempting to exploit Juba incident
Dec 18, 2006 (JUBA) — The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) said some quarters attempted to exploit Juba incident and to present the southern Sudan government as unable to administrate the autonomous region.
In a statement issued on Saturday 16 December the SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum, said they had observed some quarters trying to portray the Southern Sudan government — after SPLA soldiers rampage in Juba last week– as “incapable of governing and maintaining security in Southern Sudan.”
Amum described these quarters as “the enemies of peace and the people of Southern Sudan.”
SPLA soldiers from the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) demonstrated on Friday 14 December in Juba streets firing in the air in protest at the government’s failure to pay them. Southern Sudan officials convinced the angry soldiers to go back to their barracks and promised to address the situation with the Government of National Unity.
In another statement, the Southern Sudan government minister of information, Samson L. Kwaje, insinuated that the rioters’ solders were influenced by outside factors.
The minister said an investigation committee will probe the incident to determine “whether these soldiers were influenced by outside factors or not.”
“This of course takes into account, the fact that the events in Malakal last month were influenced by some elements in the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) due to arming of militias that are anti peace. This cannot be ruled out in what has happened last Friday in Juba town.” Kwaje said.
Since Juba incident, the SPLA and the Sudanese army trade accusations on the responsibility of the incident. The SPLA says it is Khartoum which delayed the pay of the JIUs soldier and the Sudanese army says all the salaries are paid without delay.
But clearly the question of militias and Malakal fighting at the end of November seem behind this growing mistrust between the Comprehensive Peace Agreement partners.
In the emergency meeting held immediately after the incident by the First Vice President and President of Southern Sudan Government it was decided to impose a curfew in Juba “to prevent other militia allied to Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) from exploiting the incident and causing insecurity;” said Pagan Amum.
While the information minister indicated that the curfew is satisfactory; adding “Very few violations caused by some militias allied to SAF who have been shooting randomly at night in some locations in Juba town.”
The announced joint meeting between the National Congress Party and the SPLM in the coming days would discuss mainly the issue of the militia in southern Sudan. According to the CPA, the militias have to joint the Sudanese army or the SPLA. If they join the SAF they would be considered as SAF forces and then they have to be deployed in the north as the rest of the SAF.
(ST)
– To read the statement of the SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum, please go at
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article19345
– The statement of the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Samson L. Kwaje, is available at http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article19344