Gen Gordon Koang sacks de Chand from SSUDA leadership

PRESS RELEASE

SSDF/SSUDA LEADERSHIP DISMISSED DAVID De-CHAND FROM SSUDA LEADERSHIP AND PREVENT HIM FROM DECEIVING THE PUBLIC

Feb 10, 2007 — The SSDF military Commander in-Chief and the Executive Political Bureau of SSUDA once again would like to make it clear to all Sudanese and international media that Professor David De Chand defected to SPLM/SPLA and was dismissed from the leadership of SSUDA effective as January 6, 2007. Thus, he (De-Chand) has no legal mandate to talk on behalf of SSDF and SSUDA. And that any media which carryout or publish any statements from the said individual will be in violation of the code of ethic of media professionalism and that of public responsibility.

Until the leadership of SSUDA/SSDF elected a new leader the only legal statement from SSUDA/SSDF must be made public by the SSUDA Secretary of Information Mr. Peter Chuol Gatluak and the SSDF military Spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Chol Alamar respectively. Any unauthorized Press release statement by any individual therefore is void and illegal.

In regard to peace process between SSDF and SPLM/SPLA, which many Sudanese would like to see happen; the facts in the ground is not as some individuals want you to believe? Though, there has been some informal contact here and there, there has not been a formal or official process that has taken place as we speak. Should there be such formal contact for peaceful process, it should have been handled by the senior officials or it could have been handled by the SSDF Commander in- Chief Gen. Gordon Koang and the SPLM/SPLA leader General Kiir.

Often, it is only after such high contact is made that a formal process could take place. And, if there is to be a need for a mediator, we believed that, Lt.-Gen. Paulino Matip can not be the one nor can be thinking of as mediator. As can be recalled, Gen. Matip has defected from the SSDF and became SPLA General. As such, to the knowledge of SSDF leadership, there is no such thing that Matip was appointed by President Kiir to lead the negotiation, if there is to be a genuine negotiation.

Here again, we would like to inform the Sudanese at large to disregard any outlaw statements coming from individual De-Chand. And that Professor De-Chand is now acting alone and being pressured by the SPLM; and that he has no working relations with the leadership of SSUDA in the US and other part of the world, as well as the SSDF leadership in Sudan.

Signed:

General Gordon Koang, Commander in-Chief of South Sudan Defense Forces/SSDF

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