South Sudan rebel leader threatens withdrawal from Kenya-mediated talks
May 20, 2024 (JUBA) – A South Sudanese rebel leader has threatened to withdraw from participation in the Kenyan-mediated peace talk, citing the alleged presence of government operatives assigned by political rivals to assassinate him.
In a letter addressed to the Kenyan high-level mediation for South Sudan, Gen. Stephen Buoy Rolnyang asked that his team be allowed to return to their base.
Gen Rolynyang is the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A), a rebel movement fighting to overthrow Kiir.
The 20 May letter is addressed to the chief mediator, Gen. Lazaros Sumbeiywo.
Citing security concerns, the (SSPM/A) claimed he got intelligence that a team allegedly sent by Kiir’s security advisor, Tut Gatluak is in Kenya to assassinate him.
“On 16/5/2024, the Juba security agents employed Kenyan agents wearing dark glass eyes and came to the Ole Sereni hotel where they kept hiding near the hotel toilets in the evening carrying some pictures in their hands definitely which might be my picture. I noticed them and I returned to my room and immediately alerted the security. I reported it to you the following morning in the meeting hall which Hon. Makuei Lueth refuted in front of everybody,” partly reads the letter.
It added, “Yesterday [on 19/5/2024] John Top Nyerew, the one whom Tut Gatluak sent came in person looking for me in the hotel and found me sitting with my two officers eating supper, he came and greeted me and sat near me because we have known each other.”
The (SSPM/A) leader further explained in the letter, “He started talking by himself without even being asked to do so and explained he was sent by Tut in 2022 to look for me in Addis Ababa to assassinate me, but ‘I told Tut that Gen Stephen Buay married our daughter, I should not be the one to assassinate him’ and he continued narrating a lot of stories all about how Tut is using plenty of money to assassinate me, then I asked him where he came from now.”
“Then, I texted security to take and investigate him, but he immediately ran to Gen. Gregory (Gregory Vasili Deng Kuac, Deputy Director-General of the General Intelligence Bureau of the National Security Service (NSS)), a member of the Juba delegation who tried to protect him from being taken by Kenyan security,” it adds.
Then Gen. Gregory, according to Rolnyang, had a misunderstanding with the Kenyan security personnel until the latter reported the case to higher authorities.
“John Top Nyerew is the one who has been accused of kidnapping Dong Samuel and Aggrey Idris from Nairobi here and got killed in Juba. Considering the above security concerns, Juba is not ready for any peace talks. Their objective is to lure the opposition to Kenya and assassinate them one by one as I told you last time in my letter in response to your invitation letter,” he wrote. “I, therefore, request your esteemed office that the SSPM/A/SSUNA team withdraw from the talks, and needs immediate evacuation from Nairobi back to where we came from.”
Gen. Rolnyang confirmed the authenticity of the letter, vowing to withdraw from the talks if the Kenyan and the government in Juba failed to address issues raised.
“What else can we say? I raised this issue before the government spokesman, Michael Makuei and he was dismissive. It indicates how Juba is not ready for genuine peace talks. I brought this to the attention of the Kenya authorities they told me to be patient, saying they were going to hold a meeting over the matter. We are going to withdraw unless the guy they (Juba) had sent is arrested and investigated. We are not joking and Our stance is that we have to go back to where we came from”, the rebel leader told Sudan Tribune.
“I want to tell South Sudan that Juba is not ready for peace and what they want is only to lure the opposition leaders to assassinate them in Nairobi. This is the game those of Kiir are playing and we will not accept that. This is my view and statement but we are going to meet as opposition leaders and come out with an official statement”, he stressed.
Sudan Tribune could not independently verify the accuracy of the allegations.
In a joint statement, the Kenyan chief mediator and officials from the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they had carried out an investigation with Gen. Rolnyang and were satisfied with the outcome.
(ST)