Wulu ex-commissioner dismisses allegation of murdering official

By Manyang Mayom

June 29, 2009 (RUMBEK) – The former Wulu County Commissioner, Lieutenant Colonel Gideon Shulur Mbele, has rejected the accusation that he had a hand in the death of late Sabit Nicola Majok, who was gunned down on May 30, 2009 at Rumpanbuolriak, southward of Rumbek.

A state lawmaker representing the constituency of Rumbek East County, Honorable Yar Ater Toric, had accused Mr. Mbele of involvement in the killing of Mr. Majok, who was working in the Lakes state government as deputy executive director of the Ministry of Local Government and Law Enforcement. The slain man was a Wulu inhabitant and university graduate.

Hon. Toric published an opinion article in the Khartoum Monitor newspaper on June 20 directly accusing the former commissioner of being a “tribal warmonger” whose thirst for power led him in May to “[order] his official guards to hunt down his county political rival Mr. Taban” – Taban was another name by which Sabit Nicola Majok was known.

The article also added that Mr. Taban was shot down on the highway for contesting the commissionership against the ex-official, who left office only this month.

To make it worse, Mr. Sabit’s county constituencies mistakenly alleged that Mr. Sabit had been killed by the people of Rumbek East, resulting in a revenge attack in which 23 people were killed and 3 others were seriously wounded, stated Hon. Yar’s article.

In an interview on Monday with Sudan Tribune, ex-Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel Gideon Shulur Mbele responded to Hon. Yar Ater’s article, affirming that all allegations placed upon him are wrong.

“I was away in Wulu County centre when news of Sabit’s death reached me; I was in Nutamanga, a part of Domloto Payam, residing there with my relative – I heard the news and I was shocked,” said Lt. Colonel Mbele.

He affirmed that the only role he had was to send police forces to verify the cause of Mr. Majok’s death: “I sent there military police forces comprised with tribes of Jur-beli and Dinka of Rumbek East who usually have served in the county in the role of enforcing the rule of law in the county.”

“Until that point some policemen were accused of having had a hand in the death of Sabit and I was told by my local police report that those suspected in Sabit’s death were captured and both of them were placed in jail in Rumbek correctional prison. Shortly thereafter I was told that those suspected are now released out of jail.”

“According to the speculations I learned from various people, which were serious, I knew that fighting between Wulu natives and the Kook sub-tribe of Rumbek East might be going to resume again, so I instructed police forces to be alert for any new development that might happen,” he recounted.

The ambush occurred just a distance of one and half kilometers from a placed in eastern Wulu county called Madooga where two women were raped and cattle were seriously looted by Rumbek East Youth, particularly the chief of Pan-Agok of Kook sub-can of Rumbek East, which usually attacks Wulu inhabitants.

Lt. Colonel Mbele added that the two women were raped on May 27 and on the next day a number of cattle were looted, after which on May 30 late Sabit Nicola Majok was ambushed and killed, leaving behind his wife a three month old child.

The former official was appointed by Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) presidential decree in December 2005 and was ousted from the commissionership position in early June 2009 without charges placed against him.

“I was also promised by Governor Daniel Awet to take over the position of commissioner of Lakes state headquarters office but mistakenly the headquarters commissionership position is owned by the UDF party; I am not sure what step Awet will take,” he concluded.

The former official had seriously disagreed with the outcome of a security meeting that was held in April, when it was resolved to pull out police forces from Wulu. He claims that the situation in Wulu has worsened and security forces are needed to prevent violent attacks between Wulu inhabitants and Rumbek East youth.

As a result of his dissent, the commissioner was told to leave the meeting room by Governor Awet and the following morning was called back to the Lakes state secretariat headquarters by the governor, along with lawmakers of the Wulu constituencies, whereby he underwent finger-pointing to adopt behavior of a good leader, he said.

In the aftermath the withdrawal of forces from Wulu, the Lakes State Legislative Assembly passed a resolution against the decision made by Governor Lt. Gen. Daniel Awet Akot. During the sitting No.08/2009, 34 honorable members (MPs) agreed to read out eight resolutions to the Office of the Governor, urging the immediate recalling back of all security forces who had been deployed in Wulu County. Lawmakers objected that the decision had been passed by the state council of ministers on Friday during their security meeting without having provided information to lawmakers.

Lawmakers resolved to deploy 250 police to the county for at least six months, in Makundur, Biling, Kombi and any other payam that has insecurity.

Prior to that, the county was the scene of intertribal conflict from January 18 to 21 between Rumbek East County youth of the Dinka Agaar tribe and Wulu County youth of the Jur-beli community. After this fighting, Sudan Tribune confirmed that more than 414 people were displaced by the fighting to Wau, the state capital of Western Bhar-El-Ghazal.

Nevertheless, the two counties of Wulu and Rumbek East restarted the conflict in May following the death of Sabit Nicola Majok, resulting into 600 people fleeing mostly to the four Dinka chiefdoms of Rumbek East, which neighbor Wulu. The executive chiefs there comprise Mamer Keer, Dut Marial, Marial Mayom and Ater Manyiel.

Meanwhile, the tribal clashes since May 31 between the Jur-beli tribe of Wulu County and Dinka Agar sub-clan of Kook from Rumbek East have left at least 22 people confirmed dead and a number of people injured.

A peace and reconciliation conference on the conflict between Rumbek East and Wulu constituencies was thought to have had a good start in 2008. The conference brought delegations from the regional Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) headed by the South’s Vice President Dr. Riak Machar and others senior constitutional post holders, the then-Minister of Interior Affairs, Paul Mayom Akec, Lakes state Governor Daniel Awet Akot and all paramount chiefs of Lakes state.

(ST)