Jonglei governor-elect calls for calm as opponent hides
May 1, 2010 (BOR) – Kuol Manyang Juuk, the caretaker governor of Jonglei State who won April polls, today called for calm as defeated independent gubernatorial candidate George Athor Deng, accused of attacking a military base in neighboring Upper Nile State on Friday, spend a second day out of sight.
“I ask the people of Jonglei to remain calm and avoid listening to rumors over phones,” said Kuol Manyang Juuk, the Jonglei governor-elect. He also refutes claim that the Doleipin Hill attack, by civilians loyal to Mr. Athor in Upper Nile State, is affiliated to April polls.
Doleipin Hill, a military barrack for the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) was attacked early on Friday by armed gunmen. Seven people died and 25 others wounded including SPLA soldiers and civilians.
Five attackers are captured and allegedly confessed that their actions were coordinated by defeated independent candidate for Jonglei governorship, George Athor Deng. Mr. Athor is reportedly discontented with election outcome that declared Kuol Manyang as the winner with vote difference of nearly 100,000.
Jonglei, south Sudan’s vast-populous state, suffered tribal conflicts in 2009 with death toll reaching 2,000. The electoral campaigns and polls were peaceful but tension rose after the announcement of results that were won by the southern Sudan ruling party; the SPLM.
Kuol Manyang (SPLM) obtained 165,387 of valid votes (66.2%). George Athor Deng (Independent) comes second with 67,639 votes (27.1%) as Joseph Duer Jakor (NCP) trails with 16,704 votes (6.7%).
The NCP gubernatorial contender in Jonglei State Joseph Duer Jakor phoned and congratulated SPLM’s victory, Mr. Kuol revealed today saying “I should have done the same [congratulate a winner] if I lost”.
Asked to comment on the hypothesized voting rigging to secure victory in last month’s election, Mr. Kuol said: “The National Election Commission (NEC) is not under my command and if Athor has complaint he should open his case against NEC”.
Athor could not be reached for reaction but he told the BBC on Friday that he never took part in the attack and blamed SPLA internal dispute on his alleged arrest.
GOOD MAN ERASING GOOD HISTORY
Looking back at records, the main rival in the race to Jonglei governorship, Kuol Manyang described Athor Deng as a “good man” who contributed tremendously during the war of liberation.
Speaking in a combative mood, Kuol says he is “sad” that George Athor is “erasing a history of good contribution” particularly when he resisted and 1991 Nassir defectors had been in his hometown of Khorfulus. For Goerge Athor great work, Kuol recalls, forces opposing SPLA/M’s course to liberation of the Sudan’s marginalized people were defeated.
Calling on George Athor to reconsider the objectives of SPLA/M since its inception in 1983 of peace, freedom and prosperity, Kuol says it is vital to halt oppressive assaults on civilians and allow peace a chance “so that we prepare our people for referendum”.
Since the Friday attack in Upper Nile territory, Mr. George Athor’s whereabouts is unknown.
The fear among the public is how swiftly the Government of South Sudan will respond to the security threat mobility will be overshadowed by the rainy season that just began. Khorfulus in Pigi County, where George stays before the attack, lacks roads.
(ST)
belle gatlueng liah
Jonglei governor-elect calls for calm as opponent hides
We all needed to blame KIIR for this stragic lost of lives of the people of JONGLEI STATE, that is what happened in UNITY STATE after KIIR demanded TABAN to be in the power by force of his own choice. people said enough is enough to TABAN but KIIR insist it. so it is time to blame KIIR for this lost of lives. KIIR had been seat back driver for all these ugly wars in South Sudan.
Dinka Boy
Jonglei governor-elect calls for calm as opponent hides
Dear Southerners,
We have to know that in every competetion, It’s obvious that there must be a winner and aloser. Why people complain when they lost. This is rediculus culture in the South Sudanese mind in particular because most of them are hungery and they are looking for survival.
I am really serious with because there is no way that observers are there and at the same time manipulate the result. This culture of refusing lose is a character of uneducated people in general because they have no clues about how laws works at all. Now,almost every leader who lose in the April election is crying about rigged because they are independent candidate, this shows that majority of our leaders know nothing about what they are doing because rigged should not be the excussed occassionaly in every leadership. WES indepenedent won their state election,why does he win if SPLM hate independent candidates in the South.
SPLM is more powerful than what others think, someone can be simply jailed or killed if this was the past moment that i knew,but now everybody want to spoil CPA through violent,but how about the SPLA wage violence against any body who needs it? Salva Kiir Mayardit must acted immedidately to anybody who want to create some crime in the South by all means that he or she want in the South because this is apathetic.
Complianing will take people nowhere at all because it has been the signed of weakness. If this act is true then General George Athor must be hunt and brought to book and those who are captured must be shot in squart so that people understand the badness of traitoring and crime aganist humanity. I heard that those nuer militias join with him but they will be caught alive and they will shot to death in line so that the criminals will learn the truth/good from bad.
Thanks
murlescrewed
Jonglei governor-elect calls for calm as opponent hides
Patriots,
With all due respect Gov. Kuol Manyank Juuk, you are rushing to denounce the good Gen. George Deng Athor as guilty before he is even proven so in the caught of law. He is not behind this attack. Nothing that has been said or even discovered so far would point to Gen. Athor. It is just a hearsay. Gov. Kuol should swiftly apologize and consider Gen. Athor innocent till proven otherwise.
People with passion always carry out attacks in other people’s name but that does not mean they were instructed to carry out attack. This is the case here. Some officers who felt they were offended by the loss of their hero might act outside the law. Does that imply that Gen. Athor was behind the attack? No. He is as innocent as Gov. Kuol himself.