Athor’s threats to attack Jonglei capital amount to rebellion – Governor

May 11, 2010 (BOR) – Kuol Manynag Juuk, the governor-elect for Jonglei, said threats by defeated candidate to attack State headquarters in Bor are a “rebellion against a nation ….and that will not be allowed.”

Kuol Manyang was reacting to statement made by George Athor Deng to Reuters on Tuesday saying “we are organizing our forces to converge in Bor…..attacking Bor.”

Gen. Athor, who retired from South Sudan army – the SPLA, in preparation for April elections, contested as independent and lost to Kuol Manyang Juuk (SPLM) by a wide margin.

Since an assault carried by his supporters on April 30 on Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) barrack of Dolieb Hill in neighboring Upper Nile State, Athor has been linked to a series of clashes between armed men and regional forces.

Athor said he had clashed with SPLA on Monday for the second time and threatened to attack an important town if the assault on his forces persists.

“We are organizing our forces in all areas and we are going to converge in Bor….attacking Bor,” Athor told Reuters adding that he is willing to negotiate.

Reacting to Athor claims, Kuol Manyang told the Sudan Tribune on Monday in Bor that “he (Athor) is far from the state headquarters; about 200 kilometers away,” adding he has no forces around Bor town or near Bor town and if he is attacking the State headquarters, then, that is a rebellion that the government of Southern Sudan will not allow.”

“Yes, the State has no forces of its own, but is being defended by the SPLA – by the government of southern Sudan against anybody who takes arms against the nation,” Kuol Manyang noted.

A referendum on self-determination is scheduled for January 2011 in the South as part of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) that ended two decade of civil war between Khartoum and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army. April elections were part of CPA.

The SPLM, mainly from the underdeveloped south where to Sudan’s oil rests, heads the semi-autonomous regional government in Juba since 2005 peace accord and won by a landslide victory in April elections. Defeated political opponents in south criticized the electoral process.

(ST)