Senior SPLA officer and 11 civilians killed in separate murders in Yei
August 27, 2010 (JUBA) – A colonel in the southern army – the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) – and eleven civilians were killed on Thursday in Yei town of Central Equatoria state in two separate incidents involving soldiers.
Military sources say Colonel Peter Gatkuoth Chol was shot dead by one of his soldiers, Lieutenant-Corporal Majur Philip Mathier, who was alleged to have been drug addict and who drank heavily.
Majur was previously disciplined for his behavior of frequently smoking cannabis, known locally as ‘bongo’. He was put to jail until recently when he was released. While attempts to reach the SPLA spokesman for clarifications failed, the anonymous military sources say after the soldier’s release he got hold of a gun and went to where the Colonel stayed during which he shot him at a close range while the Colonel was sitting and charting with some of his other colleagues. The assailant managed to escape from the scene.
Late Colonel Peter Gatkuoth was the army’s officer in charge of the SPLA Engineering Corps in Yei town.
In a separate incident later on Friday, , a soldier alleged to have been one of the GOSS presidential guards based in Yei town shot dead eleven people mostly women and children from the family of his former in-laws. The soldier who is only revealed to Sudan Tribune by his first name as Makuor massacred members of the family of the girl he was about to marry.
The sources alleged that Makuor was in serious argument with the family of the girl from the Kakwa community after he tried to renege on the agreement he had earlier reached with the girl’s parents that the girl would first complete the current academic year before could marry her.
After learning that his request to prematurely take the girl was turned down, he allegedly decided to later attack the family through the help of some of his friends who first tied their hands and then shot them.
Following the massacre of the civilians, the commander in charge of the SPLA forces in Yei County, Brigadier General Thok Chuol Luak, had reportedly appealed to the civil population in the town to remain calm and allow the authorities to investigate the matter and take necessary action.
A team of senior military officers including Lt. General Wilson Deng from the SPLA General Headquarters and the Commander of the Military Police in Southern Sudan, Brigadier General Stephen Buay Rolnyang, had been dispatched to Yei from Juba on Friday to calm the situation and bring the culprits to book.
The murderer of the 11 family members is reported to have been arrested while the culprit responsible for the death of the Colonel is said to have escaped and is being pursued by the law enforcement agencies.
Two years ago a senior army officer was murdered by another soldier at the SPLA General Headquarters in Juba during a dispute over ownership of piece of land.
(ST)
Gatwech
Senior SPLA officer and 11 civilians killed in separate murders in Yei
Oh, God,
First to the civilians killed in that barbaric act. This should have been a happy inter-marriage between Dinka and Kakwa communities, but barbarically turned into blood shed.
And to the killing of the Colonel, the SPLA should take action against all those drug adicts serving in the army. They either quit the army or follow the rules.
May justice prevail on the culprits.
May God console the familities of the victims.
May their souls rest in eternal peace.
Amen!!!
Dack Gatduel
Senior SPLA officer and 11 civilians killed in separate murders in Yei
Condolence to the family of colonel Peter Gatluak Chol, and those eleven peopple murdered needlessly by the that SPLA presidential guard.
Since SPLA forces took control of southern sudan , several similar incidents of soldiers murdering soldiers, soldiers murdering officers, and soldiers murdering civilians and even civilians attacking and killing SPLA soldiers occured repeatedly. there were incidents in Rumbek, Bilpam, and many others and now this two attacks in yei town this week.
the problem is that there is no code of conduct, military rules and regulations, discipline, military courts. these random killings deprive us our best men in the military who supposedly protect us, those who guided us against our enemies.
Although the SPLA is busy with ensuring security, cattle rustlers, militia of Athor and gatluak they must also protect themselves from wthin.
Malou Manyiel
Senior SPLA officer and 11 civilians killed in separate murders in Yei
There is no excuses for this kind of acts that killed the colonel, and the other which killed innocent people. Action must be taken immediately to make sure that there is law and order in South Sudan. These two people should be silent when they are arrested. But there is one thing that people fail to understand, when such incident happened by an individual, it should not be taken as if the whole issue was plant by the tribe the men belong. people have different behaviors, sorts, minds and attitudes despite being from one tribe. Such incidents are obvious world wide and the blamed should not be based on the tribe. This is our big problems and least we stop it, otherwise we will not be considered by the world as educated people.
Last year, a man just opened fire killing 14 people in Japan, when asked why did he do that, he said he is tired of life. Imagine, the issue was solved by law against him.
May God rest souls of all those killed.
John Malou Manyiel, in Khartoum