Jonglei state delegation to meet renegade SPLA General Athor

December 3, 2010 (JUBA) – A team of religious and military leaders has been appointed by the President of the semi-autonomous region of Southern Sudan to meet with the renegade army General George Athor Deng, who rebelled in Jonglei state in May after April’s general elections.

The Southern Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, issued a presidential decree to form a committee to meet the General who defected from the southern army the Sudan people’s Liberation Army (SPLA). The committee headed by Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan.

In October President Kiir granted an amnesty to Athor and his soldiers as well as other officers from the Other Armed Groups (OAGs) in southern Sudan aiming at uniting southerners ahead of a self determination referendum in January.

While others including General Gabriel Tanginya have heeded to the call and joined the SPLA, Athor is waiting for conditions he has set to be fulfilled by the leadership of the Government of Southern Sudan (G0SS) before he reintegrates his forces with the SPLA.

Included in the appointed committee for talks with Gen. Athor is Lt. Gen. Majak Agot, the head of the National Intelligence and Security Service in the South.

Both Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul and Gen. Majak Agot are from the Dinka community in Jonglei state like George Athor.

General Athor who contested for the position of Jonglei state Governor in the last April elections as an independent after he was not selected by the South ruling SPLM, the political wing of the SPLA. Athor started his rebellion after losing the election to the incumbent Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk.

The SPLA have said that Athor’s militia has no more than 100 men although the remoteness his soldiers means that it hard to establish their size. Claims that some members of the SPLA defected to Athor’s group have been strongly denied by the southern government.

Athor, who was the Deputy Chief of General Staff for Moral Orientation in the SPLA before deciding to contest politically, accused the SPLM party of allegedly rigging the votes in favour of its official candidate, Kuol Manyang.

Meanwhile President Kiir has reinstated Major General Dau Aturjong, into SPLA, after losing the gubernatorial elections as an independent candidate in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state.

(ST)