Rebel General Athor to send high level delegation to meet SPLM
By Ngor Arol Garang
December 12, 2010 (ABYEI) – George Athor Deng Dut, a former General in the southern army – the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – who turned rebelled after losing his bid to become governor of Jonglei State in April’s elections on Sunday announced formation of eight member high level negotiating committee.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune from his base in Korfulous, Athor said the committee will be sent to Juba the southern capital to negotiate with the region’s ruling party the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement. Athor’s says his negotiating team includes religious leaders and civil society organizations.
In October the president of the semi autonomous regional government of south Sudan, General Salva Kiir Mayardit, issued an amnesty to Athor and other armed groups in the south who began insurgencies after their leaders failed to win positions in the elections.
“We have formed high level committee to negotiate issues we have put forward as our demands. The team is ready and is only waiting to meet delegation of the government of south Sudan so they begin discussions once at the venue,” Athor told Sudan Tribune.
Dok James Puok, spokesman of the high level committee on the side of General Athor also in an interview with Sudan Tribune from Khartoum confirmed formation of the high level committee.
“The eight member committee has been formed and has already been approved by General Athor. It was formed yesterday and we are only waiting to meet delegation of the government of south Sudan coming from Juba to Malakal for negotiation,” said Puok, explaining that Malakal is the venue of negotiation.
However, he said their delegation would first go to Korfulous for a briefing with General Athor.
“The arrangement is that our committee will first meet with delegation of the government of south Sudan in Malakal tomorrow and then leave for Korfulous to go and brief General Athor on previous meetings we had with senior members of the south Sudan [government] when we first visited Juba in October after which we will come back to Malakal for full discussions once it is approved by the General,” said Puok.
The official spokesman of the renegade group said the eight member high level committees under the chairmanship of Abraham Thon Chol, the former Baliet county commissioner, include him as the spokesperson of the movement. Other members of the committee include William Joseph, James Not, Makuac Choat, Malok Yong, Abiel Riing Majak and Wuchar Kong. He said those in Khartoum will travel tomorrow to join the rest of the delegation.
“Those of us in Khartoum will travel tomorrow to meet in Malakal with the delegation of the government of south Sudan which I am told will leave Juba tomorrow. We will meet with them but we will not begin any talk until when we returned after briefing with General Athor. We will go to him and come back the same day so that we begin the talk the following day. This is how it has been arranged,” he explained.
Speaking from Juba, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, a team leader leading delegation of the government of south Sudan said they are ready to leave.
“We have been briefed by the President of the government of south Sudan and we are ready to leave. Members of our delegation are all here in Juba and ready to leave to the venue of negotiation,” Bishop Bul told Sudan Tribune from the regional capital on Sunday.
He, however, declined to give detail of the talks saying he could not talk to the media until after talks.
Nonetheless, a senior member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in the delegation of the government of south Sudan who declined to be named said the talks would discuss how to integrate forces belonging to General Athor into the SPLA and modalities of how to accommodate some politicians on his side.
“One of the issues we are going to discuss with members of the General Athor whom we are told to have been selected to negotiate with us is the issue of how to integrate their members. The integration will be done by groups because they will have two groups. One group is the group of those who will be observed into the SPLA and the other group is the group of politicians wanting to be accommodated.
“The other issue is the assurance of guarantee of their security and safety. This issue has already been covered by the presidential pardon and they are now free to move. Their members are now moving freely in Korfulous and elsewhere in the south. This is one of the guarantees,” explained the official.
He said their delegation will leave Juba for Malakal tomorrow. “Our delegation is ready and will leave tomorrow on Monday for Malakal if things go according to the plan,” he said.
The southern government is attempting to unify the south politically and militarily ahead of a referendum, which most observers believe will see the south secede from the north. Sudan’s south was granted the right to separate from the north in a 2005 peace deal between the SPLM and the National Congress Party, which governs the north.
Around two million people were killed in the conflict and four million displaced by the civil in Africa’s largest country, which began in 1983 and has been fought over identity, religion, political and economic marginalization and south’s oil and water resources.
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Dr Dit
Rebel General Athor to send high level delegation to meet SPLM
Good way to engage the George Athor team to ensure that they are given their due rights just like other SPLA members.
Just like other SPLA heroes Athor had contributed magnificiently to the cause of Southerners and as such his demands should be sorted out with care and dignity.
The team which is going to undertake this task should include all southerners but not Jonglei alone.
His lordship Rev. Daniel Deng Bul and his team should use their well acquired wisdom and knowledge to tackle Athor in a very diplomatic way.
Cheeeeeeeers SPLM!
Victory
Rebel General Athor to send high level delegation to meet SPLM
What is this?Athor was a muderer & his agenda was almost the same agendas with the NCP,& now he want to involve him self in the splm/a affirs pretending to be a freedom fighter, as for the SPLM,you are not asham to call him a Hero,that is just nonsens.
John M. Atem
Rebel General Athor to send high level delegation to meet SPLM
Folks,
The SPLM/A should accept some of the George Athor’s key demands. George Athor is a very stubborn person. He wil not rejoin the SPLA if some of his key demands are not met. Please and indeed, mark my words for it.
Folks, there is no doubt, George Athor has significantly contributed to our liberation struggle. This is his everlasting credit. But for him to rebel against the very same people he has whole-heartedly fought and advocated his entire life for, is indeed a grave and stupid mistake on his part. And it is also a grave betrayal of the very same political cause he has bravely fought for.
Therefore, poor George Athor should acknowledge the fact that he has committed stupid political mistake by rebelling against the legitimate Government of Southern Sudan of which he was previously part of it.
So, the question great people of Southern Sudan have been asking is: What are those George Athor’s key demands?
Well, here they are: Athor wants all of his thuggish commanders whom has surrounded himself get high-paying jobs in the Government. Secondly, he wanted physical safety of his thuggish commanders and himself guarantee. Third and finally, he wanted to be reinstated as an SPLA duty chief of staff a position that he has abandonded to contest the governorship position in Jonglei state which he lost. These are some if not all of the George Athor’s key demands.
So, if these George Athor’s key demands are not met. I think he will remain in his hide out place. Therefore, it is critically important that the SPLA swiftly address these key demands for the sake of and unity for the sake of Upcoming Self-determination.
Finally and last, but not certainly the least, I have said it many times on this magnificently great website and it too is worth repeating, let us stop preaching down-market, diversionary and outdated primitive stone age period politics that have reduced us into the lowest common denominator in the scale of contemporary human beings. Let us encourage, promote and emphasis our shared commonality and de-emphasis our personal and long-standing political differences for the greater good of our peace-loving and liberty-seeking people of Southern Sudan. Folks, our leaders have made killing people as their lucrative political business and it is absolutely a bad thing to do.
In conclusion, May almighty God creator of heaven and Earth bless the long-suffering, abused and long-objectified people of Southern Sudan who have been greatly humiliated beyond believe by various brutal, murderous, thuggish and fatalistic Islamic regimes that have come and gone in the down-right lunatic asylum capital Khartoum.
The writer of this comment is John Atem. He is a orphaned son of late freedom fighter. He has successfully completed Certificates in Agriculture, Peace Education and Diploma in Criminal Justice Program.