South Sudan’s Athor’s rebel group convenes emergency meeting
December 21, 2011 (JUBA)- The South Sudan Democratic Movement (SSDM), one of the South Sudan’s rebel groups, on Wednesday said it has called an emergency meeting with the senior members of its movement, two days after Riek Machar; the country’s vice president announced the death of rebel leader General George Athor.
The release from Machar’s office also said that Athor was on a recruitment drive in Central Equatoria state and appealed to his followers to heed the amnesty and presidential pardon by the country’s president Salva Kiir in July.
In an interview with Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, Abiel Riing Majak, a senior member of the Athor’s rebel group said the leadership council of the movement has called for an emergency meeting. He refused to say whether they have elected new leader saying the council.
“I cannot confirm anything to you because the council is still consulting,” said Majak.
“The last time I talked to him was on Saturday evening after arrival to Uganda,” he said.
Abraham Thon, another senior member of the SSDM claimed in a separate interview that Athor was on a peace mission to meet with a delegation from the government on Tuesday in Uganda.
Thon said Athor left their SSDM headquarters on Saturday on a Ugandan plane to hold peace talks with Uganda’s president, Yoweri Yuseveni.
The same claims have been made by the Unity state rebels, South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA).
The deputy head of the SSLA, Bapiny Monytuil confirmed to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that the SSLA and SSDM have formed a coalition but are awaiting the text of their agreement
An anonymous government official corroborated the rebels allegations, stating that “some of our own personnel in reference to the security agents, told me on Sunday evening at South Sudan Hotel that they received information from Uganda security operatives that Athor was in the country [Uganda], trying to meet with president Museveni.”
He also claimed that Ugandan security operatives killed Athor and transported his body to Morobo in South Sudan. But the government officials including Vice-President Machar denied such accusations.
The Vice-President denied yesterday that the government had planned to kill the rebel leader, as the government offered an amnesty to all rebel groups, including the SSDM.
(ST)