South Sudan says new evidence indicates Khartoum supported Athor

By Ngor Arol Garang

December 24, 2011 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s military said Saturday it has found further evidence indicating that north Sudan is supporting the South Sudan Democratic Movement (SSDM) – a rebel group in Jonglei and Upper Nile states.

The leader of the rebellion, George Athor, was killed 19 December by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), the official army of South Sudan, which became independent in July.

SPLA spokesperson, Phillip Aguer, told Sudan Tribune that the army have found documents containing information clearly showing that Sudan was fully supporting Athor’s rebel group.

Athor was killed in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State, hours after a fight between his forces and the SPLA near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Aguer said Athor’s death was a big a “blow” to the various rebellions in South Sudan. Despite attaining independence in July South Sudan has continued to be insecure. Juba regularly accuses Khartoum of backing rebels in South sudan to destabilise the new nation.

North Sudan denies the charge, countering that the SPLA continues to support armed groups in north Sudan that fought with the former rebel movement in Sudan’s second civil war (1983-2005).

Since elections in 2011, which the ruling SPLM dominated, various rebel groups sprung up in areas where the results were hotly disputed. Athor failed to win the governorship of Jonglei state and took up arms claiming that the vote had been rigged.

Smaller rebellions also started in areas of South Sudan. Some rebels have accepted an amnesty offered by South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir, while others have been killed or are under arrest.

Athor’s group have pledged to continue fighting and have accused Uganda of involvement in his death. The SSDM say that Athor had been visiting Uganda but had disappeared before his death was announced. Kampala has denied the claims.

However, the SPLA say that Athor was killed in Morobo County attempting to enter South Sudan from DR Congo.

“He met with a clash with an SPLA patrol unit,” Aguer said, adding that one SPLA soldier was killed and another wounded in the fighting.

South Sudan’s Vice President Riek Machar said that the rebel leader was returning to recruit young men to join his rebellion.

In November, the leader of the United Democratic Front (UDF) Peter Abdurrahman Sule, was arrested while trying to start a rebellion in Western Equatoria state. His party has since dismissed Sule and denied knowledge of his actions.

Athor, who was a SPLA general before he rebelled, was considered a large threat to South Sudan’s stability considering his military experience fighting the Sudanese army during the civil war.

Since South Sudan’s independence there have been clashes around the disputed area of Jau on the poorly defined new international border. Aguer, claimed Saturday that Khartoum is preparing to stage attacks on oil producing areas south of the border in Unity State.

“The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) are as we speak, preparing in Karasana and Heglig to launch other attacks on areas along the borderlines. They are preparing to launch another come back attack on Jau”, Aguer told Sudan Tribune.

The senior military officer accused Khartoum of trying to demarcate borders by force in an attempt to drag the two countries back to war. The SPLA, he said, was capable of defending South Sudan but said it would never return to all out conflict with north Sudan.

He urged soldiers to “remain calm and vigilant against foreign aggression”, he said, adding that the army was in full control of security across the country.

There are plans for the two countries to resume talks on border demarcation, oil and others issues in January.

(ST)