S. Sudan army, rebels blamed for Jonglei violence
March 26, 2012 (JUBA) – As South Sudan’s disarmament exercise enters its
second week; a Swiss-based research group has largely blamed the
national army -SPLA- and the members of the police forces of allegedly
providing both the Murle and Luo Nuer tribes with arms and ammunition.
According to Small Arms Survey, in the final days of 2011, 6,000-8,000
mostly Lou Nuer youth, calling themselves the White Army, carried out
a large-scale attack in villages occupied by the Murle in Pibor in
what has been described as the worst cycle of violence the region
witnessed in recent months.
To-date, however, the exact figures of those either killed or children
abducted still remain unknown, although United Nations estimates
indicate over 100,000 people have been displaced in Jonglei.
“What is clear is that the inter-communal attack demonstrated an
unprecedented level of organization and scale of violence in South
Sudan,” the 22 March report partly reads.
The group also accused rebels belonging to then leader, George Athor
of allegedly arming scores of Nuer youth as a way of recruiting
additional soldiers to strengthen his forces as they planned attacks
on SPLA basis. Athor was killed late last year by the army unit while
reportedly attempting to recruit people in Morobo county, Central
Equatoria state.
SPLA DENIES INVOLVEMENT
Phillip Aguer, the SPLA spokesman on Monday dismissed the Small Arms
Survey report as “baseless and untrue”.
“How can the SPLA which is trying to maintain peace and stability in
Jonglei again arm the very group causing violence? It does not make
sense at all,” Aguer told Sudan Tribune by phone.
The SPLA spokesman, however, said in 2009, that the army handed over
about 100 guns to the youth in Pibor County to fight alongside the
army, adding that the armed youth are still part of the SPLA to-date.
He largely blamed the Athor’s forces of fueling the vicious cycle of
violence in the region, especially its alleged involvement in arming
the Lou Nuer tribe.
(ST).