South Sudan’s Jonglei rebels “ready” for talks
April 10, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudanese rebel group active in its tribal conflict affected state of Jonglei apparently suspected of laying and launching an ambush on United Nations convoy, killing at least 12 people, including five Indian soldiers and seven civilians, expressed readiness to go into negotiations with the government but only if international actors are involved.
“We have always expressed sincere desire and readiness to discuss the way to resolve issues of our concerns with the SPLM government in Juba but the problem is that the other side does not believe in dialogue. They have always talked of their intentions to flash us out, forgetting that the war with Sudan was not won through a barrel of gun. There were negotiations”, David Yauyau, the leader of the group said Wednesday.
Yauyau denied that armed elements loyal to him were involved in the attack, saying his group is not at war with United Nations.
“We made our position very clear in the statement we released yesterday when we learned that we have been implicated in the attack which occurred in area which is completely not under our control. The United Nations in South Sudan is free to conduct investigation into the killings. We will provide support to do their work. Actually we recognize and appreciate the work of the United Nations in protection of the civilians which is also what our forces do”, Yauyau said Wednesday.
The rebel leader said his group was ready to negotiate a deal with the government but only if the international actors were involved in the processes of the negotiation. He put down demands he would want to be met for him and his men to lay down arms and accept negotiation with the government outside the country.
“One of the issues we have raised with different groups who have approached us including political leaders from Jonglei is the issue of security of our people. We told them we are not against disarmament but it must be done in a way that does not make others become vulnerable, especially those who have been disarmed in the first instance. Our people accepted to voluntarily surrender their weapons but what happened, they became victim of the project. Their houses were burned, thousands were killed. This shows that the disarmament was a deliberate exercise against our people. It was cleansing. They wanted to wipe out our people from existing”, he explained in an exclusive interview with Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.
Yauyau, a former theologian turned politician before becoming a rebel, said negotiations with the government must be mediated by independent international actor and the venue must equally be decided by them and not the government or those with the influential contacts with the regime.
“A part from the security issues and the venue, the government should commit itself to resolving this conflict by listening to the people and not otherwise. Political leaders must be involved in the negotiation processes. The civil society, the faith based groups, the media, youth and women must participate.
“The people are talking about accountability and the transparency. The government must make it position clear on those it has accused to have taken public funds. They must be held accountable. The system of governance must be clearly defined. The type of government we want. Majority of our people want parliamentary type of government with decentralisation policy. They also want presidential term and age limit. The powers of the president must be clearly defined. These are some of the issues we have raised several times with those who have approached us and we will continue to raise them with concerned actors”, he said.
The spokesperson of the movement, Colonel Peter Konyi Kubrin also denied that the group was involved in the killing of UN peacekeeping forces in Jonglei, saying UNMISS would be the first witness to support because they do not any physical presence in the area where incident occurred.
“The incident took place in an area entirely under the control of the government forces. If there is anything, they should answer what happened. This incident is like the last year attack on the United Nations peacekeepers on similar mission when they were attacked by the same group. It was the SPLA which brought down the UN aircraft”, Kubrin explained.
The rebel officer also in the release described the accusations incriminating his group as “blatantly unfounded”, claiming the allegations were designed by the government to tarnish of their forces, purportedly fighting to build and consolidate independence of public institutions to safeguard application of the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and equality in the country irrespective of region, tribes or gender. He called on the United Nations to launch investigation to establish truth because those UN soldiers might have been killed by the SPLA forces.
However, South Sudanese army (SPLA) spokesperson, Colonel Phillip Aguer, quickly denied any responsibility, reiterating that his troops knows the united nations mission in the country has a mandate which provides support to the government. He accused fighters loyal to David Yauyau, a rebel leader whose forces have been engaged in periodic skirmishes with the government forces in the area since April 2012 when he launched second rebellion after signed first deal with Juba administration in 2011.
“It is a common sense that such malicious acts are always carried out by criminals. The groups loyal to David Yauyau have definitely carried out this attack. They have been launching ambushes in that area even on the SPLA for about six months now”, Aguer told reporters Wednesday.
(ST)