Ex-South Sudan rebels claim Khartoum arrested its members, confiscated properties
May 20, 2013 (KAMPALA) – A South Sudanese rebel group, which recently signed a peace deal with the Juba government, claims the government of Sudan arrested some of its members and confiscated personal belongings, including cars and houses in the capital, Khartoum.
Gordon Buay, who identifies himself as the spokesperson of South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA), said the crackdown occurred on May 15, linking it to the decision by the group to abandon their rebellion and accept an amnesty offered by South Sudan President Salva Kiir.
Khartoum denies backing or assisting any rebels in South Sudan but the SSLA claim that their leadership was based in Khartoum with their armed forces in Sudan’s South Kordofan state before they crossed the two year-old international border into Unity state to accept the amnesty in late April.
“We are informing the international community, IGAD and the African Union that the Government of Sudan confiscated four houses, seven cars and detained four members of the families of the former rebel leaders”, the ex-rebels said in statement issued Monday.
Buay, described Khartoum’s actions as violation of international humanitarian law.
He also claimed the Sudanese authorities had placed one Lt. Gen. Gordon Koang Chol under house arrest and prevented him from leaving Khartoum for South Sudan to join the advance team of the rebel groups that signed the recent peace deal.
“Supporters of the rebel groups who reside in Khartoum are being prevented from leaving for South Sudan and the whereabouts of twenty five Nuer boys from Unity state is unknown,” claimed the rebel spokesperson.
The information that reached us confirmed that they were detained by the Government of Sudan National Security agents because they are supporters of the rebel movements that signed peace with the Government of South Sudan, Buay added.
He called on the international community to condemn what he described as “the illegal action the Government of Sudan had taken by confiscating personal properties of individuals and detaining family members of the rebel leaders who signed peace with the Government of South Sudan”.
No official statement on the allegations has, however, been released by the South Sudanese government and attempts by Sudan Tribune to reach the official spokesperson at the ministry of foreign affairs were unsuccessful.
The ex-rebel official claimed the “illegal” actions of the government of Sudan could jeopardise relations between the Sudan and South Sudan, which seceded from the north in 2011 as part of a 2005 peace deal.
(ST)