Jonglei: Yauyau-led rebels deny accepting amnesty
June 22, 2013 (JUBA) – David Yauyau-led rebel groups operating in South Sudan’s Jonglei state have denied reports that it was in direct contact with authorities from the country’s ruling party (SPLM).
But the rebel group on Friday denied the claim saying such a meeting would only occur with foreign intervention.
“The Murle elders talking about peace are wasting their time. There is no negotiation unless there is a genuine change in Juba. In this rainy season, we will make life difficult for Salva Kiir”, Peter Konyi Kubrin, the group’s spokesperson said in a statement.
The South Sudan Democratic Movement/Army under Yauyau, Kubrin did not accept the so-called amnesty. We said that any peace process must be mediated by the UN, IGAD and AU. David Yau Yau responded to the so-called amnesty in 2011 and nothing was implemented”, Kubrin said.
“What makes the people think that Salva Kiir is a man of peace who will change the status quo? The term amnesty is an insult to us because it denotes that we are criminals who are forgiven. We are freedom fighters for change and we are fighting to rescue our country from corruption and tribalism”, he said in the statement.
No peace unless there are genuine changes in Juba, he added.
NEW PIBOR CLASHES
Meanwhile, group claimed that their forces carried out attacks on Pibor town on Tuesday this week, killing at least eight government soldiers and wounding 23 others including three colonels.
Kubrin warned the civil population to evacuate the area and not to use major roads connecting South Sudanese capital Juba with strategic towns in the states and counties.
The rebel spokesperson said his group advised “all the civilians in Pibor, Torit, Bor and Kapoeta to avoid using roads during this rainy season because our forces will block all roads to Juba.
“Starting from July, there is no car that will go to Uganda or Kenya so that the regime in Juba knows that we mean business”, he said.
The spokesperson for South Sudan’s army (SPLA) confirmed the clashes on Thursday, but did not give any further details.
Colonel Phillip Aguer was reacting to reports claiming that he accepted president Salva Kiir’s amnesty pardoning all rebel groups which took arms to topple his government, regardless of the crimes they must have committed while fighting his administration in different places in the country.
He also denied that Tut Gatluak, who is currently in Juba has the approval of the SSDM/A to represent the group at talks at any level.
Tut, while meeting South Sudan’s information minister last week, claimed that he was in Juba to convey to the government that the rebel leader was ready to accept of the amnesty,
Yau Yau first rebelled in 2010 after losing his bid for a seat in the state parliament to represent Gumuruk constituency in Pibor county. He claimed the vote was rigged in favour of his rival candidate, Judi Jonglei, who had the approval of his candidacy from the governing SPLM.
Yau Yau claims he is fighting against corruption and nepotism within the Juba government and for the protection of ethnic minorities in the country.
The government had repeatedly dismissed the authenticity of the claims, saying he is fighting proxy war to destabilise the new nation on behalf of the neigbouring Sudan war.
South Sudan has alleged that aircraft have been caught dropping guns and ammunition in the remote areas of Pibor occupied by the SSDA.
More than 5,000 of the displaced people sought refuge in Kakuma camp in Kenya in the last five months, according to a weekly report by the United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
In a statement broadcast by the state owned (SSTV) last week, South Sudanese information and broadcasting minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin said he expected “Yauyau will come to Juba on short notice”.
The minister, however, did not give any details of whether the government had reached any deal with the rebel group without the involvement of the third party or whether they have held secret discussions involving participation of the third party.
(ST)