Bul-Nuer community calls for unconditional release of detained generals
May 19, 2016 (BENTIU) – Bul-Nuer community in South Sudan’s Unity region has called on the government of President Salva Kiir to release two of their senior army generals who have been under detention for the last three and a half months in the national capital, Juba.
The detained generals include Major General Buay Rolnyang, from Bul-Nuer, who did most of the fighting on behalf of President Kiir’s government, defending the oil fields in Upper Nile state as the commander of government forces in the area.
Another senior officer detained is Major General Joseph Manyuat Manyzol, also from Bul-Nuer community, who was the operational commander in oil producing Unity state, fighting against the armed opposition faction of the SPLM-IO led by Riek Machar, now First Vice President.
Although the two senior army officers fought wholeheartedly to defend the government against the opposition faction for two and a half years, their arrest was ordered by the chief of general staff, General Paul Malong Awan, while they were lured to Juba for consultations.
Michael Tuak Toang, Chairman of Bul Society in South Sudan said the arrest was politically motivated, accusing former Unity state governor or the current newly created Liech state governor, Joseph Nguen Monytuil, of being used to divide the Bul-Nuer of Mayom county.
The Bul-Nuer community chairman further lamented that despite the community’s support to President Kiir during the war against Machar’s forces, who are predominantly Nuer, they have been trashed and their military officers who fought hard for the government have now ended up arrested and suffer in prison.
There is nobody appointed from Bul-Nuer as national minister by President Kiir in the new transitional government of national unity.
It was not clear why the General Malong arrested the two senior army officers who did much of the fighting for the government in Upper Nile region. There are speculations that the two were more loyal to President Kiir than to General Malong, who allied closer to governor Joseph Monytuil Wijang, also from Bul-Nuer.
Toang however alleged that governor Monytuil felt jealous of the two officers and accused them of insubordination.
“These are malicious and groundless accusations which would not even be recognized by any competent court in South Sudan. He doesn’t know even reconciliation instead he just divided the Bul Community and we will not accept it,” Toang told Sudan Tribune.
Simon Kai Yaka, Deputy Chairman of the Bul Nuer community also claimed that politicians, youths and elders in the area have petitioned President Kiir to refer the case to court.
“The community has felt shocked and cheated by this illegal detention which was not properly convicted by capable court through guilt finding…” he said, warning that the community would go to the streets to protest against the government.
He said members of the Bul Nuer community in USA, Australia, Canada , East Africa, South Sudan and various countries abroad have condemned “this barbaric allegation labelled against the two generals.”
“This envy manner shown by Nguen Manytuil caused reaction among community and now we would like the country leadership to intervene urgently because it will not be divisive factor among Bul Community who [are] mostly loyal to the current Government,” he said.
The groups have warned maintaining the current governor of Northern Liech state in the position may likely bring in more division among the Bul Nuer, calling on South Sudan leadership to intervene quickly before things go out of control.
The move is seen to threaten the unity of the Bul Nuer who have been loyal to the government and accused by other Nuer communities of betraying them in the face of the government’s massacre of the members of the Nuer community in Juba, including many from the Bul Nuer community.
(ST)