---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 9:09 AM Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] South Sudan Announces Peace Agreement With Insurgent Militia To: Group <[email protected]>
The world of rebel South Sudanese militia supported by Khartoum is murky. As the articles and statement below demonstrate, it is not clear whether this is a peace deal that the militia as a whole has made with the government in Juba, or whether it represents a split in the militia with some aligning themselves with Juba while others remain with Khartoum. Either way, it is a sign that the militia are weakening. They have never had any real support on the ground (which is why they abduct and forcibly conscript young South Sudanese men in Sudan) and are usually based around one or two disaffected leaders. Now that George Athor is dead, it is difficult to see what would hold his group together, apart from arms and money from Khartoum. John BEGIN 1. South Sudan rebel group lays down arms Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:12pm GMT By Hereward Holland JUBA Feb 28 (Reuters) - A major South Sudanese rebel group with alleged links to the northern government in Khartoum has signed an amnesty deal two months after its leader was killed, South Sudan said on Tuesday. George Athor founded the South Sudan Democratic Movement (SSDM) in 2010 after losing a regional election he said was rigged. The southern army said in December it had killed him. Until his death, the group was considered the strongest of several militias challenging the central government of Africa's youngest country, which is searching for stability so it can develop after decades of war with the north. Government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the group, which he estimated was around 1,800 strong, had accepted an amnesty offered by President Salva Kiir when South Sudan gained independence from the north last July. "They declared a ceasefire yesterday. It is our policy to try and absorb all these militia groups into a peace process instead of finding military solutions," Benjamin said. He said some of the rebel fighters would lay down their arms under the deal while others would be integrated into the national army. Senior members of the armed group would assume positions in government, the head of the SSDM's delegation James Nuot said. "What we signed yesterday is a memorandum of understanding. We will share some positions in government and also at the state level," Nuot told Reuters by telephone. "We say enough is enough, so we will sit down as citizens of the land and enjoy the fruits of our country," he said. Athor fought alongside rebels who now dominate South Sudan's government during a 22-year civil war with the north that ended with a peace agreement in 2005. Later the southern leadership accused Khartoum of supporting the SSDM in an attempt to destabilize the south. South Sudan voted overwhelmingly for independence last year, but decades of conflict and neglect have left it deeply under-developed. The northern government denies accusations that it sponsors groups fighting the authorities in Juba, but security analyst Jonah Leff from the Small Arms Survey said there was clear evidence of ties between the SSDM and Khartoum. "A lot of the weapons seem to match up with what are in Sudan Armed Forces stocks, so in that sense I'd say that the link is quite strong," he said. He warned that previous peace deals between the Juba government and rebel groups had not always been successful. "I wouldn't oversell it right now. Their coming to Juba is emblematic of their loss of power over the last nearly one year. Otherwise I don't see why they would come into the fold." (Editing by Tom Pfeiffer and Alessandra Rizzo) http://af.reuters.com/article/sudanNews/idAFL5E8DS6WE20120228?sp=true END1 2. South Sudan Announces Peace Agreement With Insurgent Militia By Jared Ferrie - Feb 28, 2012 2:42 PM GMT+0300 Bloomberg South Sudan said it signed a peace agreement with a prominent militia group whose leader was killed by government troops in December. The rebel group formerly headed by George Athor pledged to disarm and join the national army, government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin told reporters today in the capital, Juba. Athor’s group has been active in Jonglei state, which is mostly covered by Block B, an unexploited oil concession owned in part by the French company Total SA. (FP) The Geneva-based Small Arms Survey called Athor “the most important of the dissidents” who took up arms against the government after the end of a civil war that led to the south’s separation from Sudan in July. Athor formed the South Sudan Democratic Army in April 2010 after losing a bid for state governor. Benjamin said the agreement includes promises of “political representation at a state and national level.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-28/south-sudan-announces-peace-agreement-with-insurgent-militia.html END2 3. Juba signs deal with rebel group of the late George Athor February 27, 2012 (JUBA) - South Sudan on Monday said that it signed a peace agreement with the South Sudan Democratic Movement/Army, (SSDM/A), one of the rebel groups formerly under the leadership George Athor Deng Dut, before his death in December last year. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, South Sudan’s minister of information and broadcasting on Monday announced the signing of the deal with the rebel group, describing it as an important step to resolving conflict in the seven month old country. Athor began his rebellion after loosing the Jonglei state gubernatorial race to the incumbent, Kuol Manyang Juuk, who had been backed by South Sudan’s ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). Before his death Athor’s SSDM was believed to be the most powerful of the various rebel groups operating in South Sudan. The 27 February agreement "was signed by Thomas Duoth on behalf of the government of South Sudan and Peter Kuol Chol Awan on their behalf", Marial announced on Monday. Peter Kuol Chol Awan was elected to replace Athor in January 2012, renewing Athor’s pledge to overthrow the South Sudanese government due to corruption, tribalism and undemocratic practices. Upon assuming the leadership Awan reportedly denied he had entered negotiations with Juba. It remains to be seen whether Awan, after less than two months as leader, will be able to convince all of his armed men to integrate peacefully into the South Sudanese military or disarm. Recent deals between South Sudanese rebels and the government have entered difficulties. In July 2011 rebel leader Gatluk Gai was killed just a week after he signed a peace deal with the Juba government. A member of Gai’s group has claimed responsibility for shooting the rebel leader as his forces reintegrated into the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). The SPLA has denied allegations by some members of his group that they were responsible. Then, in August last year, rebel leader Peter Gatdet, signed a peace deal with the government but failed to bring with him the majority of his South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA). The SSLA’s rebellion in Unity State and parts of Upper Nile state has continued under new leadership. POLITICAL REPRESENTATION Marial announced the signing of the deal with the SSDM/A on South Sudan Television (SSTV) and said the agreement gives the rebels an opportunity to be represented in the national government as well as at state level, presumable in Jonglei and Upper Nile where the SSDM/A rebellion was based. “There will be assembly points in agreed areas where processes of integration of their forces into the Sudan People’s Liberation Army would be conducted”. Some political detainees will also be released, Marial announced. Abiel Riing Majak, a member of the rebel group confirmed the signing of the agreement to Sudan Tribune and said the SSDM/A was ready to implement the peace deal. But he pointed out that it was "one thing to agree and it is another to implement the agreement". Majak said the SSDM/A’s demands include; compensation for people affected by the conflict; the release of political detainees; return of the properties confiscated from some of the group’s leaders; as well as initiating peace and reconciliation projects. The deal comes as Jonglei state prepares for a mass disarmament campaign, following clashes between rival cattle herding groups in December and January. Juba has blamed groups like the SSDM/A for bringing more small arms into the region already flush with weapons as a hangover from the north-south civil war. Juba has accused the SSDM/A of being backed by Khartoum in an attempt to destabilise South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in July 2011 as part of a 2005 peace deal. Khartoum denies aiding any rebels in South Sudan. George Athor, the SSDM/A‘s former leader was mysteriously killed on 18 December 2011 by an SPLA unit in Morobo county, Central Equatoria, where he is alleged to have embarked on a recruitment drive. However, the SSDM/A claimed that their leader was killed by the Ugandan government in Kampala and the SPLA’s story was a coverup. Both the South Sudanese government and Kampala deny Uganda was involved. (ST) http://www.sudantribune.com/Juba-signs-deal-with-rebel-group,41735 END3 4. SSDM/A DID NOT SIGN PEACE WITH SALVA KIIR’S REGIME For immediate Release Leadership Council of SSDM/A, Tonga, Upper Nile State February, 28, 2011 On February, 28, 2012, the military commanders of SSDM/A met with the Executive Council and Leadership Council of the Movement to discuss the defection of Peter Kuol Chuol and James Nuot Puot to the SPLA. On February, 27, 2012, the Minister of Information of Salva Kiir’s regime, Dr Marial Benjamin, held a press conference in Juba and informed the media that the regime signed peace with SSDM/A. The Executive Council of SSDM/A and the entire military high command of SSDA would like to inform the people of South Sudan, the media and the international community that our Movement did not sign any peace with Kiir’s regime. What Dr Marial Benjamin alleged to have taken place is a defection of two former members of SSDM/A Executive Council to the SPLA. Since the beginning of February, Peter Kuol Chol Awan, who replaced late Martyr George Athor in January, informed the SSDM/A Leadership Council that he wanted to resign because of health issues. In fact, Peter Kuol Chol has been sick for quite awhile; however, the Movement nominated him in January to replace Martyr George Athor because he was the Deputy of Lt. George Athor before his assassination in Uganda on December, 18, 2011. On February, 10, 2012, the Leadership Council of SSDM/A informed Peter Kuol Chol that an extraordinary meeting would be conducted in March in order to select his successor. Most of SSDM/A commanders had been busy preparing for military offensive against corrupt regime of Kiir’s Mayardit and didn’t have time to meet in February to replace him. The decision to discuss the nomination of a new leader was communicated to him on February, 10, 2012. On February, 12, 2012, James Nuot Puot, former Spokesman of SSDM/A, went to Nairobi to proceed to USA to visit his family. However, he met with Juba regime’s Director General of External Security, Thomas Duoth Guet, who persuaded him to defect to the government. Thomas Duoth is a maternal uncle of James Nuot and the discussion of defection was between two of them as a family affair. However, on February, 13, 2012, James Nuot called Peter Kuol Chol and convinced him that if he defected to the government, he would have a chance to go to USA for medical treatment. On February, 26, 2012, Peter Kuol Chol left SSDM/A Headquarters in Jonglei to visit his sick uncle in the village. However, he proceeded to Atar Payam which is under SPLA and met James Nuot who was brought from Juba by UN helicopter to Atar for the signing of capitulation agreement. We would like to inform the world and the people of South Sudan that there is no agreement that could be negotiated and sign in an enemy territory. James Nuot Puot went to Juba on February, 13, together with Thomas Duoth Guet and started talking to Peter Kuol Chol from there until they persuaded him to join the government. What happened is not an agreement but a capitulation to the enemy. Such a capitulation betrays martyr George Athor. When late Athor went to Nairobi last year, he was talking to high-level delegation of Juba’s regime about peace while it was mediated by Kenyan government and foreign diplomats. Lt. Gen. Athor met Salva Kiir in Nairobi on November, 17, 2011 to open the peace negotiation. The so-called peace signed by Peter Kuol Chol and the Director of External Security Thomas Duoth is an affront to freedom fighters of SSDM/A. There is no genuine peace that could be signed by a Director of External Security inside an enemy territory. What Peter Kuol and James Nuot did is a capitulation motivated by personal reasons. The SSDM/A is aware that Peter Kuol Chol has health issues which need immediate medical attention. However, surrendering to Salva Kiir’s regime to go to USA for treatment will not end the war nor will it save his soul from eternal condemnation for betraying martyr George Athor, who would never surrender like that. The SSDM/A would have honorably discharged Peter Kuol Chol from the Movement for health reasons in a very democratic way. Unfortunately, the path he had chosen to leave the Movement is a disgrace not only to his family but to the entire people of South Sudan who erroneously believed earlier that he was a revolutionary who would rather prefer to die than to surrender. The SSDM/A Leadership Council and military High Command have unanimously elected Maj. Gen. Johnson Olony as the leader of the Movement. He is capable fighter, who is tested on the ground and fought a lot of battles including the attack of Malakal on March, 12, 2011. He will guide the Movement until the regime in Juba is overthrown. The SSDM/A under his command will achieve victories that have never been attained before. The SSDM/A Leadership Council once again affirmed its alliance with SSLM/A, NDF and SSDF in order to liberate South Sudan from corruption. The military alliance of the four Movements will soon start Operation Ending Corruption to bring the leadership of Salva Kiir to an end. We therefore advise civilians in Malakal, Piji, Fangak, Renk and Maban to leave the towns and go to villages for their protection. The SSDM/A, with its coalition partners, will soon demonstrate to the whole world that our Movement did not sign peace with Kiir’s regime. Very soon our military commanders will attack SPLA army in Jonglei and Upper Nile States as a proof that SSDM/A had not signed peace with Kiir’s corrupt regime. For questions: Maj. Gen. Johnson Olony Head of SSDM/A Tonga, Upper Nile State South Sudan Tel. +249-919449950 Email: [email protected] END4 ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan, South Sudan Advisor [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +211 919 695 362 (South Sudan mobile) +27 82 050 1235 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. 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