Two killed in assassination attempt against senior SPLM official in Warrap ARTICLECOMMENTS (12) EmailPrintSave
By Ngor Arol Garang April 5, 2011 (WAU) - At least two people have been killed in an assassination attempt against a senior member of the South Sudan’s governing party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), in the State of Warrap, local officials say. Several others are reported to have sustained injuries. The attack took place in Tonj North County, Warrap State on Monday 4 April. Speaking to Sudan Tribune from the regional capital of Juba, former Warrap state governor, Luis Anei Kueidit, said Tuesday that Aleu Ayeny Aleu, chairperson of the Security Committee in the Juba-based South Sudan Legislative Assembly, narrowly escaped assassination attempt after falling into an ambush laid by unknown gunmen on Monday evening, at around 10:00pm in his constituency while traveling in a convoy of three vehicles between Lurchuk and Pagol. “One of his bodyguards was shot in a pickup vehicle in which they were traveling and one of these unknown gunmen was subsequently shot dead by the same guard whom they [the attackers] shot”, explained Anei. According to the official, the attackers opened the fire on the third vehicle after the vehicle carrying Aleu had passed. One his guards was injured and later died in Wau hospital. One of the attackers is believed to have been killed while the rest were able to flee. Anei said: “I am told the dead body [of] one of these attackers is still lying out near a primary school in a village between Lurchuk and Pagol where the incident occurred." Warrap is one of the ten states in the oil-producing region of South Sudan whose population have several instances of inter clan and political violence mainly in rural areas, despite a 2005 peace deal ending conflict between southern rebels and the Sudanese army. There have also been tribal and cattle rustling clashes between communities from the neighboring states of Lakes and Unity. Attempts made by Sudan Tribune to reach Aleu failed. However, his brother, Deng Ayeny Aleu confirmed the incident took place. "It was indeed a surprising incident. I was not there but I am told he [his brother] narrowly escaped this attack because his vehicle was in the front. He is now in Juba ," said Ayeny. Ariec Mayar Ariec, a member of the Warrap State Legislative Assembly in a separate interview with Sudan Tribune from Kuacjok, capital of the State, also said the dead body one of the attackers remains lying out near the primary school of a village between Lurchuk and Pagol River. Both Lurchuk and Pagol are on the route to Thiet Payam, which had previously been the administrative headquarters of Tonj South County, during the over two decade long North-South conflict. Ariec said attack on Aleu may have been coordinated and accused a member of the southern government of involvement. "This may have been a coordinated attack. Honorable Aleu is one of the targeted officials in this state by one of the ministers in the government of South Sudan in Juba. I believe so because there has never been report of such incident in these places. Yes, there used to be tribal clashes over cattle but those clashes were purely about cattle and the target only cattle camps," said Ariec. He accused Awut Deng Acuil, Minister of Labor and Public Services in the government of South Sudan of being the person he claimed was working against Aleu, who he described as an outspoken official in Warrap state. “Awut is tribalist. She does not like anybody to appear in Warrap without giving in to her politics. She is using her membership in the SPLM political Bureau for threatening people and bragging that she is the only person in Warrap the president of South Sudan, General Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is the son of this state, listens and takes her advice. She recently threatened to kill former governor of Warrap State, Luis Anei Kueidit. She is not good I am telling you," said Ariec. He further claimed that minister Awut threatened him in September 2010 when he visited her office in Juba "Just like I hope you may have seen in most papers that she threatened former governor Luis Anei Kueidit recently in Juba, she did that to me before. In September 2010, I went to Juba and decided to visit her office because she and I come from the same state. I was simply going for greeting and maybe share some views on issues of common interest for our people of Warrap but she immediately started shouting and threatening at me the moment she realized it was me. She asked me why I decided to be an enemy of people she claimed supported me to be elected into the state assembly," explained Ariec. Deng Mayom, another member of Warrap State Assembly also claimed minister Awut has problem with almost everybody she sees capable at mobilizing community for particular activities beneficial to the state. “Minister Awut has problem with almost [all] active members of the SPLM in the state, especially those she sees capable at mobilizing [the] community. She is supporting people whose activities are the subject of public concern in this state. The only person she appears to be in good term with is Governor Nyandeng Malek, because there is nothing (the governor) can do without seeking her approval. Indeed she is the governor in real sense because she believed to have been the person, who brought her to position of power through political bureau," explained Mayom. He named General Anthony Bol Madut, Luis Anei Kuedit both of whom were former governors of the state, were on a black list of those he claimed were being targeted by minister Awut. He also named Aleu Ayeny Aleu, himself, Akuocwel, Ariec Mayar Ariec among others to have been targeted by the minister. Kueidit last week entered into a war of words with minister Awut and governor Nyadeng in Juba after visiting his office through the state minister of finance, Majok Bol Kur. The ex-governor Anei Kuedit in a quarrel reportedly covered by The Citizen, an English language daily newspaper, last week, made, what governor Nyandeng and Minister Awut considered to be, disrespectful comments about them. Both Governor Malek and minister Awut instantly hit back in remarks widely believed to describe Kueidit as confused and frustrated man. "All they have told you about me not are correct. They are just fabrications of hatred and nonsense from confused groups. I don’t buy them," said minister Awut in a brief interview with Sudan Tribune on Tuesday. Awut also denied having problem without anybody in the state. "I do not have problem with anybody in the state and I have never threatened anybody too,” said minister Awut. “May be the people who claimed that I have problem with people are the people who have problem with many problem including local authorities and the public. They are the ones confusing local people and are the same people spreading all these lies about me," she said. Kuot Deng Kuot, a member of South Sudan Legislative Assembly in Juba described what is happening in his state of Warrap as a political competition over who is closest to the region’s president Kirr. Kiir will become the head of an independent nation in July after a January referendum that saw a massive vote in favour of independence. "What is happening in Warrap is nothing but political competition over who should be closed to president? There is also political wrangling over gubernatorial seat. It is all about power," said Kuot. "I repeat that the case here is a political one to determine who will go close to the president. What is going on here is purely politics of power wrangling," he said. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. 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