"I was in Sudan" admits Uliny as rebels accept amnesty in Upper Nile
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June 6, 2013 (JUBA) - Former South Sudanese rebel leader Johnson Uliny
admitted receiving support from Sudan as his forces accepted a
presidential amnesty and were met by senior military officials on
Thursday.
PNG - 70.8 kb
South Sudan has used Uliny’s admission and the testimony of other
former rebels as evidence of its long held claim that Khartoum has
been supporting rebel groups to fight a proxy war against the young
oil-rich nation, which split from Sudan in 2011.
“It is true I was in Sudan. The [Khartoum government cooperated with
us in all areas. They provided any support we need including logistics
and training when we were with them", Uliny said in an address
broadcast on state media.
He however said it was now time to work together to fulfill the dream
of South Sudanese president, Salva Kiir.
"This was why [we] responded. The support we had from Sudan has come
with us. It will not go back to them. The 3,000 soldiers they helped
us to train have come," the former rebel leader remarked.
Uliny, while speaking at military function in Lul, some 35 kilometres
north west of the Upper Nile state capital, Malakal said his forces
"will be part of the SPLA". At this function, his forces were
officially received by SPLA.
The ex-rebel leader said it was time to forget the past and work
together as the president has repeatedly stated in his call for
amnesty so peace can be realised in the new nation.
Brig. Gen. Malaak Ayuen Jok, the head of information and public
relations within the SPLA also reiterated South Sudan’s earlier
position that neighbouring Sudan has been providing all types of
support to different militia groups used as mercenaries to fight proxy
war against the young nation.
He further stressed that Khartoum’s claims that South Sudan supports
the Sudan People Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) rebels were
baseless, adding that the southern regime had no connection with the
north-based rebel group.
"They [SPLM-N rebels] separated from us when we became an independent
country and they became different entity under complete different
leadership and command," Jok said.
"We have come today to this area to participate in the reception of
our brothers who were fighting the SPLA forces here in the Shilluk
kingdom who have now responded to the amnesty given to them by the
president and the commander in chief of the SPLA," he added.
The forces under General Johnson Uliny are the third such force to
accept Kiir’s amnesty, Jok explained in a statement broadcast by
state-run SSTV on Thursday.
"The first group came last year with the vehicle and weapons. It was
led by Major General James Guit", he noted.
The second group, the South Sudan Liberation Army led by Bapiny
Monytuil, Carlos Kuol and others, crossed from Sudan into Unity
state’s Mayom county in April with around 3,000 armed men, who are
also waiting to be transferred into the military.
Before accepting the amnesty "they were all in Sudan", Jok said,
adding that the former rebels "have said themselves that they were
getting all types of support from [the] Sudanese government. This is
true because they have never captured anything from us instead it is
us who have always been capturing things from forces which gets from
Sudan.”
The senior military officer said because the militia groups were
heavily armed, it was clear evidence that Sudan was providing them
with support.
The Sudanese government "have always been denying providing any
support to the militia group fighting us but now it is clear. The
coming of General Uliny and the other groups who have come already are
clear living examples. The rebel leaders themselves have said it but
Khartoum continues to deny for the sake of it. And if it is not
Khartoum, who else on earth can provide this supports”, General Jok
asked.
General Johnson Gony Biliu, the commander of the SPLA’s sector II in
Malakal, congratulated Uliny and his forces for responding to the
amnesty offered by the commander in chief of the SPLA forces.
“I welcome you on behalf of the general command to your country. This
is where you were born and grew [up]. You are South Sudanese and you
will always be. This country belongs to all of us. Our identity is
South Sudan. So feel at home and feel free. You are now in division
seven under sector II. If there is any problem just let me know. Uliny
will soon go to Juba for meeting with the general command so that your
integration takes immediate effect”, said General Biliu.
He said his country has documentary evidence showing Khartoum provides
support to the rebels but that was the work of the politicians to take
the issue up with the government of Sudan.
“For us, we are not just accusing Sudan for the sake of accusation. We
have hard facts. We are now holding detailed documentary evidence
showing that Sudan provides support to the rebels so that they
destabilise this country but they will not succeed whatsoever”, he
explained.
Khartoum has always denied backing South Sudanese rebels and has
consistently accused the SPLA in South Sudan of backing the
SPLA-North, who are fighting the Sudanese government in South Kordofan
and Blue Nile in coalition with the main Darfur rebel groups.
(ST)
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