Rebel commander rejects separate dialogue with South Sudan’s gov’t
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May 28, 2015 (JUBA) - A leading South Sudanese armed opposition
commander allied to the former vice president, Riek Machar, has
confirmed receiving messages and contacts from people in president
Salva Kiir’s government proposing to him and his group to accept going
into a parallel dialogue with the government.
JPEG - 20.3 kb
SPLA in Opposition generals Gatwech Dual (R), Dau Aturjong (C) and
Gabriel Tanginye pictured in Pagak on 8 December 2014 (ST)
Major General Dau Aturjong who commands rebel forces in Northern Bahr
el Ghazla said he had been approached many times by government
officials and agents to initiate a separate negotiation with him away
from the Addis Ababa peace process.
“They have been trying to talk to us with the view that we get into
separate negotiation from Addis [Ababa] with them. They want to
localize our grievances but we have told them clearly that we are part
of the national matters, which are being discussed in Addis by our
team,”, General Aturjong told Sudan Tribune in an exclusive interview
on Thursday.
The government, according to him, had been contacting him and his
group through different categories of people and organizations to
persuade them to make a separate arrangement with Juba.
“They have never stopped contacting us through different category of
people. They are using relatives, religious leaders, my comrades in
the army, police and security as well as business people,” he
explained.
He also said his troops, which size is not known, have taken complete
control of areas near the Sudanese border, but denied that he and his
forces were getting support from the government of neighbouring Sudan.
His own headquarters, he said, has been 250 kilometers away from the
common border with neighbouring Sudan in an area deeply inside South
Sudanese territory since he moved to the region in 2014.
He dismissed allegations that his forces were stationed at disputed
territories with Sudan and not inside South Sudan.
“Our forces are outside the disputed areas. We are not in Mile 14
area. We are inside South Sudan, far away from the disputed areas. If
there is anybody who is looking for us, he will get us here,” he said.
General Aturjong was reacting to a question asking him to comment on
reports that his forces had only taken advantage of the withdrawal of
the government forces from the disputed territories and that he had
been receiving military supplies, weapons and training from the
Sudanese army in Abu Matareq in East Darfur state.
He appealed to the humanitarian organisations to go to the area,
saying a lot of people had moved to areas under his control and were
helping them to settle so that they could cultivate during this
planting season.
People, he said, were running away from the government controlled
areas to the opposition held territories, adding this was where they
could find a way to cope with the situation.
“They say life in Aweil town and other areas is not easy. They are
finding it extremely difficult. They cannot cultivate. But here, they
can find a place to cultivate. There is a vast area for cultivation,”
he claimed.
He further explained that the opposition appointed governor, Akol
Madhan Akol, and his officials were working with the opposition
leadership in Pagak to find ways in which humanitarian organisations
could extend relief assistance to Northern Bahr el Ghazal state.
He said many vulnerable people were coming to the rebel controlled
areas in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, adding they needed shelters, food
and items like blankets, saucepans, mosquito net, hoes, axes and
farming implements.
The rebel commander also commended Sudanese authorities for opening
their gate to South Sudanese fleeing the conflict and other associated
difficulties to states in Sudan in search of safety and security.
(ST)
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28 May 22:12, by Rommel
These are nothing but lies. Aturjong has lost his mind if he
thinks that he can convince people that Khartoum isn’t supporting him
and other rebels, and that civilians would find it easier to cultivate
in whatever territory he claims the rebels control. Source:
http://www.smallarmssurveysudan.org/facts-figures/borderdisputed-areas/14-mile-area.html
repondre message
29 May 02:21, by Kenyang
Rommel,
Thanks for link. It’ll be shame that members of Dinka Malual
will be responsible for future loss of Dinka Malual territory, an area
our forefathers defended to this day with honor. NiF will not miss
opportunity to use these "bitter for power" group and try to occupy
Kiir Adam & other areas. History will be harsh against Dau Aturjong if
he misjudges his action.
repondre message
29 May 06:21, by Mi diit
General Dau Aturjong,
If you don’t like Kiir’s contacts to bring you back to his
government and under Malong Awan, and you want to overthrow the two
dictators, then when will you begin to fight like a real army General?
You know very well that talking will not remove Kiir and
Awan. How long does it take a true General to mobilize and fight to
liberate his state? You have taken too long!
repondre message
29 May 03:40, by Uncle J
Dau Aturjong is following the footsteps of late Kharubino Kwanyin
Bol whose local song in Dinka goes "Kwanyin Bol ayaduw duw ee aduw cii
ok la yien Nuer" so yeah Aturjong is now bringing Nuer to his own
people what a great fool...!!!!
repondre message
29 May 06:28, by Mi diit
Uncle J,
So those of Nuer Generals fighting for Kiir such as General
Gony Biliu, General Puljang, General Buay Rolnyang and other Nuer
Generals and thousands of soldiers are fools to bring Dinka to the
Nuer lands, right?
I hope those foolish Nuer leaders in Juba and their Generals
will read how Dinka think of them. They are fools!!!
repondre message
29 May 06:41, by Son of Ngundeng
Dear Reader:
Make sure an empty tin always could make noise, Dear General Atur
Jong please those calls from rotten regime don’t care to pick up their
calls, because they are still the same people which you left in Juba
nothing new. But because the war its in-door to Awan clan does why
they hurry up to bring you back.
Son of Ngundeng currently
in front line Pathay
Jonglei State.
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