UN sanctions will not affect military operations against rebels : officials
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July 2, 2015 (JUBA) - South Sudanese government has downplayed the
United Nations (UN) sanctions imposed on its top military generals as
“unwise”, saying this will not affect the performance of the South
Sudanese army (SPLA) to continue with the war against opposition
forces in “defence” of the country’s transitional constitution. Armed
opposition faction also said they were only in “self-defence.”
JPEG - 14.8 kb
Soldiers from the South Sudan army (SPLA) patrol the streets in the
Upper Nile state capital, Malakal, on 21 January 2014 (Photo:
AFP/Charles Lomodong)
On Thursday in New York, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
imposed sanctions on six military generals, three each from both sides
of president Salva Kiir’s government and armed opposition faction led
by former vice president, Riek Machar. The sanctions included travel
ban and assets freeze.
Major-Gen. Marial Chanuong Yol Mangok, commander of president Salva
Kiir’s presidential guard, Lt. Gen. Gabriel Jok Riak, whose forces are
fighting in Unity state and Major-Gen. Santino Deng Wol, who led an
offensive through Unity state in May in which several people died were
affected from the government’s side. On the armed opposition side, the
sanctions targeted Major-Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, chief of the general
staff, Major-General James Koang Chuol, who led attacks in Upper Nile
state, and General Peter Gadet, the rebels’ deputy chief of staff for
operations.
However, in immediate reaction, senior government officials in Juba
including the top generals targeted by the sanctions criticized the UN
for the sanctions, adding this will not affect the ongoing fighting by
the army.
“The moral of our army is high because there is nothing wrong they
have done. Their actions were in defence of the constitution. There is
nothing unlawful in defending the constitution,” said president Kiir’s
cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomoru, on Thursday.
“As a government we commend them [army] for exhibiting commitment and
discharged their constitutional duties and appeal to them and their
families to not be bothered by foreign actions but continue to
discharge their duties normally,” he said.
Major General Santino Deng Wol, the SPLA’s 3rd division commander
covering Warrap and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states and whose forces
provide regular military support and reinforcement to the fourth
division in Unity state, told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that he would
continue to discharge his duties and serving the nation without
hesitation despite being sanctioned by the UN.
“There is no worry. These actions will not distract us from carrying
out our constitutional mandate and responsibilities. The duty of the
army everywhere is very clear. Our work is to defend the country, its
constitution and the lives and properties of the people. This is the
work for which we have taken oath of service. So there is no problem.
This is our work,” said General Wol.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Jok Riak, the overall sector one
commander covering greater Bahr el Ghazal region, home to president
Kiir, defied sanctions imposed on him, saying he would not regret any
consequence resulting in the execution of constitutional duties in
defence of the country.
“The constitution of the republic of South Sudan is clear about the
mandate of the SPLA. Our mandate to defence the territorial integrity
of this country from any aggression, protect the lives and properties
of the citizens. This is the work of the army everywhere in the world
and even in America, and if defending the country can make someone be
sanctioned, I will not regret,” said Riak.
He said he was not bothered by accusations that his forces were
committing atrocities as long as they were defending the country’s
constitution.
“I would have been bothered if SPLA forces under my command were
accused of committing crimes not in the course of defending the
constitution,” he added.
South Sudan’s deputy foreign affairs minister, Peter Bashir Gbandi,
said imposition of sanctions was unwise
“Imposition of sanction will not stop the conflict. It will not help.
We have said time and again imposition of sanctions will undermine the
efforts to bring peace. It will complicate the peace process,” said
Gbandi.
“What is important now [is] to put the pressure on the rebels to stop
offenses and reciprocate the good will of the president to negotiate
in good faith, instead of changing demands every now and then and
making impossible demands,” he said.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has been in turmoil since
December 2013, when internal disputes with its ruling party (SPLM)
over reforms sparked off an ethnic-like conflict. Since then, tens of
thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced
in the country’s worst ever outbreak of violence since its
independence in July 2011.
Peace talks aimed to bring the war to an end through a negotiated
settlement collapsed on 6 March, but the Intergovernmental Authority
on Development (IGAD), says the talks will resume in the Ethiopian
capital, Addis Ababa, by mid-July.
REBELS REACT
South Sudanese armed opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples’
Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) led by former vice-president, Riek
Machar, said they were the “victim” in the war and could not be
equated to a government that started the war and carried out ethnic
cleansing.
“We are the victim in the war and exercising self-defence. We should
not be equated to president Salva Kiir’s dictatorial government which
interrupted peaceful democratic political processes by fabricating a
coup, then started the war and carried out ethnic cleansing in the
capital, Juba,” rebel leader’s spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, told Sudan
Tribune when contacted on Thursday.
“We are the ones in defence of our people and the constitution while
the government is targeting the people in the project of ethnic
cleansing and against constitutionality in the country,” Dak further
said.
For instance, he explained that their now sanctioned chief of general
staff, Maj-Gen Simon Gatwech Dual, who was only appointed last year by
the rebel leadership after the conflict erupted in December 2013, fled
the capital, Juba, for his life in January when his house was attacked
by presidential guards and forces loyal to president Kiir.
Dak also said the same was true with both Maj-General Peter Gatdet Yak
and Maj-Gen James Koang Chuol, who only responded to the mass killing
of ethnic Nuer civilians in Juba.
General Yak was in charge of army division 8 in Jonglei state while
General Chuol was in charge of division 4 in Unity state. The two
defected in December and January 2013, respectively, and joined Machar
after learning about the killing of civilians from their ethnic group
by “presidential guards and ethnic Dinka militia forces loyal to
president Kiir.”
The rebel spokesperson also downplayed the significance of the
sanctions, and accused the government’s defence minister Kuol Manyang
Juuk, and SPLA army chief of general staff, Paul Malong Awan, of
continuing to purchase weapons and using the oil revenues at the
expense of the people of South Sudan.
He also accused Malong of allegedly recruiting the ethnic Dinka
militia forces that carried out the atrocities in Juba, when he was
governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state.
The press secretary for the rebel opposition leader further said the
opposition leadership would want to see arms embargo to be imposed on
the government and to reign on regional neighbouring countries to
implement it accordingly.
(ST)
Related article
UNSC imposes sanctions on six South Sudanese generals
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