South Sudan’s Rebel Group Denies Peace Deal With The Government; Dismisses It As ‘Defection’

SSDM/A DID NOT SIGN PEACE WITH SALVA KIIR’S REGIME

February 28, 2012 (SSNA) — 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: