Wedakona, February 19, 2015 (SSNA) — South Sudan’s rebel commander from the division seven has warned Lt. Gen. Johnson Gony Beliw to reverse his remarks about capturing Wedakona or face defeat in March. Wedakona is the administrative headquarters of Manyo County in the oil-rich Upper Nile State.
General John Mabieh Ghar who made various victories under the overall command of Brig. General Joseph Gai Gatluak was amongst the Generals who defected and Joint Dr Riek Machar’s rebellion after the Nuer Massacre in Juba.
The remarks came after Lt. Gen. Johnson Gony Beliu claim strongly to capture Manyo County’s headquarters by 9th of July this year.
In an exclusive interview on Thursday, the rebel General said government forces are not for peace, refering to a speech made by Lt. General Johnson Gony Biliw on the South Sudan Television (SSTV). Gony is the commanding General for the Government forces in Upper Nile State. General Mabieh also threatened to take Malakal by the second week of March.
“I am assuring the world and the IGAD that Salva Kiir’s officers are not for peace as you have heard from Johnson’s speeches on SSTV, for that matter if they come and attack our defensive positions in Fashoda, we will go and take the state capital Malakal not later than 9th March 2015,” Brig. Gen. Mabieh said in Wedakona.
General John Mabieh is the chief administrator and the deputy commander of the division seven under the Brig. General Joseph Gai Gatluak. The General joined the rebellion along with his colleague Brig. Gen. Thomas Tut Riek, shortly after the outbreak of violence in Juba.
The two warring parties have been engaging themselves for the whole week in Shiluk kingdom over the Aloub and Kaka towns which later resulted to the capture of heavy machine guns as shown above on the photo by the rebels in Manyo County’s head quarters, Wedakona.
Regional and international communities have threatened targeted punitive measures if the warring parties fail to reach a final peace agreement per the schedule.
The war erupted on 15 December 2013 when political debates on reforms within the leadership of the ruling Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) turned violent violence between president Kiir and his former vice-president Machar.
Tens of thousands have been killed; 2 million displaced internally to the neighboring countries of Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Sudan; while over 3 million others, mostly from Nuer tribe, are threatened by hunger and diseases.