Top Rebel Commander Denounces “Cessation of Hostilities” Agreement in South Sudan.
6 min readMajor General Gathoth Gatkuoth’s Response to Cessation of Hostility Deal signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between Dr. Riek Machar’s Rebels and the Government of South Sudan led by President Salva Kiir
Many might have welcomed the news of the deal reached in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia a week ago on the cessation of hostility to the ongoing political crisis in the country but I was not in support of that development from the onset. Instead I was greatly troubled by it. I have my own reservations for not welcoming the move. It was not simply for the obvious and predicted fact that the binding would not be honored by Salva Kiir given his utmost evil intentions to quell the democratic pulses in the country through military means so that he remain in power until his death unopposed; rather, my utter rejection of the deal is on moral and legal grounds—we cannot make a deal with someone who have massacred his own citizens.
This is my position as an area commander and at the same time the position of those I lead in Upper Nile State—the people whose beloved relatives have been killed in Juba, Bor, Malakal, Bantiu with the remnant of them seeking protections in UNMISS compounds in their respective places until today. Based on Human Right Watch Report on the atrocities committed in this unjust war started by Salva Kiir, more than 50,000 South Sudanese are killed only in the course of one month. Sadly, 90 per cent of the victims are Nuers according to Human Right Watch Report published last week. What would Salva Kiir gain by turning the country into a tribal warfare region?
On a different note Salva Kiir had hired foreign troops using our oil money to kill us in Bor, Malakal and Bantiu. We have tangible evident to the fact. Ugandans and the Sudanese Rebels from both Blue Nile and Western Sudan have been captured alive in many battles we fought and won. In Jonglie State it is the Uganda that is carrying out aerial bombardments until today. Darfur Rebels are the majority foot soldiers who are killing civilians in Unity State. The Blue Nile Rebels are the ones in Malakal as we speak today. What legitimacy left to someone who is killing his own people with foreign allies so to repeat the question again? Salva has forgotten that these very people he is killing are the ones who had voted him into the office 5 years back. He did not ascend to power by force. Conceding to or even negotiating with someone like Kiir to me is a crime by itself. Kiir must go whether he like it or not. Anything short of that is not acceptable.
Upper Nile State is a front by itself in this war. With this, it has demands to be met and respected if at all we are going to listen to the voices that are calling for peace in the country. We demand the following:
1. No peace deal with Salva Kiir’s government. This means Salva must leave the office otherwise the war is continuing to the last man.
2. Salva must pay the price of 50,000 Nuers he had killed dead or alive
3. Upper Nile must be liberated from Salva Kiir’s rule
4. War must go on to Salva Kiir’s own states Bhar-el ghazal
5. Ugandan president Yuori Musaveni is to be held accountable to South Sudanese he killed by interfering in South Sudan affairs.
In sum, Kiir has violated the constitution of the country by allowing foreign troops to come and fight alongside his loyal forces to kill innocent civilians who are not in uniform but they were killed because of their ethnic backgrounds. With these reasons Salva Kiir has lost his legitimacy as a president and we cannot negotiate with someone with no constitutional backup.
He must go, or we make him go by the will of our people South Sudanese. May the good God bless the souls of the innocent Salva Kiir had killed.
Gen. Gathoth Gatkouth, Upper Nile State Area Commander
Response from Gordon Buay
I am wondering whether Maj. Gen. Garhoth Gatkuoth broke away from Riek Machar by rejecting the agreement signed in Addis. If that is the case, let him declare himself as a leader of his own faction to deal with IGAD on his own. I told American government and IGAD mediators that Riek Machar has no connection with Peter Gatdet, James Koang and Garhoth Gatkuoth. Therefore, I will now urge the UN, IGAD and US to talk to Garhoth and leave Riek Machar.
In that case, Lou Nuer should dismiss Riek Machar from their area if they don’t like the agreement and deal with IGAD directly if they see that they have nothing to do with what Taban is doing in Addis. The IGAD and the international community must deal with his faction separately.
Three rebel factions must be allowed to attend the peace talks in order to find a solution. The Jonglei White Army should be considered a faction in addition to Riek Machar’s and Maj. Gen. Garhoth Gatkuoth’s factions.
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