Gordon Buay: SPLA FORCES REPULSED REBELS’ OFFENSIVE IN UNITY STATE

The rebel forces under the command of Peter Gatdet, who was indicted by the U.S. and European Union for violating the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, once again violated the CoH and attacked four areas in Unity state Friday morning at dawn. The forces of renegade Lia Diew attacked Guit at 5 AM but were badly defeated by the constitutional forces of South Sudan. The rebel forces commanded by Tito Biel Chor attacked Kaljak but were repulsed. The rebels under Wang Chiok attacked Kuergueyni but were badly beaten.

The attack against the SPLA forces at Maan Kuach near Rubkona was commanded by Peter Gatdet himself and lasted for four hours. He came with an intention of capturing Bentiu town but was repulsed by the gallant SPLA forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Mathews Puljang Top and Maj. Gen. Thaib Gatluak. The battle at Maan Kuach was the heaviest one since the time the rebels were chased out of Bentiu town in May this year.

Peter Gatdet was trying to exploit the floods that affected the entire Unity State by launching the attack in four directions in the same day. However, the SPLA forces used Amphibious Attack Vehicles (AAVs) for the first time and inflicted a lot of causalities on the rebels. The Amphibious tanks are the best weapons to deal with the terrorists during the rainy season and swampy areas like Unity State.

The SPLA forces counted 75 dead bodies of the rebels at Maan Kuach; 24 at Guit; 30 at Kaljak and 12 at Kuergueyni. The attack was expected because Peter Gatdet rejected the Cessation of Hostilities in May and denied receiving any orders from Riek Machar to stop fighting.

The IGAD Monitoring and Verification Team in Bentiu town witnessed the violations of the Cessation of Hostilities by Peter Gatdet, who has nothing to lose because he was indicted by the U.S. and European Union as an international war criminal. Since Gatdet is a serial violator of ceasefire agreements, the IGAD is expected to take a serious action against the rebels of Riek Machar.

The government of South Sudan is calling upon IGAD to take serious measures in dealing with the rebels in order for peace to be realized in South Sudan. The first measure is for Ethiopia to dismiss Riek Machar from Addis Ababa for his inability to control his warlords. The second measure is for the international community to indict Gathoth Gatkuoth and Lia Diew for looting cattle of the Nuer civilians because it is intensifying famine. Cattle are the livelihoods of Nuer and once they are deprived of their source of survival, thousands would die of hunger.

For contact:
Gen. Gordon Buay
Member of the SPLA Other Armed Groups Integration Committee
Washington, D.C.
Email: gordonbuay@hotmail.com