The Intrigues Leading to the Defection of Brig. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang

IS MABIOR GARANG DE MABIOR BEHIND THE DEFECTION OF BRIG. GEN. LUL RUAI KOANG?

BY Capt. Atem Mangar Majak, Northern Upper Nile Front Lines.

February 21, 2015 (SSB) —  It has been a while since i left my resident in Washington DC to join the movement against the tyranny and dictator regime of Salva Kiir Ayandiit and his surrounded national resources looters . I have been to the front lines since 7 months to make sure that change is brought back to our beloved country and nation .

I am today here in Kosti , White Nile State of Sudan after a permission from my commander in the field just to get updated and update others of a foolish decision taken by my beloved former comrade Lul Ruai Koang whom I knew for the past 13 months . Lul within the past 13 months of struggle was my closest comrade whom we shared different ideas and worked closely together to make sure that the system of governance in our country is back to the right leaders and decision makers ..

Coming to the question of why Lul Ruai took that very foolish decision of abandoning the movement to join “The Genocidal Regime “( this is how he himself describes Juba government ) ‘ Lul must have been encouraged by the best of his closest friends whom he condemned yesterday of turning their backs against his foolish decision. .

The reason behind Lul’s decision was a long history since November 2014, he himself approached me and told me , Atem , things are not moving well in the movement. We the people of Jonglei in large and in both greater Akobo and greater Bor especially are being mistreated and marginalized by Dr Riek Machar. He told me that he is working hard to get confident of some Lou Nuer youth in the movement and in Diaspora to forward their grievances to the high command of the SPLM_ IO . He also told me that I should also have to convince within the movement youth from the greater Bor to get rid of comrade Mabior Garang de Mabior in order to make changes in the movement.

In January , Lul forwarded me a petition which he told me was written by some of the influential Lou Nuer youth who totally agreed with his ideas and ready to take any decision once their demands in the petition are not met . I just realised that some of the best of closest friends of my former comrade Lul Ruai condemned him strongly here in Facebook ( because some of them are my Facebook friends ) .. People like David Mai Tang , Steve Goi Gatluak , Nhial Chung ( he unfriended me ) , Kuajien Lual were behind defection of former Cde Lul Ruai by accepting his ideas and prepared a below petition although they are today against his foolish decision, they were the ones encouraged him and should firstly blame themselves for why they were first deceived by Lul Ruai. ..

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Below is the petition written by Lul Ruai and his closest friends to the SPLM/SPLA_ IO high command.

Dr. Riek Machar Chairman of SPLM/IO and Commander in chief of SPLA/IO

Subject: Petition from Lou Nuer Youth.

First and foremost, we, the Lou Nuer youth would like to extend our regards and congratulations to SPLM/IO leadership under Dr. Riek Machar and our also gallant forces and their field commanders in all fronts for the join commitment and the sacrifices to bring about justice, freedom, equality and democracy for all in South Sudan. Our forces took up arms in order to change the totalitarianism system, dictatorship and corruption of Juba based govt. to adopt and build strong and effective institutions based on democratic principles and federal system of governance.

Since December 2013 when fighting flared up in Juba things became static due to the fact that we were on the run for our dear lives, our youth in Lou Nuer areas abruptly took courage, mobilized themselves and wage an absolute resistance as a rescue mission to rescue the remnants of Juba massacre, they fought and thousands of Lou Nuer youth lives were lost all along in Jonglei State since then, our quick response to any situation has made us target to all our neighbors and govt, as Salva was quoted in his speech just days after eruption of fighting , he warned Lou Nuer by saying, what will be the future of this community[Lou Nuer] , this statement resulted to the dropping of internationally banned cluster bombs to our youth, this was meant to destroy us. Days after you settled and based in Gadiang, you met Lou Nuer youth and made some promises that boosted the hopes and the morale of our youth , subsequently, things have declined and gone opposite direction as per your promises , your first promise was to make Waat your main base for the resistant movement, so that our people realize and enjoy the dividend of their sacrifices, that didn’t materialize, Now you have moved the headquarter to Nasir which is currently under enemies control, instead of relocating it back to waat you finally moved it to pagak for the best reasons known to you, this has thrown doubts , because if our main goal is topple that genocidal regime in Juba either militarily or the way , you shouldn’t be far from the centre of your strength like Lou Nuer area and move at the periphery where the target is far from.

All Nuer homes areas that under govt control are destroyed and burned down to ashes by the govt forces, Lou Nuer areas became the next target for the govt to invade, should our concern is not addressed we shall experience what happened in other Nuer areas , which we think for the sake resistant movement to survive and uphold its legitimate strength and position.

This is the second scenario after 1991 when the same Lou Nuer backed up your split from SPLA/SPLM, the same sacrifices were done, which exposed us to be the target and common enemy to all Dinka, that scenario had negative impact on us as a community which you didn’t give attention when you were vice president for the last eight years, the history denied us of basic services, no roads, schools and health centers for the community. Our people haven’t enjoyed the dividend of our long struggle for our independence due to our usual support to your political ambitions; this situation resulted to under development of our areas since then.

Our grievances and concerns for this petition came in after Nasir convention that was held early this year, where all movement leaderships and structures came into existence, our observation on how SPLM/IO leadership handled movement affairs have casted doubt on our minds, our representations in all sectors have not satisfied us given the fact that we are exposed to due to our full support to SPLM/IO rebellion, there we have seen that the scenario we have gone through in 1991 split will backfire to us in the current movement, because we had experienced , the more we are involved in something the more we become the victims of tomorrow repercussions, so we can’t afford going through these hardship without recognition and well representation in the leadership.

11 months elapsed now y since conflict erupted in Mid December last year, we are yet not sensing a tangible move that can assure our people who are badly affected and living in precarious situation

Our points of concern are as follow’

Ø Representation in the movement, we the Lou Nuer have embraced, engaged and fully participated in this war without objection, in the current structures of SPLM/IO, we are not contented and well represented in leadership structures being in political leadership, various national committees, security, and foreign missions, we are totally underrepresented despite the huge and ultimate sacrifice we have made so far to maintain this movement, therefore, our representation compare to our contribution to this movement is really worrisome. Besides, we have all our areas MPs who have joined the movement to politically represent the youth that are engaged in the fight in the name of SPLM/IO. So those MPS are symbols of Lou Nuer leadership because they were representing us in both state and national parliament before crisis but now dumped and left wallowing in the middle of nowhere. Hence, if our leaders are not fully recognized and engaged in the movement leadership activities. This will bounce back to us as victims of our own making like what happened in 1991. Therefore, our position on this note is to ensure that we are all represented in all sectors so that our not in vain and to strengthen our movement and adopt principles of building strong and effective institutions based on equality and democratic values.

Lou Nuer sons that are currently serving in the movement leadership structures are;

1. Hussein Mar Nyuot, Chairman of humanitarian

2. Goi Joyuul ; political representative in Ethiopia

3. Molana Dong Samuel, deputy chairman for legal affairs

4. Monawa peter Gatkuoth; Deputy chairman for public relation

5. Dr,Gai representative?

Security and Army, there is a great military leadership vacuum, since then, all field commanders are working independently, no military leadership council hierarchy under one umbrella installed to monitor the military strategies, supplies and orders, our representation in security areas is not there, if for the sake of well experienced security personnel, we have Keat Gang who was serving a senior security officer in the govt before crisis

Ø Military supplies; Lou Nuer territory is currently the main stronghold purely under opposition forces, it has become a centre of resistance for SPLM/IO since December, our main concern is all about the logistical and military supplies to the forces that are in Lou Nuer , we have clearly noticed and seen that there is disparity in military supports and the fact remained that all supplies of SPLM/IO are channeled to Pagak and Bentiu without single military support to the forces in Lou Nuer. This in fact enhanced our worries about the status of Lou Nuer areas, given the fact that its adjacent to the areas under govt control, which exposes our areas to eminent threat of invasion as dry season is approaching, because other areas are being supported militarily. Our areas remain venerable to invasion by govt forces and their foreign forces , therefore, we are bringing this calls to your attention to consider all the possibilities for Lou area to remain strong as before

In conclusion, we are appealing to the leadership of SPLM/IO to look into our concerns and to ensure our dissatisfactions are fully addressed to avoid further consequences that may arise as a result of one section monopoly over public affairs. to add an insult to injury, your absence in the field has contributed negatively , since you left the field and engaged in negotiations, causes due to lack of assurances and moral boosting to the forces on the ground, this has implicated and complicated things because forces on the ground especially in hot spot like Lou Nuer have no idea of what is going on exactly they are fighting without assurances from the leadership , lastly, to avoid many problem that may arise, you should fully base in the field not Addis Ababa so that issues to do with accommodations’, appointments and communications gap is avoided. Also to ensure equal distribution of movement supplies

Furthermore, to strengthen the position of this movement,

Last but not least, we suggest that SPLM/IO leadership relocated to Waat as this will enhance our movement strength in term of military and political strategies , Waat is a good centre due to it proximity with Bor and Juba .

Thanks

Lou Nuer youth Members.

Long Live Dr. Riek Machar

Long live SPLM/IO

Long live freedom fighters.

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