Is David Yau Yau Gearing Up for his Third Rebellion?
5 min readDavid Yau Yau’s New Year 2016 Gift to the Republic of South Sudan?
By PaanLuel Wel, Karatina, Kenya
December 31, 2015 (SSB) — The National Courier, citing a purported UN source, reported that David Yau Yau has killed the father of Baba Medan, the former deputy governor of Jonglei state and the newly appointed governor of Boma state (GPAA):
Sources in Pibor including a leaked UN Situation Report indicates a tense situation in Pibor after unconfirmed reports that forces loyal to David Yauyau killed the father of newly appointed Governor of Boma State. It is alleged that Yauyau loyalists are furious that Yauyau was not made a governor. On Tuesday according to a leaked UN report, “30 meter long trench have been dug by armed personnel from David Yau Yau’s Cobra Faction close to their HQ and former UNMISS water point in Pibor main town. 60mm mortar gun stands are position in the trenches facing Likuangole. (The mortar range is approximately 1.5kms). Ammunition boxes are also placed in the trenches.” — Copyright © 2015 The National Courier
Speaking with Ajak Deng Chiengkou of SBS Dinka radio, Governor Baba Medan disputed the alleged killing of his father, clarifying that his father had passed away in 1974. However, he conceded that there are indeed tensions and fear after David Yau Yau left for Gumuruk with his forces.
David Yau Yau launched an armed rebellion against the government of President Kiir after he was defeated during the 2010 general elections by Hon. Jodi Jonglei for the state parliamentary seat of Gumuruk constituency.
Jodi Jonglei is a Murle from Boma area but had decided to contest for the state parliamentary seat of Gumuruk constituency, which was also being contested by David Yau Yau.
However, when results were announced, David Yau Yau was defeated and Jodi Jonglei was declared the winner for the Gumuruk parliamentary seat for Bor, Jonglei state.
But because David Yau Yau, who is from Manyabol town of Gumuruk Payam, considered Jodi Jonglei as an outsider, he did not accept the legitimacy of his win.
David Yau Yau rebelled, joined forces with Gen. George Athor Deng of SSDM/A and launched a war on the government of South Sudan. After the death of George Athor, David Yau Yau renamed his faction as Cobra-Faction of the SSDM/A, and signed a peace deal with the government.
He went to Juba only to rebel again, this time calling for the establishment of a separate state for the Murle—the GPAA—accusing the Dinka and Nuer communities of Jonglei of political marginalization of the Murle community. Before the outbreak of the December 2013 conflict, David Yau Yau waged a vigorous war on Juba, inflicting heavy causalities on government troops.
In 2014, with the government squaring off with the rebels of Dr. Riek Machar, President Kiir signed a peace agreement with the Cobra-Faction, decreed the establishment of the GPAA, with David Yau Yau as its chief administrator, answerable only to the president.
Recently, the president promoted a number of Cobra-Faction military officers, among them David Yau Yau who was promoted to the rank of a military general. This was presented by the government as an integration of the Cobra-faction into the national army. It now appears, however, as if the government wanted to promote David Yau Yau in lieu of the governorship.
When the president announced the appointment of the 28 governors, David Yau Yau was missing from the list. Instead, there was governor Baba Medan for Boma state. David Yau Yau is reportedly not happy for being overlooked by the president.
Apparently, he had aspired to be the first governor of Boma State. Instead, the president appointed the former deputy governor of Jonglei state, Hon. Baba Medan, a Murle from Likuangle who has been loyal to the government during David Yau Yau’s war.
Not only did the president overlooked David Yau Yau, he also abolished the GPAA in a presidential decree immediately after the appointment of the 28 governors–thus, rendering David Yau Yau jobless, and as often the case in South Sudan, moneyless.
To paraphrase President Kiir himself as he once opined: an hungry David Yau Yau is an angry David Yau Yau.
Now, there are reports of rising tension in Pibor. On the minds of most people in Jonglei region as well as across the nation is whether David Yau Yau is gearing up for his third rebellion against the government.
South Sudanese leaders have their own ways of marking certain anniversaries—President Kiir gave South Sudanese a Christmas “gift” of 28 states and David Yau Yau might have another “gift” for the New Year 2016.
The first week of 2016 will bear witness to history.
PaanLuel Wël, the managing editor of PaanLuel Wel: South Sudanese Bloggers (SSB), graduated with a double major in Economics and Philosophy from The George Washington University, Washington D.C, USA. He is the author of Who Killed Dr. John Garang and also the Editor of the essential speeches and writings of the late SPLM/A leader, Dr. John Garang, published as The Genius of Dr. John Garang, vol. 1-3. You can reach him through his email: paanluel2011@gmail.com or Facebook page
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