What Transpired in July 2016: The Long Marathon from J-1 Dogfighting to the DRC Congo (Part 2)

SUMMARY OF 2016 THE UGLY INCIDENT WHICH LED TO THE LONG MARATHON OF SPLM/A-IO FROM JUBA ALL THE WAY TO DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC).

THE STORY IS WRITTEN BY TUT GR. CHUOL ONE OF THE COMMANDING OFFICEE IN THAT FROM JUBA TO THE THIRD EXTRACTIONS BY MUNUSCO 1ST SEPTEMBER OF 2016 AT GRAMBA NATIONAL FOREST OR PAKR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC).

“Short notes from the previous article:

1- Gen. Zeling Keah Chol who was the SPLM/A-IO MI chief self imposition to lead the operation from our withdrawal from Juba to the time he was abruptly changed from the operation commands on the 5th August because of his inability to lead the operation by the leadership, we have been badly squeezed on running fiascos with ceaseless surprised attacked when heb as in charge of the operation command, his inexperience and lack of strategy to defend while being persuaded gave the forces which persued us big leverage to carryout frequents attack on us which killed a lot of soldiers particularly the 5th August deadly surprised attack which caused the leadership particularly Gen. Gatwech Dual IO CoGS to immediately changed him from operation comamands and gave the commands to then Brig. Gen. now Maj. Gen. Wang Chany.

2- Gen. Wang’s taking over of the operation comamand from the 5th of August saved a lot of lives has he sat up clear strategy on how to defend while being persuaded at the same time and situation, he separated us the defensive forces of with the main convoys which consist of the top military and political leadership as such we used to have a distant of 20 minutes gap with the entire leaderships convoy, himself used to be at the guns points with us the defensive unit, so these strategy completely safeguarded the IO top leadership from direct harm like it used to be under Zeling commands where several attacks repeatedly happen at the same positions where the top leaderships sated, lastly, Wang introduced perfect military ways of setting up while resting, we used Diamonds diagrams forms when we sleep, a well deployed tactics.

3- Dr. Riek knee cap dislocations was a disaster because he was carry on neck for good fives (days) while peoples were dying for starvation on hourly matters.

4- Last ambushed we lay on enemy forces on 13 August under Wang’s commands was one of the key factors which ended our persuasion from the ground and we only remained with air-rial bombardments.

5- last, the killing of top Generals such as Lt. Gen. Martin Kenyi then DCoGS for MO and Maj. Gen. Joseph Awan plus numbers of seniors officers was one of the big failures I usually recalled, a big failure which I always felt as individual because the lates Generals whom I mentioned their names above were just abandoned to the enemies while alive, to me abandoning a top officers alive was indeed a big shame although many consider it as heroism.

~CONTINUATION OF THE PREVIOUS AND FIRST ARTICLE…

PART FIVE (5) THE EXTRACTIONS BY MUNUSCO FROM GRAMBA FOREST AND THE TIME AT DDR/RR FACILITY FROM DUNGU, BUNIA AND GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC).

The scenario from the Helicopters scene that airlifted Dr. Riek, a self imposed deputy chief of protocol to Dr. Riek by name of Simon Bangoang Tuong almost caused us another deadly incident as he beats some generals at helicopter’s climbing lander, he beaten then former defunct Bei Governor who was an old man by ages, a lieutenant General in the system of movement and a governor the same time, he mercilessly beatens Gen. Koang Gatkuoth, he also beats Brig. Gen. Lam Beliew and Brig. Wany Juet both brigadiers are IO senior intelligent officers, it was a surprising scenario for someone with no position to beat up seniors members of the movement’s intelligent unit later the guy was just promoted from zero ranks to Brigadier General in the middle of the year 2017, something assumed by many we a kind of rewards for what he did from helicopter scene when he beaten up the above mentioned Generals, that scenario almost fitted us against ourselves as one of Wany Juet’s guards attempted to shot at Bangoang while already on the UN helicopter which just came and extracted the IO chairman who was in severe condition.

By Wednesday 17th of August evening hours around 4-5pm West African time, MUNUSCO helicopters finally came and airlifted Dr. Riek Machar and his wife along with 10 others onboard, by Thursday 18th August, the deputy head of MUNUSCO call David Grisly a French citizen by nationality dispatched their helicopters which brought us some food stuffs, their food stuffs safe a lot of peoples from starvation, chronologically if Grisly’s food drop couldn’t had come that day than 60% of our forces could had died from starvation, Grisly’s humanitarian ground respond safe a lot of lives as per my own perspective.

After the MUNUSCO small food stuffs drop, our leadership entered on negotiation with the MUNOSCO, they struck an agreement at the moment end of their negotiation, the leadership signed the declaration on humanitarian ground where we were declared to be dissarmmed and considered as non combatant, whereby we were to be placed under International Protectorates as prescribed by International humanitarian laws on right to lives.

Again after the leadership official declaration for humanitarian ground, the MUNUSCO started their mission to extracts and airlift us from Gramba National Park, they came and airlifted the second group after Riek’s group on Tuesday 23-24 Wednesday August, after two consecutive days airlifting of team which included CoGs, his deputy, movements political appointees and governors than Riek’s MI home General Zeling attempted to divert the IO humanitarian ground agreement with MUNUSCO thus the rest of us who remain behind in the thick forest of Gramba Park should returned to SS territory, five days after the airlifting of CoGS’s team, the Riek’s MI chief changed his mind on the MUNUSCO agreement after we extremely exhausted the little energy we had, each and every individuals power was decreasing to a extreme weak points on daily basis, when we realized Zeling’s unhelpful moved, we pushed for officers meeting where we must decide our fade us officers instead of one man to act on the expenses of over 700 men, we met with Riek’s MI home General which was Monday 29th August, on that meeting, we almost clashed because most of us who talked, talked bitterly and soars words were the order at the meeting, after that officers meeting Zeling accused those of us who spoke at the meeting and frankly dismissed his idea to returned us to SS’s territory when extremely exhausted our power and energy, finally we rejected his ills intention and majority accepted our positions that we would continue with the MUNUSCO agreement on extraction no matter what the circumstances should be, by Wednesday 31 August Zeling sent Chot Mathew with the Helicopters which came to airlift our severily starved and sicks ones, 15 peoples were airlifted on Wednesday 31 August by the following morning Thursday 1st September while sleeping under one of a tree we used to sleep on, I was woke up and told to get ready so that I would be among those who would be leaving that day.

By 1:30pm West African time, first two helicopter arrived, our unit list was the first to be called to the first Helicopter, we were called to the helicopter and we boarded in, on the helicopter, it was me, then Maj. Buay Joak now colonel, then Ll. Col. Gatkuoth Jal now Colonel, then Lt. Gattuor Dayiem now Major, Jeremiah Bomen Sero, then Lt. now Maj. John Chuol Gony, late Jima Tut Long, then SG. Chuol Lual now Capt. Plus some few names whom I forgotten, we were sixteen (16) in numbers, we took off at around 2pm (WAT) and landed at Dungu MUNUSCO airbase at 2:57-8, the trip took us about 57-8 minutes.

At Dungu MUNUSCO facility, we met Chot Mathew’s group who were airlifted day before us from Gramba Park, it was a joyful reunion although we were terribly thinking about the fade of our comrades whom we left at the thick and deep Gramba Park Forest.

We spent two days in Dungu before we left for Bunia and others to Goma, in early morning Saturday 3rd of September we were informed by one of MUNUSCO officer, a Canadian’s contingent officer who was in charge for our temporary reception at Dungu, came to us and informed us that we would be living at 10am morning and thus we would be set to leave with different planes, one would be military transport’s plane while the other would be a helicopter, the military transportation plane has only a capacity of 100 peoples, our numbers overwhelmed the capacity of the transport’s plane so we were divided, one group of 15 person was set to leave from Dungu with helicopter while the other 87 were to be taken to Goma with the transport plane, by 10am chap a MUNUSCO convoys arrived at our resident where we were put up, the guy who was in charge of our flight came to our room and told us that we would be the one to be taken with the helicopter flight, from there we left the room and moved to a truck and the truck driven us to Dungu airstrip, in ten minutes we arrived at Dungu airstrip and boarded the helicopter flight to Bunia, it was 10:20 when we took off from Dungu on the helicopter it was myslef, then Lt. Col. now Col. Gatkuoth Jal Hoth, then Maj. now Col. Choth Mathew Koak, then Lt. now Maj. Gattuor Riek Dayiem, then PVT. now Lt. Col. Nhial Tut Deng, then Sg. Now Capt. Chuol Lual Wicnyuon plus nine other personnel’s whom I can’t recalled their names, we landed at Bunia airport at 12:05pm (WAT) the flight took us 1:45minutes to land at Bunia airport, up on our arrival from Bunia airport, we were taken to one of Egyptian’s contingent base a nearby base to Bunia airport, the Egyptian contingent’s at their base warmly received us, their captain who was the head of the contingent’s base ordered his men’s to collects any youth cloths at their hands and donate them to us, his men absolutely complied with his directive, collected some cloths, shoes and other stuffs for us, one of their sergeant brought the gathered stuffs to us such as the cloths and shoes as per their commander’s directives, we divided the things, most of us changed their old uniformed which we wore for more than fifty days as we couldn’t bear the old uniformed which we wore for more than fifty days since the cloths we wore were full of parasites as our body starts to feels terrible things like parasites, we spent like two hours at that Egyptian’s contingent post before we were taken back to airport with a possibility to flight to Goma that same evening, unfortunately we can’t flight that evening because the weather wasn’t pleasant for flights, we were delayed at Bunia airport from 2pm when we returned there and left the airport at 5pm local after a Congolese Intelligent personnel who was the charge of our facilitation declared that we can’t flights that evening base on recommendation from aviation office due to weather challenges.

Within that hour the person who was the charge of our facilitations took us to a base where most of our comrades who were airlifted and extracted on the second extractions carry out from date 23-24 August were with us at the airport but we couldn’t meet or shock hands since we were kept in our convoys vehicles, we later met that group after we were taken to Bunia DDR temporary facility, after our arrival at Bunia DDR temporary facility, we met the remedies of those who were extracted on 23-24 those who didn’t proceed to Khartoum, Sudan when CoGS and the rest of the team who came with them proceeded to Sudan, the CoGS team’s left behind those who were in need of urgent medical attention and those whom they left and we met that evening included then defunct Bei Governor Gen. Koang Gatkuoth Kerjiok, then late Brig. Gen. Peter Pur Nienkel, then Col. now Brig. Gen. David Biel Jal, then Col. now Brig. Gen. John Kuol Nhial, then Pilot now Col. And (Nominated MP) Tut Jok Buop plus many others offices and NCOs, just to mention few from them, we had tremendous reunion with them, our night was absolutely colorful as we had series of conversation with each others, by early morning at 7am Sunday 4th of September we were told to prepared ourselves so that we leave for Goma, most of us were thinking that we could go and proceed to Sudan through Goma, we never realized that we would be confined in Goma for year with some spent year and half, we entered to our convoys trucks after we through with some stuffs like brushing and showering, brushing with colgates and showering with bathing soaps was a world of fantasy as we got access to those human basics need after most than fifty days for some of us, our convoys set offs to airport, some peoples from of the local community were shouting at us such as death to rebels, death to rebels, our protections UN’s forces on convoys with us just told us to be silent and ignored those local negatives noises, finally, we arrived at Bunia airport at 8am local time, the same weather which prevented our flights day after again delayed us at airport, we have to spent four hours on trucks at airport before we boarded the plane to Goma, we finally boarded the plane to Goma at 12pm local time, we were on air for good 1:45miutes, finally we landed at Goma international airport at 2:45 WAT, we were taken to trucks up on our arrival, the MUNUSCO forces who received us and took responsibilities of our protections were Indian peace keepers contingent, they driven us to their base which was one of DDR confinement center call Munigi situated at North of Goma also on border of Rwanda, at 340 we we arrived at Munigi camp, a DDR confined facility, a place where most of us spent year and year and half, I personally spent 11 months and one days from that facility as I entered there on Sunday 4th of September 2016 and leave there on Saturday 5th of August 2017, I spent 337 good days with most of our guys spent more than the time I spent, only our luckies one spent less than 8 months from that facility.

CONCLUSION NOTES:

I CAN ASSURED THE READERS THAT EVERY INDIVIDUALS WHO WAS ON THE MARATHON FROM THE UNFORTUNATE ERUPTION OF THE WAR IN J1 (JUBA) AND MOVED WITH US ALL THE WAY TO DRC TERRITORY HAD CONTRIBUTED IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHERS, EVEN THOSE WHO THREW AWAY THEIR WEAPONS AT THE FIGHTING SCENE HAD ALSO CONTRIBUTED, THOSE WHOM WE LEFT AT MANGATEEN, WUNDURUBA, DOLLA PAYAM, FORCES OF MAJ. GEN. BENJAMIN GORE IN MUNDARI LAND, THEN MAJ. GEN. JOHN KENYI LOSOBO IN PAJULU LAND, FORCES OF EE FRONT WHO WENT TO THEIR FRONT UNDER GEN. MARTIN ABUCHA COMMANDS AND THEN IMATONG DEFUNCT STATE GOVERNOR GEN. OYAT PIERINO, FORCES OF GEN. WESLEY WELEBE WHOM WW LEFT FROM THEIR AREAS SUCH AS LASU, MEDIU AND IN THE ENTIRE LAND OF MORO”S PEOPLES, ALL THEN IO GOVERNORS WHO PROCEED ON THE MARATHON WITH US SUCH AS GEN. KOANG GATKUOTH OF BEI, GEN. FRANK MATATA OF YEI, GEN. KUOL GAI OF PHOW, GEN. MARKO LOKIDOR OF KAPOETA AND ALL POLITICAL APPOINTEES WHO WERE ON THAT MARATHON DESERVE CREDITS, PRAISE, ALL WHO WERE ON THE MARATHON MISSION CONTRIBUTIONS AND PARTICIPATIONS WAS VERY VERY TREMENDOUS AS CAN ACKNOWLEDGE IT, INDIVIDUALS CONTRIBUTIONS WAS TREMENDOUS AS THE BUSH WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN BEARED WITHOUT COLLECTIVE EFFORTS.

I PAID TRIBUTE AND ABSOLUTE SALUTATIONS TO THOSE WHO DIDN’T MAKE IT ALIVE AT THE END OF THE MISSIONS, I REALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR BRAVERY SACRIFICES MADE BY THOSE INDIVIDUALS FOR PAYING THE ULTIMATE PRICES IN THE WAR FROM THOSE WHO FALLEN AT J1 (DOGFIGTING), THOSE WHO FALL FROM SITES ONE AND TWO FRONTS, THOSE WHO FALL AT THE WUNDURUBA, DOLLA PAYAM’S CLASHES, THOSE WHO FALL AT LASU AND MEDIU BATTLES, TO THOSE WHO FALL AT THE DEADLY SURPRISED ATTACK ON US ON THE 5TH OF AUGUST 2016 WHERE I PERSONALLY LOST MY GOOD COMRADE CAPT. BICHIOK CHUOL BICHIOK AND TO THOSE WHO FALL FROM DATE 9 AUGUST UP TO 13 SEPTEMBER OUR WHERE OUR LAST GROUP WERE EXTRACTED FROM THE BUSH, I PAID MY ABSOLUTE SALUTATIONS AND TRIBUTES TO THEIR SOULS FOR THEIR BRAVERY SACRIFICES AND I PERSONALLY PRAYS TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER TO KEEP THEIR BRAVERY SOUL IN ETERNAL PEACE.

My last tribute and salutations goes to all my close compatriots who were with me at the same unit and task forces particularly the officers and the NCOs, I would states some names of the officers such as then Lt. Col. now Col. Alpha Mike (Akim Moses), then Maj. now Lt. Col. Mike Tango (Michael Tot), then Capt. now Lt. Col. Julet Wiski (John Wiyual), then Lt. Col. now col. Papa Gerl (Peter Gatkuoth), then Capt. now Ll. Col. Gerli Delta (Gatjang Dak), then Capt.now Lt. Col. They David (Tango Delta), then Lt. now Maj. John Chuol (Julet Charlie) and then Lt. now Maj. Gatwech Chuol (Gerli Charlie).

Not to limits my tributes to those who were in the same unit or task force with me, I would also paid tribute and salutations to those whom used I once went to missions with and I as such I would love to state some names of compatriots whom I did operations with such as then Capt. now Lt. Col. Papa Nasti (Puok Nyang), Puok and I went for two men’s assessment of our rout this was on 9th of August, my good friend from Acholi Tribe then Brig. Gen. Bongomin, Pilot and Hon. Tango Julet (Tut Jok), then Lt. Col. now Col. Papa Omega (Paul Opiew), Lt. Col. now Col. Mike Deta2 (Mark DD), then Maj. now Col. Limo Wiski (Latjor William), then Maj. now Col. Charlie Mike (Chot Mathew), then Maj. now col. Bravo Delta (Boay Joak), the. Maj. now Col. kilo East (Khan Elijah), then Lt. Col. now col. Limo Kilo (Lam Kong), then Maj. now Col. Mike Wiski (Mangok Wur), then Capt. now Maj. Wiski Mike (Wanjang Met), then my good accompany compatriot Lt. now Capt. Bravo Gerl (Bayak Gatluak) then Lt. now Maj. Delta Charlie (Dobuol Changach), then Capt. Yankee Tango (Yien Tang), then Capt. unpromoted Limo Charlie (Lam Choah), then Lt. now Maj. Julet Bravo (Jal Bol), then Late Lt. Col. Delta Limo (Doang Lokchak), our only woman Nasti Mike (Nyadut Mayien), young leader Seri Papa (Samboya Par) then Lt. Col. now Col. Delta Mike (David Mathot) then PVT. now Lt. Chuol Riek (Charlie Romeo), then PVT now Lt. Col. Nasti Tango (Nhial Tut), then SG. now Capt. Charlie Limo (Chuol Lual), PVT. now Maj. Kilo Limo (Kuriak Lew), then PVT now Lt. Kilo Nasti (Kilany Nyok), then late Capt. Julet Tango (Juma Guy) and lastly and least all the officers and NCOs whom I didn’t managed to mentioned their names on the list of those who were closed to me or those who executed some operations with me, I paid my ultimate tributes and salutations to each and everyone who was on that ugly, tough and rotten missions, I would conclude by saying that without individuals efforts, the bush wouldn’t have been bearable in those 45-61 days where some of us spend 50 days and more.

I also thanks and paid absolute salutations to the entire military leadership headed by former SPLM/A-IO C-in-C Dr. Riek Machar, CoGS Lt. Gen. Elder Simon Gatwech all his deputies, then NSS acting Lt. Gen. Yiey Dak and all his deputies, then MI chief Gen. Zeling Keah and his deputies, all head of technical units, the marathon was accomplished base on our individuals efforts and on that ground I am thankful to each and every individuals who was on that marathon although the top leadership failed to punish those who threw away their weapons and C-in-C belonging at battles field and instead the leadership rewarded those who threw away their weapons such as the like of Simon Bangoang Tuong who threw away pistol and an automatic rifles along with all satellites phones of then IO leader Dr. Riek, it would have been pleasant if the leadership could had punished those who threw away their weapons base on military code of conducts.

Last notes, I also thanked seniors officer who were left behind at the Gramba Park Forest with us such as Gen. Zeling Keah who was with us as the head of our commands, then Brig. Gen. now Maj. Gen. Wang Chany who headed the operation from 5th August to the last days in the bush, then Col. now Brig. Gen. James Mathok who was the commander of MP, the three mentioned commanders demonstrated tireless efforts for us to stand our grounds to the last days of our extractions in particular Wang and Mathok prevented us to killed ourselves in the bush of Gramba Parka at the time we fade up with Gen. Zeling’s commands therefore, it’s my pleasure to salute them and thanks them.

End notes, I thanks and salute the leadership who were with us from Munigi DDR/RR confinement center, the leadership which was headed by then Lt. Gen. Gov. Koang Gatkuoth, Gen. Zeling, Gen. Wang, then Col. now Brig. Gen. David Biel, then Col. now Brig. Gen. James Mathok, then Col. now Brig. Gen. John Kuol who was a close and senior officer to me and then Lt. Col. now Col. Paul Opiew who was the focal person, the above mentioned leaders did a tremendous efforts for us to endure and bear the hardship of confinements conditions at Munigi, Goma, North Kivu Province, I really appreciated and acknowledged the guidances and leadership skilled they demonstrated while at confinement in particular Gen. Koang Gatkuoth demonstrated elderly kind of leadership at our our time in confinement, in that regards I thanks them and salute them, in conclusion to this paragraph I really thanked and acknowledged the patients and courage of commitments demonstrated by all the men and our only single woman at the Munigi confinement Mary Nyadut Mayien, the forces whose most of them were youths bravely tolerates unlawful comfinement since we were confined while we never commit any individuals crimes nor any guilts which amounts to war crimes but fighting a war with a weak leader is amount to crimes and it could set one to be a victim of things when he/she is innocent.

Tribute and salutations.

THE STORY IS WRITTEN BY TUT GR. CHUOL ONE OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE SPLM/A-IO WHO FOUGH THE 2016 WAR IN JUBA ALL THE WAY TO THE DR. CONGO TERRITORY AND TO THE CONFINEMENT AT MUNIGI, GOMA, NORTH KIVU PROVINCE, DRC

What Transpired in July 2016: The Long Marathon from J-1 Dogfighting to the DRC Congo (Part 1)

The author could be reached by g.tut@yahoo.com/ gonyruach@gmail.com.

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