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August 4, 2011 (JUBA) - Wednesday’s botched ceasefire between a faction of the rebel South Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SSLM/A) and South Sudan government was a result of repeated appeals from the international community, not pressure from the southern army, Bol Gatkouth Kol, the SSLM/A spokesperson told Sudan Tribune.
- Bol Gatkouth Kol, spokesman for SSLM/A, 4 August 4 2011 (ST)
“We were never under any pressure from the army. Instead, we had a lot of pressure coming from our people in various locations in Europe, Australia, Africa among other nations requesting we abandon the rebellion in pursuit for peace,” said Kol.
He cited the President Salva Kiir’s recent amnesty granted to the rebels during the 9 July independence declaration as one of the major factors that initiated the unexpected ceasefire, after a series of negotiations reportedly held in Nairobi, Kenya.
Kol lauded Kiir’s recent statement of a zero tolerance policy on corruption and the formation of an inclusive, broad-based government, “If you recall, one of the main issues the rebel movement wanted to tackle in the Mayom declaration was the problem of corruption, bad leadership and mismanagement of public resources,” he said.
Kol said the SSLA/M “saw no need to continue with the rebellion” after Kiir made the announcement in the presence of the international community.
Without divulging details of the ceasefire agreement, the SSLM/A spokesman, guarded by body guards throughout the interview, clarified that the truce did not necessarily imply that the rebels would lay down their arms.
“This is an unconditional ceasefire, but it does not mean laying down our arms. All we need is peace and harmony among the people of South Sudan,” said Kol, a former South Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) member, said.
On Wednesday evening, members from the same rebel group issued a statement completely denying reports that their movement had entered into a truce with the government.
Reacting in a strongly worded statement, reportedly acknowledged by five senior SSLM/A members, the group claimed they are not part of Gadet’s ceasefire, alleging that he and Kol had reached a secret deal with Kiir.
The Unity State-based rebel movement, their 4 August statement noted, is not affected by the defection of the their leader, adding that Gadet and Kol came to the movement alone now moved to Juba alone.
"When they joined the SSLM/A, they didn’t bring a single soldier along with them except their SPLA military uniforms", partly reads the rebels’ statement.
The renegade General defected from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in March 2011 and disappeared after receiving permission to visit Nairobi. On 11 April he released the Mayom Declaration where he called for the toppling of the SPLM-led government in Juba and the formation of an interim cabinet composed of all the political forces in South Sudan.
Gadet, the former SPLA commander of air defence and deputy commander of division three, joined the SPLA after the Juba Declaration signed on 8 January 2006 between Salva Kiir and Paulino Matip the leader of the South Sudan Defence Forces.
Gadet is married to one of the daughters of former rebel leader, Gatuak Gai, who was killed in July, days after signing another peace deal with the South Sudan government.
The Juba Declaration was a result of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the SPLA and Khartoum, which stated that the SPLA was the only lawful armed group in South Sudan.
(ST)
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