June 1st 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – SPLA Fifth Infantry Division deputy commander Maj. Gen. Stephen Buay Rolnyang has been transferred to a Juba military prison where he is set to face charges of rebellion against the state and the army after he was captured by a militia allied to the South Sudan government on Thursday.
Buay was captured following a fierce fight in Mayom county of Unity State between him and Gen. Puljang, a militia commander allied to South Sudan’s government of Salva Kiir Mayardiit.
Sources from Juba told the Nyamilepedia that the SPLA officer has been charged with rebellion and is due in South Sudan’s military court in the near future.
“Buay was rebelling and as such he is now charged with rebellion against the army and the state. Very soon, he will appear in court [military court] to answer why he was rebelling against the state,” the source told the Nyamilepedia on the condition of anonymity.
However, another source denied any preparation for the a court case saying Buay would be keep in jail for six months without charges.
“I am not aware of such developments. What I know is that commander Buay will be jailed for six month before the military could prepare a court case against him, that’s all I have in my possession,” he said..
Buay has been one of a few disciplined SPLA commanders, who stood against SPLA brutality against civilians and human rights violations against women – a decision that pushed his fellow commanders to suspect him of links to rebels allied to the country’s former first vice president, Riek Machar.
The commander was the 4th SPLA infantry commander before his arrest on similar cases in 2016 and was redeployed to the same position after his release last year until his redeployment to Wau as the deputy commander of the SPLA 5th infantry division.
Buay was again summoned to Juba last week which resulted into his flight to Mayom where he has been finally captured today by a militia commander allied to Kiir’s SPLA.
