Jan 7, 2018(Nyamilepedia) —– South Sudan’s exiled former Chief of Staff of the SPLA, Lt. Gen. Paul Malong Awan, has denied a wiretapped voice recording that has gone viral on social media for the last two days.
Gen. Malong accuses South Sudan’s National Security apparatus for manipulating their wiretapping devices to imitate his voice to provoke him, however, the Ex-chief was not far from confirming the allegations of his rebellion by warning that he is being “forced to make a decision.”
“I would wish to make it clear to south Sudanese that the tape is fake and a clear imitation of my voice. In light of this constant provocations, I would be forced to make a decision because there is a threat to my life and that of my family.”
The decision that would secure the closely monitored exiled officer and his family remains to be seen, however, his former senior officer Lt. Col. Chan Garang has accepted responsibility for the recent heavy fighting in the capital, Juba.
Lt. Col. Chan Garang, although he has defected to SPLM/A(IO) under South Sudan’s former First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, was alleged in the audio recording to have had phone conversation with Gen. Malong on December 28th, 2017, in which he was ordered to start attacking Juba immediately with hopes that more troops would defect from the government and join him.
The fighting on January 4th 2017 was heavy, and as alleged on the wiretap recording, Lt. Col. Chan has confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that at least 50 officers defected from the SPLA and joined him – which tends to confirm that the Voice Recording was legitimate.
Despite that the audio sounds much like Gen. Malong, the former army Chief claims that somebody else imitated his voice, claiming that he cannot fall a victim of a device he purchased and help installed in order to wiretap terrorists or criminals – a classification that now befits him and other officers and politicians who have defected from Kiir’s administration.
“I would want to make it clear to the people of south Sudan that the tape is fake and doesn’t bear the slightest authenticity in it. The tape record is a clear imitation of my voice minted by my well known enemies.” Said Gen. Paul Malong Awan.
“There are individuals around president whose work is to create damaging rumours in order to survive in this collapsing economy.” Malong Continued.
“To set record straight, south Sudanese must know that I personally purchased this recording machine when I was in National Security docket before south Sudan got independence, this docket was called Special Branch. I could not be ignorant or oblivious about how it works.” Gen. Malong explains himself to South Sudanese.
“it works to trap terrorist and drug dealers, it can also diverts the phone number and the voice of the trappers to the victims associated in order to trapped them, It can record known numbers who call regular lines and second the machine has ability to record the voice of a victim and this recorded voice can be turned around to cook future voices for the sake of implication.” The Ex-Chief continued.
Gen. Paul strongly believes that the “second function”, which he has explained above, can be used by the National Security to fix anyone believed to be an enemy of the state as a security threat to the country – a shoe Gen. Malong would never have seen himself in when he purchased the device.
“This is what has happened in this[my] case” Malong explains.
“National Security Bureau is plagued by individuals who are professional rumormongers aided by the voice recording machine in order to achieve their hidden agenda.” The former notorious former commander in Chief bitterly fights back.
“Since I was released from house arrest and came to Kenya, I have been constantly followed by spies sent by south Sudan government, they have been making up stories meant to divert attention of the peace loving citizens of south Sudan and to create war.” He continued.
Gen. Malong regrets how he is being treated by his former allies and assures that if he really wants to rebel, he will do it himself!
“My house was also searched in Aweil by security apparatus, a clear provocation to push me to rebel. My passport was also confiscated and has never been replaced yet I am a citizen who is entitled to have passport.” Malong said.
Gen. Malong, a former Governor of Northern Bhar el Ghazal, has served for three years as the army Chief of General Staff of the SPLA from April 2014 to May 2017.
In both cases, as the governor and the Army Chief of Staff, Malong had served with iron fist and created more enemies both at the National Level and also at the State Level.
One of his staunch rivals, Lt. Gen. Dau Atorjong, who went to exile in Sudan after losing gubernatorial election in Northern Bhar el Ghazal to Malong in 2010 and rebelled in 2014, is now promoted by President Salva Kiir to lead military operations in Northern Bhar el Ghazal- causing fear that he [Dau Atorjong] will haunt Gen. Malong and his supporters in that region.
