April 30th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – A high-ranking military offcier of the South Sudan United Movement and Army (SSUM/AF) under the leadership of former SPLA-IO commander Gen. Peter Gatdet Yaka died in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Sunday, Gatdet spokesman, Col. Gatkuoth Mut Turoah, said in a statement extended to the Nyamilepedia.
Col. John Puok Mutlel, who served before his death in the little-known movement as deputy chief of administration for intelligence, has been battling an unidentified illness for the last one year according to other sources.
The statement, signed by the movement’s spokesman announced the death of the military officer.
“It is with heavy heartfelt and sorrow to inform all the members and SSUM/SSUAF supporters about the untimely death of our beloved brother Col. John Puok Mutlel. He passed on this morning in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on the 29th April 2018,” Gatkuoth Mut announced in the statement.
He revealed also that the little-known military officer died following long illness battle adding that he on behalf of the movement offer his sincere condolence.
“On behalf of South Sudan United Movement and on my own behalf, I offer our sincere condolence to the family, relatives and friends of Col. John Puok Mutlel,” he said.
He thanked those who exerted much efforts to ensure that he survive the before he succumbed to death stressing that his death is not only a big lost to the family, the people of Mayom, but also a big lost to the entire membership of the SSUM and the people of South Sudan.
South Sudan United Movement is an armed military movement that is based in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and is lead by the founder Gen. Peter Gatdet Yaka who broke ranks and files with the SPLM-IO in 2015 to protest a then proposed peace deal which was due to be signed by the SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar. The deal left president Salva Kiir in power over the period of thirty months, something Gatdet was much critical of.
Gatdet left Pagak, SPLM-IO General Headquarters, and went to the Sudanese capital Khartoum to attend a funeral organized for his son who was lured outside UNMISS camp in Bor and killed later on. There they formed a movement along with Gathoth Gatkuoth and Chanson Lew Chang but later left them after the later went to join the government in Juba.
Gatdet formed the South Sudan United Movement and Army with few men as its troops and have since remained in the Sudanese capital Khartoum with no military operations. Clashes last week suggested that Gen. Gatdet might have forces in South Sudan’s northern party of Mayom counties after they said they came under attack.
His movement is a member of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) negotiating peace deal with the government and the SPLM-IO under Riek Machar as one entity.
