Feb 27, 2015(Nyamilpedia) — The SPLA, rebels’ faction, under the former Vice President, Riek Machar, downplays replacing a disgruntled Brigadier General, Mr. Lul Ruai Koang, who defected to Juba on 18th February, 2015.
According to Machar’s spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, the deputy military spokesperson, Colonel James Lony Thichiot, will be acting as the Military Spokesman until further notice.
“Colonel James Lony Thichiot Ngundeng is the acting spokesman in replacing the defected official, Brigadier Lul Ruai Koang. James Lony used to deputize Lul.” Dak clarifies.
“He will be acting until confirmation or when a new person is appointed. Media representatives may from now on direct to him queries pertaining to military activities…” Dak ascertains.
Dak and many other reliable sources within the inner circle of Machar have tried to clarify over the week following an allegation that Yien Mathew has been appointed as the new military spokesperson for the rebels.
According to an insider, who has not been granted to speak on the rebels’ military affairs, there are no indications that an appointment could be made soon; a move that raises doubts on Lul’s defection.
The Opposition, SPLM/SPLA, believes that the lone young brigadier, who has been very vocal, did not defect but “deserted” his position.
Before he declares his defection, Mr. Lul held a series of private meetings with members of Salva Kiir government in Nairobi and Kampala, which he later confessed to the leadership of SPLM/SPLA [IO], apologized and promised to rectify.
Lul, however, did not meet the agreed datelines to solve his personal problems with his colleagues.
SPLM/SPLA [IO] leadership believes Mr. Lul confined himself to Nairobi, Kenya, until he announced his defection and fled to Juba the following day on 19th February, 2015.
According to a member of mediation committee, who attempted to reconcile Brigadier Lul with his colleagues, including Capt. Mabior Garang de Mabior, Lul was buying time to bargain his return to Juba.
On 12th November, 2014, Lul met the regime’s Chief of General Staff, Gen. Paul Malong Awan, in Kampala and continued to meet Lou-Nuer politicians and sympathizers of Kiir’s regime in Nairobi Kenya between November to mid February, 2015.
Although it is yet to be verified, it is believed that Lul was paid approximately $250, 000 to switch sides.
“I would like to make it clear that no one paid me to join the SPLA in opposition in the first place and hence no one should have thought i was paid in order to abandon the rebellion.” Lul decries the allegations.
“I have been condemned across the globe, betrayed by some of my closest friends and relatives in the days leading to my declaration.” Lul regrets the countless condemnations from his Greater Lou-Nuer communities, whom he claimed to save!
5 comments
If you regret from bottom of yur heart then come back to SPLA IO and rectified your case with your colleagues
yes mr,s lony through getting this Chance God will rise your hand to achieve this goal A men.
The rebels leader and the former vice president have a problems with some of Eastern Nuers communities. I know the majority of rebels supporters wouldn’t buy it but this is true and there will be more division coming very soon.In week ago, it had been announced Yien Mathew as a new SPLA IO spokesman but now it change to different to person and belief it or not things are not right within the rebels allied. According to one the Lou Nuers Secondary Student, he said the former vice president is always causing more problems but later he abandoned his community in Unity State and he had brought disasters on Eastern Nuers communities adding, the former vice president is using Nuers for his political problem on the other hand hhe is punishing the Nuers people particular, the Eastern communities of Nuers and he said, he is against rebels leader seriously. The problem of Lou Nuers was not a matter of promoting Bieh as a State instead of Akobo but it is about doubting on former vice president that, he is using Nuers to fights for his political differences and using Eastern Nuers as a base of rebellion in two times, these two things are sticking in the minds of Lou Nuers people. If peace agreement is successful then,maybe it will settle a little a bit but if the peace agreement failed then, the Eastern Nuers in the rebels will have to separated themselves. The rumors came after when the traditional leaders in all Lou Nuers communities were complaining and they asking their Sons in the rebels saying, why always the Eastern Nuers communities have been used as a based of rebels? They says, why not using Leer county and others communities in Unity State? The communities leaders are saying that, the Lou Nuers have faces this conflict since the SPLA/SPLM started and they claims that, our Sons must not be use and we are tired about rebellion. If you are a member of Lou Nuers then, this complains came from the communities leaders and the Elders.
Please keep singing about the former SPLA IO spokesman Mr. Lul Ruai Koang’s defection however, there are truth from that rumors eventually, the report indicated that, the Lou Nuers people were the first people to get experience about rebellion and many of their Sons and Daughters have lost lives for nothing but political problems and their question is why always Dr. Riek Machar is using Eastern Nuers communities for his rebellion base?
Nuer are not fighting for the position of anyone, including Dr. Machar, instead, Nuer are for the murdering/massacring of thousands of their relatives in Juba by the worthless/genocidal of regime Salva Kiir. So please, if you really care about our country and our communities to coexist and live together in peace and harmony ever again, then come and join the fight, instead of trying to divid Nuer by using Dr Machar as a rubber stamp. This is not the case anymore. Nuer community knows who they lost by names, either from Western or Eastern Nuer. This is what unites the Nuer in this fight, not because of any influence from any Nuer politician.
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let’s abandon rebellion once and for all to restore back our social co-existence.