November 21st 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – SPOC vice-president Diew Chanroah is behind arrest of senior SPLA-IO officer in Juba by the National Security Services (NSS) last week, a family source said on Thursday.
Lt. Col. Ngarngar Batuh who was in Juba on peace mission was surprisingly arrested in Central Juba by members of the country’s NSS. He has since been kept at a national security facility near the river Nile according to family members.
Batuh who was working at SPOC until the eruption of war in December 2013 and was given an early open leave by the company to study in Uganda. Following the eruption of war, Batuh never returned because many had fled the country.
Thousands of Nuer civilians had been killed in Juba in December 2013 leading to civil war as the African Union said in a report released in 2015 that Juba remained a dangerous place for the Nuer.
The government and opposition groups signed a revitalized peace agreement in September last year to end the war enabling for return of hundreds of opposition members to the country’s capital, Juba.
After returning to Juba last month, Batuh was reinstated to his previous job.
The family source said Chanroah who was a minister in Unity state prior to the outbreak of war was against Batuh’s reinstatement because he believe he was a rebel at a time the government and opposition groups were implementing the peace agreement.
Speaking to Nyamilepedia on Thursday, a family source said Chanroah was behind the arrest.
The source said Chanroah was against the reinstatement of Ngarngar to the petroleum company accusing him of being a “rebel.”
“Ngarngar Batuh is arrested last week saying that he is an SPLA- IO officer by the allegation from an unknown person. Before he rejoined SPOC after his open leave for study, Diew Chanroah is the only person who was against his reinstatement saying that Ngarngar is a rebel and was not in school,” the family source said on condition of anonymity.
The source said Chanroah’s insistence that Batuh shouldn’t be reinstated because he is a “rebel” was disputed by other members of a reinstatement committee.
“This problem came when Ngarngar is proposed to Field-Base Supervisor in Procurement and Logistics by his department: Something Diew Chanroah is against because he wants to bring his person to that position,” the source said.
“Diew Chanroah is the person who removed Gatleak Lor Juer from SPOC Section Head of procurement & Logistics to Nile Petroleum and brought the person of his choice to the position of section Head Procurement & Logistics thinking that he may get illegal contracts and money which he cannot get from Gatleak Lor Juer,” the source added.
The source further called on the government of South Sudan to take action on Chanroah and to stop him from mistreating people because of what he said is his own personal selfishness and greed.
“The Government of South Sudan have to work hard on Diew Chanroah and should not be allowed to mistreat people because of his selfish gains and greediness. He is a corrupt guy since in Bentiu government until known by [then] Governor Taban Deng and removed him. He thought that SPOC is like his ministry in Unity state government. Remove him because he is selfish and corrupt person,” he said.
He argued that Chanroah should not reject former rebels when he himself was a former rebel who was close to SPLM-IO chairman Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
He said he was one of the people who conspired against the incumbent First Vice President Taban Deng Gai.
“He does not want inactive rebels when he himself is a rebel and he is a close friend to Dr. Riek Machar and his wife Angeline Jany. He is among the people who made a conspiracy against the current Vice president Cde. Taban Deng,” he said.
He added that “Ngarngar Batuh is an innocent person and was in Uganda studying though he was given a rank [in the SPLA-IO]”.
“South Sudan is now for peace and stability, why accusing people of position sake? Why is Diew intimidating people for his interests? Is he not a senior rebel from the decision-makers?” he asked.
“Even though Ngarngar is in prison, according to my knowledge as an official with Diew Chanroah since the Unity state government, It is Diew Chanroah who accused Ngarngar Batuh so that he is isolated and since he is first against him for his reinstatement.”
“The government of South Sudan should not consider the accusations by Diew Chanroah and release this good boy to continue his job. This language of rebels and rebels is for foolish people and greedy people that want to eat the county resources alone and chase others to the bush.
“Diew Chanroah came from the bush and why is he chasing people that came from the bush with him? All bush people are the same whether you came first or resign or join government first.”
