September 16th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan armed defectors from the South Sudan United Movement (SSUM) led by Gen. Peter Gatdet Yaka said on Friday that they were responding to the general amnesty declared by President Salva Kiir in early August.
President Salva Kiir on August 6th upon return from Sudan where he signed a preliminary peace deal with rebel groups issued a general amnesty forgiving rebel leaders including First Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar whom he accused of rebelling against the system.
In an exclusive interview with the Nyamilepedia on Friday, Brig. Gen. Gatkuoth Mut Turoah who was the Press Secretary for the SSUM leader Peter Gatdet said they didn’t made any agreement with President Salva Kiir prior to their return but were responding to the general amnesty declared by President Salva Kiir.
“I don’t made an agreement with anybody or even the president, am just coming back home it something obvious even in your family you fight and resolve your differences that’s what our president is doing right now by declaring a general amnesty for all South Sudanese who fled the war to come home like I did,” he told the Nyamilepedia on Friday.
Mut added that South Sudan doesn’t belong to one man referring to the decision by some tribal leaders that people should not return to the country until President Salva Kiir left the helm.
“South Sudan is not belong to one ethic group or tribe we fought for it independence for couple years that is why we celebrate July 9 yearly,” he said.
He said South Sudanese need to transform the culture of war into culture of peace to ensure the journey towards freedom, justice as well as restoring laws and orders to ensure peaceful co-existence of the people.
“We need to transform the culture of war into culture of peace to ensure the journey towards freedom, justice and restoration of law and order across the state,” he said.
Asked about the number of the forces that they command, Mut said he do not have the exact number of the forces claiming this is because there are troops from different political camps who have joined them.
“I still don’t have the exact number because we all came from different camps we have officers, NCOs and soldiers from IO, SSUM, NDM as well as SSLM,” he said. Â
