Immediate Background Investigation For any Renegade Hereafter

Panoum Kor Chagai,
There are two things I want to address in your communication above. I am doing this because I know you and your questions deserve honest answer. Second, you presented like someone who can handle the truth, so my writing, I assume, will not go on a closed mind. You will actually analyze it since you are already asking questions.
First of all, from day one, the government of South Sudan never prevented any Nuer from leaving Juba by all routes whichever destination of their choosing. So if some people who have rebellion tendencies want to leave, they were free to leave from day one without any problem. So, no one is being held hostage here. And since you asked about Gatwech Puoch’s delay to leave the government, he was always free from December 2013 as he has been frequenting Nairobi, Kampala or any foreign capital, May be he didn’t make his decision yet at that time. He is the best friend of Brig. General Gregory, brother-in-law of Salva and Gen. Paul Malong Awan. So he was in very good hands here. In fact, the safest Nuer in the government held territory.

Now, let me come to the burden of your remarks. First of all, you asked, ” Why did it take long time to defect?” That is a very important question because for every defection, there is an ulterior motive. It is not always about the larger cause. For example, Peter Gatdeet Yak, declared quickly in Bor to join Riek because he was in the group of Riek from the planning days of the crisis in February 2013. Where else would he be when the crisis actually started in December 2013. Gen. James Koang Chuol Ranley was transferred from Bentiu as Governor Joseph Montuil and his brother Bapiny didn’t want him in Bentiu because he is from Nasir. They wanted to replace him with Karlos Kuol whom they didn’t know was going to rebel after he failed to secure the position there as the war started before he could be assigned. Though James Hoth Mai refused to transfer James Koang Chol back to Juba, the President made the decision for his transfer. James Koang Chol became very angry. He had to fight against Minytuil family that caused his transfer from Bentiu. If there was no transfer, you know CDR is a real SPLA officer, he would never defect. Everybody trusts him here. Do you know even today all his properties in Juba are not touched by the government even though every person who defected their properties are under national security control?
Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth, had a long problem with Kun Puoch for being removed as Commissioner of Nasir County. Every position that you can give Gathoth Gatkuoth, he would never accept it as important unless it is the position of commissioner of Nasir. He was an advisor to the governor, but he always hated that position and hated Kun for replacing him from Nasir commissionership with his brother-in-law Peter Dak Tap. If you studied the fighting very well in Upper Nile, it started with Gathoth Gatkuoth mobilizing the people of Nasir to fight against Dak Tap. It was after he defeated Dak Tap that they now had to come and chase away Simon Kun from Malakal. The war of Upper Nile was against Simon Kun by his cousin Gathoth Gatkouth. Riek had to later transform it to a bigger objective of regime change in Juba.

Now, if you come to Peter Gatwech Dual and Tanginye, etc, these were people who were attacked in their homes in Juba by certain Dinka elements who didn’t like them. They had to run for their lives. And when they did, they find themselves in the bush with Dr. Riek and they had to join him.
Gen. Dau Atorjong, left because Paul Malong Awan became the chief of staff. Dau contested the gubernatorial election of Northern Bhar Al Ghazal against Paul in 2010 and he lost. During elections, they became very bitter enemies to the point where Dau believes that when Paul became Chief of staff, he was going to either fire or kill him. He had to fly to a lesser evil…Dr. Riek.
You very well know the case of Khamis Abdallah Thayif and Makuei Lueth. He had to leave. You know the case of G-10 plus one when they were fired, they had to instigate instability in the country because South Sudan without them on the driver seat cannot be a country.
Duer Tut Duir left in June 2014 because he thought the position of governor of upper nile through sweat and blood from Kiir so much, but failed to secure it. Kiir didn’t trust him. He is a guy who never set foot in the bush before and SPLM wondered what he was up to. Anyways, since he failed to get it here, he had to join Dr. Riek so that he might get that possibility. When Riek promised that he would make it a governor, he had to leave Juba. Now, do you still wonder why he arrived and made a governor even though there are so many qualified Ulang politicians who were there from day one (MPs, etc) and were never considered for that post?
For Brig. General Gatwech Puoch, I explained to you earlier that he left because he was not promoted to Maj. General. You know this family with the hunger for power. All other lists he presented in his declaration were a cover for one thing only.
Finally, he blamed Thomas Duoth. let me give you the reason why. Gatwech Puoch is a very good friend of Brig. Gen. Gregory, who is the brother of first Lady Ayian Mayardit. In 2012, it was Gatwech Puoch and Chuol Gakah who made a story that Gen. James Hoth May and Majak Agot were planning a coup against Salva Kiir Mayardit. In fact, the J1 office had to be surrounded with concrete pavement stones to protect the building from tanks when it is attacked by coup plotters. Those stones are still there today. They have never been removed. They were placed there during the conspiracy that James Hoth and Majak were planning a coup. Gregory went and told the President the Nasir generals have discovered a plot by James Hoth and Majak to oust you from power. It took all of us to go and meet with Salva and tell him that what these generals were reporting was a lie. They were cooking it because they thought that James Hoth didn’t give them something which all of us couldn’t understand or explain. Because it was James Hoth who made Gatwech Puoch chief logistics in Wau…He made Chuol Gakah Director of Malou Military Academy. And yet, family jealousy was there.
Anyways, Gatwech Puoch, after James Hoth left, had been targeting Thomas Duoth Guet because he was eyeing his position. He has been accusing Thomas to Gregory and his friend Gen. Paul Malong that Thomas is supporting the rebels and that he must be removed as Director General of National Security Bureau responsible for external docket. The plan was to have Gatwech promoted to Maj. General so that he would now be assigned to the position of Director General for Naional security since you can’t be in that position with the rank of Brigadier. And this is the position that Thomas Duoth is now holding.
Now, his friend Gregory and Malong put his name on the list of promotions. It is the President himself who struck his name out for two reasons. Gatwech was not among the Generals that are due for promotion or fighting in front lines currently to warrant that. Second, Gatwech does not remember what he did in Khartoum when he was in national security there. He sold every secret of South Sudan to the Government of Sudan. That was why he was paid huge money which he used to purchase his home in Australia and started big businesses in Juba and was promoted by Jalaba as Brig. General even though his mother shell six colleagues were still colonels or Lt colonels. In fact, when South became independent, Gatwech was dismissed from National security. It was James Hoth Mai, who took him back to SPLA to save him from public shame and hence the chance of still being in the army. So, the president didn’t want to put him in place of Thomas Duoth and hence cancellation of his promotion. What would be the reason to promote him now if the place he is supposed to occupy will not be vacant?
Now, Panom, I think you have to understand that politicians and senior military officers always defect because they have a personal issue that forces them to leave, then they will always nicely weave it with the national objective that any layman will find it hard to decipher. After all, it is not about the issue of spying. Otherwise, you already have spies for South Sudan government in your movement long time ago and in the same way the rebels also have their spies within the government here. There is no way you can avoid spies. They are part of any system. No state or military installation can exist without spies in their enemy territory…they would not sleep for one night.