By Duop Nyidar*,
Member of Parliament, National Assembly,
Juba, South Sudan.
March 16, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — Some of the astonishing revelations made by the AU Report on the Juba massacre are both breathtaking and can land many officers to fire squads or prison for life. But the most shameful and surprising revelation of all is that most senior officers of the SPLA including Kuol Manyang did not know their duties, obligations and the constitutional mandates of their institution.
It is sad that we have for so long taken for granted the likes of Kuol and Hoth Mai. The Juba massacre exposed them as people who hadn’t an inch of what they were in the army for. For how can Salva Kiir recruit, train and arm these thugs call “mathianganyoor” from his own tribe and even deploy them in Juba to commit murder without the Defence minister Kuol and his Chief of staff raising an issue with the President or the Defence Council (if there was one) or even with the Parliament.
These two gentlemen will have to account for their behavior in the days to come for sure. It was not enough for them to say the December massacres were not done by the SPLA but by mathianganyoor lunatics. Where were they and the SPLA when these thugs were mercilessly killing the people and citizens?
This brings me to the other issue which was raised by the top Defence officials in the interview and that was that the mathianganyoor were more and better equipped than the SPLA. That is absolutely a white lie. I was a member of the Parliament’s Security Committee. The SPLA budget was 80% of the budget of the South apart from other monies from friendly countries. But by the way who authorized the recruitment, training and procurement of the military supplies of mathianganyoor? If the ministry of Defence did not know all these then Kuol and his Chief of staff were only sitting ducks waiting to pocket their fat salaries every end of the month.
Those interviewed by AU Commission give varying estimates of the size of mathianganyoor forces between 12000 and 15000. How many armed security organs in Juba that you could mobilise in time of crisis like the December one as the Minister of Defence and your Chief of staff to stop the killing of innocent civilians? The mission of the Ministry of Defence among other tasks is: to defend and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of South Sudan and its citizens and in emergencies (man-made or natural) to assist the government in restoring peace and stability. In the December massacres, the SPLA whom many had earlier believed as the national army, stood aloof as revealed by the Defence Minister while some citizens of South Sudan were being killed by criminals allied to the president.
I am now convinced that the SPLA is not a national army after all and therefore must be disbanded and reformed. The only comforting thing is that everyone in the corrupt, murderous and immoral regime will carry his/her own cross in the days of judgment on earth. So let all who rejoiced during these heinous crimes prepare their defence notes from now. We the survivors of Juba massacres who are fighting Salva Kiir’s regime have pledged that there will be no impunity again. We promise to establish a democratic inclusive South Sudanese society where every citizen will be a stakeholder and partner in governance and government.
12 comments
Duop Nyidar,
Did you read the AU leaked report or someone told you about it? James Hoth Mai and Kuol Manyang didn’t say that Mathiang Anyor kill people! You are misquoting them. They didn’t say that SPLA was less equipped than Mathiang Anyor. That is also a lie. In case you didn’t read and may be because of your hatred of James for always standing as a nationalist and not tribalist: He said we remained only with Dinka elements….the Nuer left. There was no way you can stop the killing. This is true! When the war started, majority of the Nuer in SPLA, Police, National Security and all sectors either ran to UNMISS or bush. The nuer people were left without any Nuer protection. However, even then, the Nuer and Dinka of SPLA who call themselves nationalists managed to take the Nuer to UNMISS sites after fighting those who encircled them. People like James Hoth Mai, Akol Koor, Thomas Duoth, Mach Paul, Pieng Deng, Akok Noon Akok, Marial Chinoung himself, and Nuer leaders in Juba, all rescued Nuer and took them to UNMISS. If the Nuer will one day tell the truth, they will tell you who saved them and who killed them. When Riek and Taban “ran for their lives on Dec 15” some people who had nothing to do with power ambitions remained and rescued the lives of Nuer. Believe it or not, you will never hear a statement from one contrary to this, especially those who face the heat here.
Nyaluak Lual, Technically the Army’s Chief Of Staff and the Defense Minister have a constitutional and moral duty to act and stop the massacres that went on for a week.
“The mission of the Ministry of Defence among other tasks is: to defend and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of South Sudan and its citizens and in emergencies (man-made or natural) to assist the government in restoring peace and stability.”
From the minute of the first casualties came to these leaders like Hoth and Kuol Manyang they should have questioned the indiscriminate targeted death of unarmed citizens. The Question would have been .. Why childrens, unarmed women, senior citizens who probably fought in the 21 war of liberating this country. and why casualties are all Nuers amongst other tribes considering that press conference that was called for by the SPLM for reforms was not called by Nuers nor was it on behave of Nuers. Also all of these Nuers victims are not in anyway, shape or forms affiliated to any political reforms of SPLM party that staged the coup. These was questions that should have been asked from the report of first casualties of the so called spoiled coup. To exonerate these two ministers they are not on record asking these question or are not on record in stopping the massacres but escalated it as much as possible for days on ends claiming to be defending the country and its citizens but from who Nuers? Are Nuers not citizens to be protected also of course not they are still in UN’s protection camps. not SPLa, “People like James Hoth Mai, Akol Koor, Thomas Duoth, Mach Paul, Pieng Deng, Akok Noon Akok, Marial Chinoung himself, and Salva Kiir’s” Protection Camps but United Nation’s Protection Camps.
For how long these camps are still protecting and doing the job of South Sudan officials.. try a year and a half. You can not tell me that these people are not the reason why the massacre happened and the cause of why South Sudan is having such a thing called UN Protection Camps in the capital and many other major cities around the country. Unless of course the Jaang extremists are forcing them against their will in exercising their constitutional and moral duties in implementing the constitution which is the law of the land that called for them to protect these citizens without citizens having to be in the UN Camps. If that is the case and they failed in doing their constitutional duty then they should all resigned yesterday not today because it is too late.
You mentioned that many were taken to UN’s protection camps by individuals and I think you are right I am well aware of lives saved by all the kind hearted South Sudaneses of all diversities. They act on behave of the good of humanity and the credit goes to those individuals and may God reward their angelic nature of love.
Nyaluak Lual, It is fair that I remind you that there is differences between a good Samaritan and the entity or the franchise that calls itself South Sudan. This entity is constitutionally charged with the responsibility of protecting the citizens. Note that I said citizens and I mean all including you and I my friend. So it is not the responsibility of any good Samaritan to take it up on themselves as an individual. This is not part of the legal agreement between the citizens and those ministers(agents of the constitution) charged with observing, translating and implementing the constitution.
There is an article on Paanluel Wel’s blog that attempted to nationalized Guelweng Militias or Mathiang Anyoor. I think they are terrorist militia group by definitions and therefore it does not matter how one paints them in a different light to hide their crimes.
SPLA was the National Army weak or strong, large in numbers or small, it was all South Sudan had. This terrorist cell called Guelweng Militias cloaked as Kiir’s private guards was funded, recurited, trained, graduated and was unleashed to carry out the massacres as calculated by those who have a purpose for them. All of this happened before SPLA as the National Army split leaving 30% with Juba Faction and 70% gone to Pagaak. It happened in the watchful eyes of the the listed names you provided. if that is not wrong and constitutes constitutional violation then what is it.
If the these terrorist was more able than the SPLA of a 100% as many seem to put much emphasis and faith on them as better than SPLA, than why did they fail in protecting the citizens rather than massacring them by targeting Nuers for ethnic cleansing supervise by your friends, government officials which were actually the devil pretending to be good Samaritans. This is an old trickery and everyone knows this.
Yes you are now talking but remember many are listed in 60 pages report just wait.
Mr. Duop,
The Problem with your argument and in fact the rebels’s ideological fallacy is that you claiming to be a saint and the rest is evil. In reality, you are more corrupt, tribalist, murderous and addicted to militia and rebellion. How could you claim to deliver South Sudan from its wrongs when you are the cause of the problems or the problem itself.
Nuer is a curse to South Sudan. You are psychological retarded to believe that your tribe can hold the rest hostage through violence. I hope December 15 is a lesson for you to never ever think about rebellion again regardless the cause. Federalism, united country, corruption, and whatever the hell can be achieve without violence.
Don’t tell me UPD, SPLM North and the rest of your bitch cry complaints about mercenaries help fighting along side government. Honestly, it make you look and sound weak. The bravery you claim over all the tribe in South Sudan is actually a pure empty pride and arrogance on the nuer’s part. Next time don’t run through Bor again and be proud that you have defeated the Whole of Dinka. it’s not true, Bor is small and weak.
Dinka and the rest of the tribe defeated you with your brothers arabs in Khartoum, the one you run to all the times 1991. We didn’t cry then, rather we fought you until you resorted to kill the women, the children and the elders, the epitome of a coward then surrendered. I am very sure you will one day come back to this country you betrayed so much with your head bowed down with embarrassment. Some are doing it already, time for you to swallow your empty pride and come home. You are always welcome not matter how many times you rebels and kill people.
General Hoth should have resigned to protest private army. or should have arrested everyone that have anything to do with this private army including the president. They would have been handed to court for treason violation of national code of arms, constitution, and conspiracy to form a military wing contrary to the national arm(SPLA).
massacre would have been prevented but it is clear that the conspiracy involves almost all the high ranking military and government officials. it also been in the planning for years.
You must know the law before you break it or it will turn around and break you.
there was blood on hand of James Hoth mai, nobody will forgive him even his god help him no way, let him walk and eat like die body. Hoth was proteced Dinkas and his family got killed what next , Nyaluak Lual if you thought Hoth proteced Nuer you are liar my friend.
How about the blood in the hands of Fool Riek who had been killing south Sudanese since 1991 till now, you only see Hoth and paying blind eye to Riek, God knows who is on the wrong and on the right path NOT YU idiot who always cry of Salva Kiir to step down.
Murgot,
All the nuer will never act stupidly as Riek Machar if that is what it will take you to call a Nuer leader as a good person. We have decided that we will never bow down to Riek. We will live with South Sudanese together or die with them. We will never be forced to be tribalists. When the SPLM wakes up from deep sleep and put the right Nuer national leaders in the positions of leadership and not tribal leaders, it will be the only time that Nuer will stop fighting with South Sudanese. 1984, 1991 and 2013, when will you get up and know that Riek is carrying a graveyard behind him for every living Nuer outside? When the Nuer leadership will either be given to Pangak, or Lou or Jikany, our problems will be over by then. Otherwise, the leadership in Bentiu has been a disaster from the beginning. Don’t you know that people of Bentiu and Dinka Bhar Al Ghazal think and act in the same way? How can you replace a lion with bear?
Nyaluak, I want you to know that there is not a single Jang dead or alive that wishes to be under Nuer’s leadership. This ideology is due for re-evaluation by all Nuers on both sides of the war. I believe Machar could step a side anytime and we can put a perfect Nyaluak in his place or any other Nuer and yet Jaang would find a reason to bark. The rest of your comment I do agree with some of it but I will shut it for now.
Gatnor,
I appreciate your response to my piece and for the first time you have really addressed issues rationally. Let me say that probably you also have less experience about the situation of military and organized forces in South Sudan. Let me begin by saying that the SPLA proper, the one that fought the war for 21 years, which knows Kuol Manyang, James Hoth Mai, Akol Koor, Thomas Duoth Guet, Akok Noon, etc never stayed in Juba since 2006. They were stationed in different divisions. What we had here in the town of Juba are bodyguards of Salva, Riek, Matip, Ismael Konyi, Clement Wani Konga, etc. In other words, the tiger battalion were 3000 strong and dominant. In this composition, Riek and Matip body guards constitute 1,800 Nuers all from Bentiu and 1,200 from that of Salva and 90% of them are from Dinka Bar Al Ghazal. Now, during the preparation for the war from March 2013, Riek and Taban politicized the Nuer elements and the Dinka Bar Al Ghazal politicized their elements in the forces. When the war broke out on 15 December, these forces knew exactly what they were to do. The Nuer didn’t in their plan to protect civilians. In their mind they either would take the power or ran to bush or UNMISS. That is exactly what happened.
Now, those forces were bodyguards of the President, they don’;t take orders from Chief of Staff or Minister of Defence. They take orders from either the President or Vice President. So, as the fighting started, there was no command structure in place. Soldiers were taking orders from their relatives. They became wild in the killing spree…They couldn’t listen to any one. That was why it was senior commanders of the SPLA proper who did the rescue missions. The SPLA unit in Bilpam was the one that came in on 16 December 2013 to protect civilians. They were commanded by James Hoth. They were the ones who rescued civilians and they fought the elements of Dinka who were killing the Nuer. Many of them were killed by the same people who killed the Nuer. Rememeber that Bilpam Battaliion was composed of Nuer and Dinka and many dinka were killed rescuing the Nuer. James Hoth himself personally fought those who were killing the Nuer. I was there…I know this. Now, when people tell you that the SPLA was not a professional army, you really don’t get it. It means that the army is loyal to individual politicians, not military commanders. Also, you are speaking of Juba only. Take what happened in AKobo, if the SPLA there was a national army, would the Nuer soldiers massacre their own Dinka colleagues in uniform? Would they have killed them in UNMISS in Akobo? the same goes for what happened in Ulang and Nasir, Malakal and Bentiu. For you, all the Nuer are saying that James Hoth should have arrested Riek and Salva, this is not an Egyptian Army which ousted Mohammed Mursi and the military remained as one. In South Sudan, everyone would have gone behind his brother and that could have been the end of South Sudan as we know it.
But for those in UNMISS, they are no longer under threat. People are there now because of various reasons. First, the rebels, especially Dr. Riek is telling them to remain in UNMISS as a strategy to discredit the government of South Sudan that it is killing Nuer people. Riek will not be happy if they leave UNMISS. Second, majority of those remaining are former fighters who fought the government and they are afraid that if they come out, they could be detained and questioned as to where they left the guns, etc. The third reason is that UN is now providing food and shelter. Some people were struggling in their homes to make ends meet. If they get these for free, why would they leave that and come back to hard live? These are the reasons trust me.
You are blaming Kuol and James because you are thinking in terms of responsibilities in the military as it is there in United States. But, in US, no soldier is loyal to a politician, but only listens to the command structure. I hope that shed some light.
The Nuer massacre in Juba happen because they were following what ever will annoy Riek Machar , they would attack Dinka if Dr;Riek is not going to be allowed to be presidential candidate of june 2015 election ,, it was a plan under ground. Riek told Nuer in tiger to assassinate Kiir, when security found out that ,secret Nuer among presidential guards were disarm , immediately one of them phone Riek for what to do, Riek told them to start the war , and they really killed almost 10 Dinka among the guards and already found Riek inform all Nuer general to attack and loot all the guns stores in Juba. Nuer were already mobilizes by Riek , since he was dismissed from his vice position. By hearing the guns all Nuer youths attack bilpam and Jebel military base. Why should only Nuer as a tribe be sensitive to attack government positions ? and you are now fighting as tribe commitment why? If Nuer were kill ,it was individual right to protect themselves from wild dog , The wild dogs was biting people and when it killed the own attack people , even the owner is wild worthy to be kill also. Nuer stop blaming and destroy the county as you already done it , your civilians were not innocent , even you will be kill because of Nuer behavior, you have no future as tribe in this country. Who cause the war? Nuer cause it because 1- Riek M abuse Kiir in SPLA meeting calling him fail president.
2- He was mobilizing other politicians to be a threat to president to give up coming election position to him politically.
3- He will make a coup and take the country by force, as Nuer is 70% in the national army and also brave tribe . and others.
If Nuer was target , it was Riek who expose them to danger.
No problems, keep talking, making war propaganda, The end and consequences of the war will teacher you lesson .
The author who wrote this article is nuer but you need to think big
What about Gatdet in Bor last year?
Nuers are insects they can be teach using guns and bullets but not words of mouth