Disgruntled Top Generals and Politicians Disowned By IDPs

August 13, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — The Jikany-Nuer Community at the United Nations Protection sites in the national capital, Juba, withdraws their supports from their sons, Maj. Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth, Hon. Changson Lew Chang and suspected members, who recently defected from the SPLM/SPLA in Opposition.

The community, which compromises of the victims of the current conflict, strongly condemns the disgruntled politicians and generals for their decision.

“We, the Jikany – Nuer community at UN – Protection site in Juba condemned the action taken by General Gatoth Gatkuoth and Changson Lew Chang who declared their defection on Tuesday in Sudanese capital, Khartoum”  Said the community chairman, Mr. Bini Kuajien Tut

“In strongest term, we rejected the action taken by General Gatoth Gatkuoth, General Chuol Gake and Changson Lew Chang against the SPLA/SPLM – IO Movement under leadership of Dr. Riek Machar.” The Jikany-Nuer community declared.

The Jikany-Nuer community identifies themselves as one of the good communities in the country, who have managed to accommodate several liberation movements on their land, which has been relatively stable and close to borders.

The community objects to stand behind individuals whom they accused of defecting to fight for their personal interests.

“We are against the sons/daughters from Jikany – Nuer who want to divide the entire Nuer Community for their own self – interest. ” Mr. Kwajien said.

Fighting For Personal Interest

Through most of his briefings and conversation with friends, politicians and journalists, the former Deputy Chief of General Staff for Logistic, Maj. Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth, has made attempts to clarify that his former chairman and Commander-in-Chief of SPLM/SPLA, Dr. Machar, has failed to coordinate a successful transfer of the office of Logistic to his leadership.

General Gathoth believes that the office of logistic is being managed by Gen. Taban Deng Gai, the Chief Negotiator of SPLM/SPLA, despite his appointment to head logistics.

The disgruntled general believes that he was being humiliated by Dr. Machar and Gen. Taban because they are “in-laws”, and concludes that the movement has been turned into family enterprise, something that he now has to fight to change.

To his community, however, fighting over personal interests will not be entertained this time.

The community strongly warns her sons and daughter to abstain from spilling blood for personal interests, citing that the community has had enough.

“We, the Jikany community know that Gatoth Gatkuoth and Changson Lew have defected from Machar’s Movement because they were removed from their positions” part of the reports reads.

“We, the Jikany –Nuer will not follow such people like General Gathoth who is after his personal interest. We call upon the entire Jikany – Nuer community wherever they are not to follow such leaders. Enough is enough, Jikany – Nuer suffered the brunt of several factional divisions since from the inception of SPLA/SPLM in 1983 to the present time after South Sudan gained its Independent as a country in 2011.” Jikany-Nuer Community declares.

Defection After Defection

While addressing members of Jikany-Nuer community in Nairobi, Kenya, General Gatkuoth reminds his community that Dr. Riek Machar has defected several times in history, citing “the 1991” as an example but to his dismay, Gatkuoth believes that Machar’s defections “never benefited South Sudan or the Community”.

His community in Juba, however, reminds the general that for every time Dr. Machar has defected, Gen. Gatkuoth has also defected, and in addition the general reportedly defects from the defections of Dr. Riek, citing the 1991, 1997, 2013 and 2015 as examples to justify that Mr. Gathoth has defected, at least, as twice as much as Dr. Machar.

” It is not a surprise to us because General Gathoth is not the first time for him to defect from Machar’s Movement; he did this in 1997, when he defected from South Sudan Independent Movement (SSIM) to Thuara-Jikany Movement that led to the loss of 500 lives of Jikany – Nuer youth because of General Gatoth self-interest together with General Chuol Gake.” the community said.

Unlike Dr. Machar, who defected from the SPLM/SPLA mainstream in 1991 over the inclusion of the vision of Self Determination for the South and democratic reforms within the movement, which again triggered the 2013 split, Gen. Gatkuoth has no clear vision to restore peace and stability in the country.

The twin generals have declared to fight the two warring factions under Dr. Riek Machar and Mr. Salva Kiir to establish either a military government or a Transitional Government of National Unity that would be led by neither Kiir nor Machar.

According to General Gathoth, who spoke on BBC, the generals will only accept a transitional government that will be led by a non-Nuer and non-Dinka, believing that the two communities and their leaders are symbols of hate, division and failed Leadership.

It remains to be verified how the generals, who have long history of defections and now sanctioned by the United States, European Unions and the United Nations Security Council, will restore, stabilize and reconcile the nation without involving the two major tribes and their leaders in the driving seats of Transitional Government of National Unity.