By William Madouk
South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) have broken their silence regarding the recent clashes in Nasir, Upper Nile State, asserting that the situation is a “politicized” conflict.
Returning to Juba from Malakal, Lt-Gen James Koang Chuol, Assistant Chief of Defence Forces for Operations, stated that their mission was to oversee the rotation of SSPDF contingent in Nasir, but not to disarm.
“We were instructed by the command in mid-February to replace our forces who had been in Nasir for a long time, some spent 8 or 10 years. And it was their right to be replaced,” he said.
“So, I left together with my colleague [Gen Olony] in order to see them off as they [new forces] go to Nasir,” he added.
Gen Chuol, who also serves as Assistant Chief of Defence Forces for Training, explained that before the forces embarked on their mission, the situation was already politicized, suggesting that the army was going to disarm civilians.
“Before the force could leave there is politics, the whole thing was politicized, that we are going to deploy these forces in Doma, Ulang, and Jokou. we tried our level best to correct it, through social media and other law enforcement agencies but we failed,” he explained.
“We are not politicians, we are soldiers and our primary mission was to relieve Nasir forces, this is what was given to us by our chief of defence forces as requested by command or general headquarters,” he continued.
Chuol indicated that the politicization was incited by a few politicians in Juba and South Sudanese in the diaspora.
From his part, Lt-Gen. Johnson Olony, Assistant Chief of Defence Forces for Disarmament clarified that the SSPDF forces were not going to disarm civilians or engage in confrontations with SPLM/A-IO forces in Nasir; their mission was solely to relieve the overstayed SSPDF forces.
“This politics started here in Juba. I don’t fear and I always say the truth – this whole thing starts with Dr. Riek Machar, the SPLM/A-IO,” he claimed.
“Those who fought are not the white army, where will the white army get RPG and PKM from? You know I have been an IO member and rejoined the government – so it is IO that fought with SSPDF in Nasir, they are not civilians,” Olony continued.
He dismissed allegations that he had gone back to the bush.
“There is a rumour that Johnson Olony has gone back to bush this is just a social media claim and it’s not true. We are soldiers, not a politician and South Sudan belongs to us all,” said.
“as you know I am the commander of disarmament, so, these are just fabrications and don’t listen to it,” he added.
In addition, SSPDF spokesperson Maj Gen Lul Ruai Koang stated that they were engaged in combat with the white army and Riek Machar’s forces, the SPLA-IO, in Nasir.
For instance, Ruai mentioned Col Tor Gile Thon, who was killed during the Nasir confrontation and was a commander of the white army, stating that he was an SPLA-IO officer.
“In 2019, he was selected by SPLA-IO to be part of the instructors that we trained, when we were preparing for the training of the Nasser unified forces we created unified training centres,” he said.
“All the instructors for unified training centres in great Upper Nile. The instructors were trained in Upper Nile capital Malakal, and Tor Gile Thon was Lieutenant colonel at the time,”
He continued: “And prior to him attacking Nasser, he was elected as the operation commander for the white army. Now, if SPLA-IO was not in agreement, they would have taken action against him.”