By Khartoum Monitor Staff Writer
The Governor of Western Bahr El-Ghazal State, Mark Nypoch has detained seven (7) top members of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Western Bahr El-Ghazal State who are predominately from Fertit Tribes and Dinka Marial Bai (Marial Wau).
On Monday 4th August 2008, Nypoch issued arrest warrants for the former government officials in the state who have been relived from their positions two weeks ago on allegation of "conspiracy" against him (Nypoch).
The detained officials are: Col. Rezek Zachariah Hassan [Keresh by tribe) and former Commissioner of Raja County, Lt. Col. Wol Madwang [Dinka Marial Bai) and former Commissioner of Jur River County, Brig. Gen. Wol Akeich [from Dinka Marial Bai] and former Economic Advisor to governor Nypoch, Mr. Baptist Sebit Francis [Golo by tribe] and former Minister of Information and Communications of the government of Western Bahr El-Ghazal State, Uncle Anthony Ubur(an elder from Balanda tribe) and former Minister of Agriculture during the time of governor Dr. Michael Mili Hussein, and his son, Mr. Luka Anthony Ubur [Balanda by tribe a teacher by profession] and Chairman of the SPLM Youth in Western Bahr El-Ghazal State who was fired by March Nypoch, and Mister Anyar Anyar[Dinka Marial Bai] and former Minister of infrastructures in Western Bahr El-Ghazal State and now a Lecturer at the University of Bahr El-Ghazal.
Speaking to Khartoum Monitor Newspaper by phone from Wau yesterday, Col. Rezik Zachariah said they have been apprehended due to the fact that o Sunday, 3rd August 2008, they paid a visit to Marial Bai and enlightened the local population on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in their capacity as SPLM officials, and upon their return, the governor ordered their arrest.
He said Nypoch also accused them of having forty (40) guns in their houses and when Nypoch's forces storm-searched their houses, there were no weapons found.
Col. Zachariah described what is happening in his state as "Nypoch's political tyranny", adding that Nypoch see them as "threats and adversaries" to him as long as they share one state and also as members of the SPLM as election time approaches in 2009.
The SPLM officials were arrested at 6:00 PM on Monday and are still in detention till now. When the news of the arrest of the seven SPLM officials reached Khartoum , some SPLM members from Western Bahr El-Ghazal State communicated with the First Vice President and President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), Let. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit and he (Kiir) ordered Nypoch to immediately release the detained SPLM officials (that very night), only that Nypoch did not "obey" Kiir's order, sources from Wau disclosed!
At the same time, sources from Wau divulged that when the news of the arrest of the SPLM officials reached different corners of Wau town late Monday evening, some disgruntled Dinka Marial Bai men and youth rushed to Nypoch's house in an attempt to revenge and also to the house of the SPLM Secretary General in the State, Mr. Kamil Wani [who was reported to have jumped over the fence] escaping death narrowly!
The same sources stated that, that phenomenon would have created another tribal conflict in Wau.
GoSS President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Tuesday sent his envoys from Khartoum and Juba to Wau to help rescue the situation. The State Minister at the Presidency, Joseph Lual Achuil and Kiir's Office Manager in Juba , Mr. Martin Madut arrived in Juab heading a high level delegation (which includes a brigadier from Sudan Security and National Intelligent) .
The committee headed by The State Minister at the Presidency, Joseph Lual Achuil met with the state government in Wau yesterday and the meeting ended at 2:30 PM and later met with the detained SPLM officials in detention centers and later the committee decided to release them.
Nypoch insisted that the detained officials be put under house arrest with police guarding them in their houses and insisted that the Wau police should be the one to investigate with them, but Achuil who leads the committee rejected and said his committee will investigate and take a report to GoSS President and SPLM Chairman, Salva Kiir in Juab—Sources in Wau disclosed.
It is also revealed that Kiir will summon Nypoch to Juba to explain why he arrested SPLM officials and vindicate his allegations.
On Monday 4th August 2008, Nypoch issued arrest warrants for the former government officials in the state who have been relived from their positions two weeks ago on allegation of "conspiracy" against him (Nypoch).
The detained officials are: Col. Rezek Zachariah Hassan [Keresh by tribe) and former Commissioner of Raja County, Lt. Col. Wol Madwang [Dinka Marial Bai) and former Commissioner of Jur River County, Brig. Gen. Wol Akeich [from Dinka Marial Bai] and former Economic Advisor to governor Nypoch, Mr. Baptist Sebit Francis [Golo by tribe] and former Minister of Information and Communications of the government of Western Bahr El-Ghazal State, Uncle Anthony Ubur(an elder from Balanda tribe) and former Minister of Agriculture during the time of governor Dr. Michael Mili Hussein, and his son, Mr. Luka Anthony Ubur [Balanda by tribe a teacher by profession] and Chairman of the SPLM Youth in Western Bahr El-Ghazal State who was fired by March Nypoch, and Mister Anyar Anyar[Dinka Marial Bai] and former Minister of infrastructures in Western Bahr El-Ghazal State and now a Lecturer at the University of Bahr El-Ghazal.
Speaking to Khartoum Monitor Newspaper by phone from Wau yesterday, Col. Rezik Zachariah said they have been apprehended due to the fact that o Sunday, 3rd August 2008, they paid a visit to Marial Bai and enlightened the local population on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in their capacity as SPLM officials, and upon their return, the governor ordered their arrest.
He said Nypoch also accused them of having forty (40) guns in their houses and when Nypoch's forces storm-searched their houses, there were no weapons found.
Col. Zachariah described what is happening in his state as "Nypoch's political tyranny", adding that Nypoch see them as "threats and adversaries" to him as long as they share one state and also as members of the SPLM as election time approaches in 2009.
The SPLM officials were arrested at 6:00 PM on Monday and are still in detention till now. When the news of the arrest of the seven SPLM officials reached Khartoum , some SPLM members from Western Bahr El-Ghazal State communicated with the First Vice President and President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), Let. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit and he (Kiir) ordered Nypoch to immediately release the detained SPLM officials (that very night), only that Nypoch did not "obey" Kiir's order, sources from Wau disclosed!
At the same time, sources from Wau divulged that when the news of the arrest of the SPLM officials reached different corners of Wau town late Monday evening, some disgruntled Dinka Marial Bai men and youth rushed to Nypoch's house in an attempt to revenge and also to the house of the SPLM Secretary General in the State, Mr. Kamil Wani [who was reported to have jumped over the fence] escaping death narrowly!
The same sources stated that, that phenomenon would have created another tribal conflict in Wau.
GoSS President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Tuesday sent his envoys from Khartoum and Juba to Wau to help rescue the situation. The State Minister at the Presidency, Joseph Lual Achuil and Kiir's Office Manager in Juba , Mr. Martin Madut arrived in Juab heading a high level delegation (which includes a brigadier from Sudan Security and National Intelligent) .
The committee headed by The State Minister at the Presidency, Joseph Lual Achuil met with the state government in Wau yesterday and the meeting ended at 2:30 PM and later met with the detained SPLM officials in detention centers and later the committee decided to release them.
Nypoch insisted that the detained officials be put under house arrest with police guarding them in their houses and insisted that the Wau police should be the one to investigate with them, but Achuil who leads the committee rejected and said his committee will investigate and take a report to GoSS President and SPLM Chairman, Salva Kiir in Juab—Sources in Wau disclosed.
It is also revealed that Kiir will summon Nypoch to Juba to explain why he arrested SPLM officials and vindicate his allegations.
1 comment:
This is a very interesting story! I was in Wau last year and from governor Nypoch's government formation, I knew that troubles will surface one day in W. Bahr el Ghazal State.
A quick look at ministers from gurtong website can proof a point... All the important ministries in the state including the seat of State's Assembly Speaker are occupied by Mr. Nypoch tribesmen.
Our experience should teach us a lesson that equitable power shareing in a multi ethnic state is the surest way to prevent discord among them like the one we are witnessing.
With that said, Wol Dhel and Wol Akech should not be the ones to complain now. They did not say anything to Mark Nypoch when they were serving under him as county commissioner and economic advisor respectively. The same applies to Anyar Anyar. Allowing these guys to spearhead the grievances of Dinka Marialbai will give governor Nypoch a ground to argue that there are no grievances and he can easily attribute these guys complain to the fact that he had fired them in the recent cabinet reshuffle. I really hope that the committee investigating this saga will concentrate in how power in the state is share among its ethnic groups and not on those who acknowledge the existence of grievances after they have been fired from their jobs.
Lastly, the alliance between fertit tribes and Dinka Marialbai seems unlikely, but in politics, everything is possible. I hope that those from Fertit tribes who are not tainted or who have never served in the government should join hands with those from Dinka Marialbai who have not done the same to demand their share from the government. Let see how things will unfold.
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