Mathok urges Kiir to hold brakes on ‘extra’ coup reports
A former presidential advisor has appealed to President Salva Kiir to freeze further reports on the alleged coup attempts of 2013 and 2016, to stop the country from sliding into war.
Salva Mathok Gengdit who is currently a member of the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) argued that the further release of such reports would escalate tensions across the country.
Gen. Mathok argued that some citizens had already crossed borders into refugee camps for their safety and their children.
He cautioned that the withdrawal of SPLM/A-IO from security mechanism meetings might cause panic and lead to war, which the country cannot afford to have.
“SPLM/A-IO suspended their cooperation on security arrangements, which is alarming. This can lead to another war and this country does not deserve another confusion or unnecessary war,” he added.
Revoke order
He also appealed to the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, to revoke his order for the withdrawal of the members of his movement from the security mechanism meetings and cooperate with President Kiir so that they address the matter amicably.
“I hereby call upon, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, to call off his suspension in security arrangements since he made his concerns known publicly,” Gen Mathok advised.
“I also advise President Salva Kiir Mayardit that you had implemented 3/4 of the R-ARCSS. Your relationship is to cooperate and implement the other parts left for the agreement,’’ he said.
‘‘This requires commitment as a must to cooperate with First Vice President Dr Riek Machar Teny and the leaders of the other parties to implement the peace agreement to push us towards elections. Without trust among yourselves or not willing to cooperate, nothing will go forward in this nation, “he added.
Vetting needed
However, the lawmaker called for the screening of NGOs working in the country, claiming that most NGOs are involved in politics and circulate biased and misleading reports on political and security issues.
“They also invaded taxes by bringing in goods for projects [to be implemented] and later ended up in the markets,” Gen. Mathok continued.
The declassified report
On Monday, President Kiir called for the release of all the documents and audio intercepts related to killings in 2013 and 2016 so that those who were involved could be exposed.
On Tuesday, Steven Kay QC and his team at 9BR Chambers, London, UK, released a report accusing 12 senior politicians, including the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, of initiating the 2013 and 2016 alleged coups which slipped the country into war.
It attributed the root causes of the 2013 war which grew into the 2016 war, to the removal of Dr Riek Machar from his position as the First Vice President in July 2013, and his continued criticism and desire to replace Kiir in a planned presidential election in 2015.
Report not balanced
But on Wednesday, the Deputy Chairman of the SPLM/A-IO and the First Deputy Speaker of R-TNLA told The City Review in an exclusive interview that the report about the coups was concocted, baseless as it did not reveal government officials, SPLA and national security officers accused of committing atrocities in Juba and other areas across the country.
“The telephone interception, which the National Security claims to be attributed to my Chairman Dr Riek Machar and other citizens, we do not believe in it. It is cooked, concocted and has no basis. So, the report is baseless and unfounded,” Oyet stated.
