Paul Malong suffers new political blow as top allies split
The South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A) led by Gen Paul Malong Awan has lost six key men to a mushrooming splinter political outfit.
The City Review has established that SSUF/A leaders aligned to both the political and military wings changed allegiances , citing a lack of proper leadership.
Those who defected from the military included Maj Gen Emmanuel Kuol Makuer, DCOG for logistics, Chief of Operations, Brig Gen Emmanuel Majur Majak, Director for Military Intelligence, Commander for Special Operations, Akol Akol Pel, the SSUF/A Spokesperson.
Makoi Majak, the chairperson of SSUF/A Youth League, Maj Gabriel Maker Mathieth, SSUF/A Uganda chapter’s chair, and Angach Marial Diing, the Secretary in the office of SSUF/A Youth League, also defected from the political wing.
The group formed a new movement dubbed “South Sudan United Front/Army Proper (SSUF/AP),” claiming that they were detached from Malong’s movement because they would be nonviolent.
“We the undersigned have and, out of necessity, opted to part ways with the current leadership of Chairman Gen Paul Malong Awan Anei; and announce to you the formation of the South Sudan United Front/Army Proper (SSUF/AP) as our new umbrella,” the statement from the group read.
“The South Sudan United Front and Army Proper (SSUF/AP) therefore seek and affirm commitment to the nonviolent approach as an alternative to ending conflict in our Republic.”
They accused Malong’s movement of failing to address the problems faced by the refugees in refugee and IDP camps, which was the motive of the formation of the movement.
“The formation of the South Sudan United Front and Army (SSUF/A) emerged out of the need to address the real problems of our people.” It was a response to the wailing cry of our civil population in the refugee camps, internally displaced persons, and those affected by violence and the absence of rule of law,” the statement continued.
“You will bear witness that our movement, the South Sudan United Front and Army, failed to respond to these ills.”
They further claimed that SSUF/A lacked direction due to a lack of leadership.
“A chain is as strong as its weakest link”—our movement is besieged by a greater evil force than the one we had imagined to fight. “The evils of mismanagement, lack of direction, and pettiness point to the apparent lack of leadership at the movement’s top brass,” the statement added.
“It is our strong conviction that the prevailing circumstances of our revolution have fundamentally changed.” Protracted wars only exacerbate the suffering of our civilian population. It is our hope that the government of South Sudan will reciprocate this good will in kind.”
Defection deficiency
Since last year, Malong has been losing key men to the government with accusations that his movement lacked good leadership and direction.
In January, the official spokesperson and the ICT Secretary of South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A), Deng Chapath, resigned and joined the government.
He claimed he was not satisfied with the leadership style of Gen Malong, terming him as “nepotistic” and “treats people with utmost disrespect.”
“You treat people with the utmost disrespect. You are nepotistic in all your actions, and you offered little or no leadership and guidance from inception to this date. Through this resignation notice, I also convey my message to the public that I will brief them through different media platforms to share with them my discontentment and the way forward,” he stated in his resignation letter.
The SSUF/A Deputy Chief of Staff for Training and Research, Daniel Mach, regretted Chapath’s resignation, saying the position of “spokesperson in SSUF/Ais hot seat,” and that Chapath ‘‘had been bought by the government’’.
“This is the serious news. Our spokesperson was bought again by the government. Spokesperson in SSUF/A (is a) hot seat. No vacuum (left) actually, but it’s the target seat where the government buys people,” he stated.
