Juba Apirl 14. 2023 Thejubamirror News In statement obtained by Thejubamirror News Desk read today I had a very friendly conversation with the Abyei intellectuals on Whatsapp contact and I reaffirmed to them that the SSPM/A is not the enemy of the Abyei people.
The people of Abyei and Twic are our people, and we condemn in the strongest terms possible the ongoing Abyei -Twic inter-communal violence and we urge the two sides to cease hostilities immediately.
Furthermore, they asked me about the relationship between the spiritual leader Gai Machiek Ruathdheal and the SSPM/A. I told them Spiritual leader Gai Machiek is not a member of the SSPM/A, he is a spiritual leader from Bieh Payam, Mayom County who took refuge in Ajak-Kuac Payam, Twic County, Warrap state with the population of Bieh Payam when his cattle camp was attacked by Mayom late commissioner Major General James Chuol Gatluak, brother to Tut Keaw Gatluak on 3/5/2021, in an attempt to target and disarm the armed youth of the cattle camp for clannish reasons and other sectional politics.
The armed youth refused to lay down their arms and the commissioner attacked the cattle camp in person with his own militias killing 10 innocent civilians at the cattle camp, and as a result, the Spiritual leader Gai Machiek crossed the border to Ajak-Kuac, Twic county with whole the cattle camp, children and families and took refuge in Ajak-Kuac, Twic County and they were received and welcomed by Ajak-Kuac traditional leaders and accepted them as new settlers on humanitarian grounds.
When Twic -Abyei inter-communal violence erupted, the Abyei Administrative area accused Spiritual Leader Gai Machiek and his people of being the SSPA soldiers supporting Twic, which I categorically denied. We have no forces present in Twic County and no rebel forces can move around with cattle camps, goats, dogs, families, and children, and settle in the government-controlled area while fighting the same government in the other government-controlled area.
When the late commissioner attacked the hideout of the SSPA on 21/7/2022 in Bong area, Mayom county which provoked the SSPA to attack Mayom town on 22/7/2022, the militia forces under Major General Makal Kuol Deng went and attacked the people of Bieh Payam and slaughtered them indiscriminately killing 30 people which sparked the second wave of the population of Bieh Payam to flee for their lives to Ajak -Kuac, Payam, Twic county, Warrap state, and the government has not even embarked on the investigation for the killing of 30 innocent civilians in Bieh Payam and the reason why spiritual leader Gai Machiek escaped to Twic, Warrap state.
I want to assure the people of Abyei that the SSPA will never be involved in any sectional or communal fight between the two communities, and we reiterate our call for the two sides to cease hostilities immediately for the sake of peace, harmony and to repair beautiful social fabric that used to be between Abyei and Twic communities that have been devastated by this senseless war.
I thank you all and May God Bless the two communities. Gen. Stephen Buay Rolnyang is always seek opportunities for peace unity and harmony among people of South Sudan.
