Kiir's faction welcomes ex-rebel spokesperson to Juba
Salva Kiir's SPLA-Juba faction held a welcoming ceremony for Lul Ruai Koang, the former military spokesperson for Riek Machar's SPLA-In Opposition, upon Lul's arrival in South Sudan's capital on Thursday.
Lul was one of the most outspoken proponents of using war to remove Kiir from power, but yesterday he announced his defection from the rebel side and the formation of a new faction of Lou Nuer called the South Sudan Resistance Movement/Army.
Lul landed at Juba International Airport from Nairobi, Kenya Thursday afternoon following negotiations with Greater Pibor chief administrator David Yau Yau. He was received by cabinet officials and driven off in a government-owned vehicle after speaking to press.
Malaak Ayuen, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, said the SPLA-Juba welcomes Lul to Juba and said that his side would work with the former rebel.
For his part, Lul said he was ready to cooperate with Kiir's government. “We are now an independent partner in search of peace, and government is going to be our partner in search of that peace," he told reporters.
Lul would not state how many people defected with him to his new Lou Nuer group. A SPLM-IO spokesperson said yesterday that mainstream Lou Nuer leaders have not recognized the group.
"Regarding the numbers of people defected, when the time comes, we will give you accurate parade at the relevant authority," Lul said, referring to a military parade.
Lul's defection to Juba is a drastic turnaround for the spokesperson. In his press releases as the rebel military spokesperson, Lul frequently referred to Kiir's soldiers as "genocidal forces" while using inflammatory and threatening rhetoric against the SPLA-Juba.
Lul went quiet for nearly three weeks before yesterday's announcement that he would step down as the rebel military spokesperson.
The silence followed publication of an investigative report by Radio Tamazuj that Lul had "authored numerous statements on conflict events that later proved to be unreliable," including false claims that rebel forces and revolting citizens captured Yei and Renk, both of which still remain in government hands.
The investigative report also stated that Lul Ruai "has no record of frontline command experience and became a 'general' without ever having led men in battle."
At the airport, Lul accused his former boss Machar of making "impossible demands" that were delaying peace talks and of not valuing the lives of his people. Lul hinted that he may use violence if his own demands for the Lou Nuer are not met.
"There are local issues need to be addressed especially in Greater Lour Nuer, and if these issues are not addressed, then the possibilities of us going back to war is very high," he said.
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