The SPLA general who defected with almost 40 soldiers last week in Northern Bahr el Ghazal has returned to the government side, reportedly after a serious disagreement within the group, some of whom are still in the bush.
Radio Tamazuj earlier reported that the defectors left from SPLA Division 3 headquarters at Wunyiik on 29 April.
In an interview today to update on the situation, the state deputy governor, Gen. Salva Chol Ayat, said that Brigadier Peter Gatbel decided to returned to Wunlang with some of the soldiers while leaving others in the bush.
He explained that seven of the defectors surrendered to the army at Wunlang and then held talks with the governor. They were asked to choose whether to go under UNMISS protection or to stay with the army.
They chose the latter, saying they wanted to remain in SPLA, according to the deputy governor.
He added, “Peter Gatbel is here inside the town in the hotel with his wives, he was suffering from diabetes but he is now feeling okay – you know after staying without eating for long it is bad for someone suffering from diabetes.”
Gatbel was accused by the Aweil East county commissioner of having been drunk and quarrelsome prior to his defection.
But the deputy governor now offered another explanation, saying that Gatbel feared for his life as tensions kept rising in the area.
“After hearing of fighting in Bentiu and some soldiers were brought to Aweil seriously wounded and most people in Aweil were expressing themselves with disappointing words [i.e. racial slurs], saying ‘We have Nuer fighting our brothers and other Nuer with us,’ and that was the reason they defected,” said the official.
Deputy Governor Salva Chol further noted that since the return of the defected general with his comrades, the state as a whole is stable.
Another source confirmed seeing Gatbel in a hotel with the seven other soldiers.
Radio Tamazuj tried to contact the general to ask why he had defected but he could not be reached due to poor mobile phone network coverage.
Close contacts are also reported between the government and the SPLA group that defected in Western Bahr al Ghazal. The governor of the state announced over Radio Tamazuj this morning, “We decided as a state to establish contact with them, to make communications with them,” adding they sent envoys to the group in Buseri as well as the one in Baggari and the one in Marial Ding.
File photo: Former Governor Paul Malong at SPLA Division 3 Headquarters, Wunyiik, December 2012 (Radio Tamazuj)
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