South Sudan rebels deny control over ‘white army’

A spokesperson for the forces loyal to the former vice president of South Sudan Riek Machar says they have no control over the so-called ‘white army’ of thousands of young Nuer men in Jonglei State.

A spokesperson for the forces loyal to the former vice president of South Sudan Riek Machar says they have no control over the so-called ‘white army’ of thousands of young Nuer men in Jonglei State.

“We are not controlling the white army. We are controlling our forces, Division 8, the SPLA that’s whom we know,” said Moses Ruai spokesman of the new interim government in Bentiu that has declared loyalty to Machar.

“If the white army have reacted to what happened to those civilians, that is up to them. The killing that happened in Juba angered everybody. So if they are reacting on their own, these are not our forces… we are coordinating but if they are civilians who took up arms, twe cannot command them,” he said.

Ruai was referring to reports that hundreds of civilians from the Nuer tribe as well as defectors from the presidential guards were killed in clashes on 15-17 January in Juba, the national capital.

The white army takes its name from the white ash that fighters use to keep away flies and insects. The group is not an army per se but a loose coalition of cattle guards and militiamen from various areas. Many of the troops are drawn from the Lou Nuer and Gaweir Nuer tribes.

The spokesperson said he was not sure where the white army troops were heading for. According to the South Sudanese Minister of Information yesterday, the group intended to target Bor and the surrounding villages.

Michael Makuei, the government spokesperson, claimed that the armed Nuer civilians were organized from Uror County in Jonglei State. Today the Information Minister provided an update saying that Nuer community leaders had persuaded some of the troops to return home. UN aerial surveillance had last sighted the group at Gadiang about 50km northeast of Bor.

Demand to release politicians

Moses Ruai also reiterated today that Riek Machar is not willing to negotiate on a ceasefire unless the remaining high-level detainees out of the 11 arrested more than a week ago are released. He mentioned in particular the former secretary general of the SPLM, Pag’an Amum.

Several more are to be released soon, according to Vice President James Wani Igga. He said on Sunday at a press conference that “A few of the political detainees are charged on other criminal charges not related to the coup attempt. Eventually we will announce that a good number will be released very soon.”

President Kiir’s spokesperson told Radio Tamazuj on Saturday that those who might face criminal charges are Pag’an Amum and Kosti Manibe, the previous Minister of Finance.

Amum has not faced criminal charges yet, but he is under internal party investigation and he was accused of stealing or misallocating funds from the party. Deng Alor also faces corruption charges.

Sub-committees for crisis cabinet

The vice president now chairs a Crisis Management Committee with terms of reference set by the president.

There are six sub-committees including (1) Coordination, (2) Humanitarian Affairs, (3) Defence and Security, (4) Economy and Finance, (5) Diplomatic and Foreign affairs, (6) Domestic Awareness Creation.

Igga’s crisis cabinet includes many of the top leaders of the country, and its status in relation to the formal council of ministers is not entirely clear.

Related: Video taken by UN soldiers shows ‘white army’ troops marching in Manyabol area, Jonglei, after a raid in July 2013

Photo: Riek Machar, then Vice President of South Sudan, addressing Lou Nuer youth in Likuangole, Jonglei, 28 December 2011 (Sudan Tribune)