A top general in South Sudan whom the government claimed to have summoned to Juba to answer charges of mass recruitment of child soldiers has not arrived more than two weeks later and instead remains involved in coordinating offensive operations in Upper Nile State.
The army now says the general will address the charges “when he gets time.”
Forces led by SPLA Major-General Johnson Olony were identified by the child welfare agency UNICEF as responsible for the forced recruitment of at least 89 children in a recruitment drive in mid-February in Upper Nile State.
UNICEF announced it was sure at least 89 boys were taken but feared the actual number of child recruits could be in the hundreds. Human Rights Watch reported child abductions in the period before mid-February as well, including in the state capital Malakal.
The spokesman of the SPLA told Radio Tamazuj on Friday, “General Johnson Olony will come to the SPLA headquarters in order to brief the leadership on what happened in Wau Shilluk area. He is still in front lines, so when he gets time he will come at any time.”
“The investigations have already started since last week. SPLA Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Lt-Gen. Ajongo Mawut has summoned General Johnson Olony to come to SPLA headquarters in Juba,” said army spokesman Philip Aguer.
“This is the beginning of the investigation, afterward, there is going to be an ad hoc committee that will be sent to Malakal in cooperation with the UNICEF. The committee will be comprised of SPLA, UNICEF and any other UN agency working in the area of child protection,” he added.
Meanwhile, a local official tells Radio Tamazuj that they are demanding an apology from UNICEF for allegedly fabricating the charges of child recruitment.
Commissioner of Malakal County Mark Oken Bol claimed in a radio interview yesterday that UNICEF has already apologized to them in a meeting. He said they also want a written apology from UNICEF and for the organization to issue a retraction through local and international media.
Today military sources confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that Maj. General Johnson Olony was involved in coordinating an offensive operation that resulted in the successful capture of Wadakona, a small town in Manyo County.
Related:
SPLA-Juba admits initiating offensive to retake Wadakona from rebels (9 March)
South Sudan claims to have summoned general over child abductions (3 March)
Upper Nile govt restricts NGOs after mass child soldier recruitment (2 March)
Factbox: South Sudan’s General Johnson Olony (28 Feb.)