General Buay urges soldiers to ‘abandon regime’ as country marks army day

JUBA – Former South Sudan army general and opposition commander General Stephen Buay Rolnyang is urging members of the country’s army to leave the regime in Juba and join the regime-change war against the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

General Buay who was removed from the army in 2019 made the call in a statement marking the SPLA day on Sunday.

“But now look at the horrible conditions you are in, you look very miserable in torn uniform without a pair of boot, no good accommodation for your beloved families, your children are not going to school, no medical insurance for you and your families, no proper barracks for the forces and the worst part of all you have no new weapons to fight the enemy,” he said.

“What you are carrying is a dysfunctional and outdated old AKM rifles whose ranges cannot reach 100 metres. It is not effective anymore, it is useful only at the cattle camps. You need new equipment to discharge your duties diligently. You look like militia – army,” he added.

The senior opposition commander continued: “You have been neglected all along and only forces of national security services are the ones being treated better than you are.”

“They have new armoured vehicles, new weapons, new uniform and they are paid monthly. They cannot miss one month without being paid. They are paid high. One soldier of National security receives 5,000 only five thousand SSP, which is the salary of a brigadier general in the army.

“While from the rank of Major General downwards in the army walks to work places on foot, motor cycles and public transport. They have to remove their insignia and put them in their pockets for the sake of shame. Is it the country you have fought for? I saw one of our soldiers begging people on the street.

“Comrades, you will all die poor and your children will have no future. Children of Tut Gatluak will be the one to rule your children. The regime thinks you are machines that cannot eat and cannot need anything.

“The vision of the SPLA died with Dr. John Garang our best commander in chief ever. I urge all of you to abandon the regime and better to return to the bush and reset South Sudan from scratch.”