RSF mercenary commander detained by SPLA-IO in Unity state falls ill

JUBA – A senior mercenary South Sudanese commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) detained by the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) led by First Vice President Riek Machar in Unity State since May, has reportedly fallen ill, according to family and security sources.

Major-General Jibril Tap Gatjiek, who hails from Ngop Payam in Rubkona County, was arrested and subsequently detained by the SPLA-IO along 56 of his forces on May 26 while allegedly recruiting youth for the RSF in northern Unity State.

His detention followed claims that his forces had been severely weakened and “effectively finished” during clashes with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) after multiple deadly RSF attempts to take over control of the SAF’s 22^nd Infantry Division headquarters in Babanusa of West Kordofan State.

Family members have accused SPLA-IO authorities at Tong, a village just northwest of the state capital Bentiu where he is being kept, of mistreating Gatjiek in detention, stating that he has been tortured and denied medical treatment.

“He has been suffering and denied access to proper healthcare by the SPLA-IO,” a relative told Sudans Post.

However, SPLA-IO officials denied the allegations, stating that Gatjiek’s health condition was unrelated to any mistreatment.

They claim that the detained commander suffers from diabetes and has been relocated to improved accommodations under the directive of the SPLA-IO’s 4A Division Command.

In an exclusive interview with Sudans Post on Wednesday morning, SPLA-IO spokesman Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel dismissed claims of torture, emphasizing that Gatjiek’s detention aligns with the SPLA-IO’s commitment to peace and security in South Sudan.

The senior SPLA-IO officer stated that any complaints regarding Gatjiek’s treatment should come from the RSF, his mother organization, rather than his family.

“We know that this commander hail from South Sudan, that is one, but the fact that he is a fighter of the RSF, we expect the complaint to come from the RSF, not from the family. If the family wants him to be released to them, then he needs to disown the RSF first, and we use proper channel to release him to the family,” Gabriel said.

“But they cannot come and complain with baseless propaganda that this particular general is being, or this particular fighter of the RSF is being mistreated, being tortured,” he added.

Gabriel emphasized that the SPLA-IO does not condone torture. He attributed Gatjiek’s current health challenges to systemic issues within the SPLA-IO cantonment sites, which lack adequate medical facilities, food, and basic necessities that he also said affects their forces.

“If, because of medical issues, yes, the cantonment side also, we don’t have enough medical facilities. So, if he is sick, he gets treated at that level, but we don’t have information that he is very sick, that needs to be taken outside of the cantonment side, no,” he said.

Gabriel expressed concerns over Gatjiek’s potential release, warning that releasing him over to his family without guarantees that he will not return to the combat in Sudan could create misunderstandings with Sudanese authorities.

“If anything, he is supposed to be handed over to a neutral body, not even to the family, not directly because if we hand him over to the family [and decided to return to the RSF], what will the government of Sudan say? Because this is a fighter that has been mobilizing to fight the government of Sudan. So, if we hand him over to the family and decide to go back to RSF, what will it bring, what will happen between the SPLA-IO and the Sudan government?” he asked.

“They will think that we are supporting the RSF, and that is not going to be fair. Now, if he is also killed in the process, what will RSF think, that we are supporting Sudan against them? So we are not going to get involved in violence or the war of other people,” he said.

The SPLA-IO spokesman underscored the group’s stance of neutrality, asserting that South Sudanese nationals should not participate in conflicts outside the country and reiterated that Gatjiek’s own safety remains a priority and suggested that any future release should involve a neutral intermediary.

“Our job is to make sure that, okay, he stays safe, and we will find time when we get orders from the leadership, he will be released to a neutral body. By then, we will have already freed ourselves, SPLA-IO, from this complicated situation we are in,” he said.

The SPLA-IO’s position, Gabriel concluded, is to avoid exacerbating tensions in the region and ruled out meddling in the Sudanese affairs.