SPLM-IO minister beaten in Northern Bahr el Ghazal

JUBA – A senior state government official in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and member of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has been beaten by bodyguards of the Aweil Center County Commissioner, according to a statement extended to Sudans Post.

Dut Majokdit, the Chairperson of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) said the attack on the minister of youth and sports Bol Akuar Gamar took place on Wednesday evening just outside Aweil while the minister and a team were heading to Aweil Centre County for a visit.

Majokdit who is a close ally of First Vice President Machar said those attacked alongside the minister include opposition chief whip in the state parliament, Deng Nyiwel Dhieu, and members of the state parliament Bol Lual Unguec and Achol Benwal, and condemned the attack as a violation of the revitalized peace agreement.

“The premeditated attacks by Hon. Peter Natalie, commissioner for Aweil Centre County against Hon. Bol Akuar Gamar, State Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Deng Nyiwel Dhieu, Minority Chief Whip in State Parliament, Hon. Bol Lual Unguec and Achol Benwal, Members of the State Assembly is the total violation of the Peace Agreement and is threats to the peaceful coexistence of the People of Northern Bhar El Ghazel State,” Majokdit said.

“The attack took place at against the constitutional post-holders at Kum check point happened without provocation after their return from Aweil Centre. He stopped them at the check point with his bodyguards and he opened the door of the vehicle that was used by the honorable minister aggressively and with emotions he slapped the minister,” he added.

The senior SPLM-IO official said attacks on opposition figures has been rampant for the last two years amid crippling political space, and called on the Joint Defense Board (JDB) to immediately deploy the recently graduated unified forces to give protection to VIPs who are in areas where their security is compromised to implement the peace agreement.

“These attacks have been the business for the last two years in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, especially in Aweil, and the intention is to sabotage and jeopardize the implementation process of the revitalized peace agreement,” he said.

“The JDB must deploy the recent unified forces to the states to safeguard the peace agreement and protect the political leaders given the fact that, the current security organs in the country are working as the paramilitary forces and are heavily under influence of the political directives affiliated to the ITGONU,” he stressed.

The senior opposition official further said the group has been committed to implementation process of the peace agreement for the last two years, but peace partners such as the SPLM-IG has not been willing to implement the agreement so far.

“We have been working closely with our partners in the state to implement the peace agreement for the last two years since the formation of the state government in Northern Bhar El Ghazal, but unfortunately our comrades and the political leaders that are representatives of the SPLM (IO) have been humiliated otherwise there is lack of political space in Northern Bhar El Ghazal State,” he said.

“Therefore, the SPLM (IO) would like to take this opportunity to condemn the assault and intimidation of the opposition officials in Northern Bhar El Ghazal State in the strongest terms possible and call for the government to investigate this incident and bring those who are involved to book to avoid similar occurrence in the future,” he said.