Last week, President Kiir ordered local authorities in Warrap State to expel prominent Nuer spiritual leader as well as Nuer youths from the area in a bid to quell escalating violence between Twic Mayardit and Ngok Dinka communities.
The directive also demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities between the two communities and deployment of neutral security forces to conflict-affected areas.
In a statement issued today, February 2, 2024, SSPM/A leader Gen. Stephen Buay Rolnyang described Machiek as a spiritual leader, who attracts many followers and crowds and owns a large cattle camp because of his spiritual guidance and manifestation.
“His [Machiek] cattle camp came under attack on the 3 May 2021 by the security forces under the direct command of the late commissioner of Mayom County Chuol Gatluak brother of Tut Kew Gatluak, the national security advisor to single out and disarm the armed youth of spiritual leader Gai Machiek’s cattle camp for intimidation and dubious reasons,” partly reads SSPM/A’s statement.
It said when inter-communal violence broke out between Twic and Abyei, Machiek became the subject of discussion in the conflict with authorities in Abyei Administrative Area accusing the spiritual leader of having links with SSPM/A.
The rebel group, described as “baseless” accusations labelled against Machiek.
“The authorities of Unity State and Mayom County are not happy with the presence of Gai Machiek in Warrap State and labelled his presence in Twic as a state security threat and a challenge to the administration of the unity state government to be seen as a total failure of the governor’s administration,” it said.
The group further claimed the spiritual leader was being framed because he remains a threat to all newly-appointed governors of South Sudan’s Warrap state.
According to SSPM/A, the decree issued by the South Sudanese leader was not meant to resolve the conflict between the Twic and Abyei Administrative Area.
“The conflict between Twic and Abyei can be resolved without Gai Machiek being a victim because he is not the one who caused the conflict between Twic and Abyei communities,” further reads SSPM/A’s statement.
The group said Kiir should have instead formed a committee comprising of members from Warrap and Unity state governments to investigate the root causes of Machiek’s migration to Warrap before issuing last week’s expulsion directive.
“Considering the above explanation, the President’s decree issued on the pretext of resolving the conflict between Twic and Abyei is only meant to punish and return Gai Machiek to the Unity state and not to resolve the Twic-Abyei conflict,” the group noted in the statement extended to Sudans Post.
In recent months, tensions have flared in Abyei Administrative Area where local authorities have accused the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSDPF), Nuer youth belonging to Machiek and Twic Mayardit youth of launching attacks.
