Tiger battalion commander wanted on child sex abuse charges

JUBA – A senior South Sudan army commander is wanted by a Juba court on charges related to child sexual assault cases, sources with direct knowledge told Sudans Post in separate phone calls on Saturday.

The army’s presidential guards battalion commander Major-General Lual Wek Guem is being accused by a man of abusing his 14-year-old daughter in August last year.

The small girl (name withheld) initially approached General Guem who is better known as Lual Maroldit, for school fees after being threatened with expulsion from school and the South Sudanese army commander paid him 10,000 South Sudanese pound and then asked her to meet him at a hotel, according to a source, then defiled her.

According to the sources who spoke to Sudans Post, the teenager went home and had to be rushed to a private hospital where she was put on medication for one week. Arrest documents seen by Sudans Post also reveals that the commander is wanted for sexually abusing an under age girl.

The family then approached a court in Juba where an arrest warrant was issued against the powerful commander.

Other sources who spoke to Sudans Post also said the unlawful practice was not the first time from the commander. It is widely alleged that the army commander was involved in similar practices between 2017 and 2018 in which he had to settle some cases with families of the victims.

General Lual is the current Tiger division commander who was appointed by President Salva Kiir Mayardit to replace General Marial Chinuong in 2017.