Riek Machar's rebels Did NOT Capture Mayom

Dear all,

I want to inform the public and the media that the claims of Riek Machar's tribal rebels that they captured Mayom are not true. The rebels attacked Mayom today on April, 21st, but were repulsed. The SPLA squeezed the rebels in their attempt to capture Mayom and defeated them towards the east. The tribal rebels retreated to Manga village.

It is important to know that the rebels abandoned Bentiu town and retreated to the suburbs because of the advancement of SPLA forces from the southern part Bentiu towards the north. The SPLA did not enter into the town because the rebels planted thousands of landmines. The SPLA is waiting for engineers to clear the minds before entering into the town by Thursday.

The international community should condemn Riek Machar's rebels for planting landmines in a town like Bentiu. It is a violation of Landmines Treaty for the rebels to plant thousands of landmines in a town inhabited by civilians. It is now clear that Riek Machar's rebels have no political vision and the only thing they are fighting for is to destroy South Sudan. Their activities should be deemed as terrorism by the international community.

The government of South Sudan calls upon the UNMISS to condemn the rebels for planting landmines. Apart from ethnic cleansing committed by the rebels in Bentiu town by targeting Darfur civilians and Bul Nuer, the rebels raped women as young as ten years old girls because they happened to come from Bul. Those human rights abuses should be condemned by the UNMISS.

Gen. Gordon Buay