The Defection of Mr. Dau Aturjuong Has No Military Impact by Gordon Buay

Dear all,

I want to inform the people of South Sudan that the defection of Mr. Dau Aturjuong to Riek Machar has no practical impact on the ground. Everybody knows that Mr. Dau Aturjuong has a personal problem with General Paul Malong Awan. When the President appointed Gen. Paul Malong as the Chief-of-General-staff of the SPLA, he made a comment that he would rather "hang himself than to serve under Malong Awan". Instead to hang himself as he promised, he changed his mind and decided to join Riek Machar to stay in Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa

One does not need to be a rocket scientist to conclude that his defection has nothing to do with what he said at the Press Conference in Nairobi. He could have joined Riek Machar long time ago if he is motivated by what he termed as "fighting corruption". Mr. Dau Aturjuong became mad because of the appointment of Gen. Malong Awan as COGS. That is the reason why he joined the rebels and one has to look at his personal problem with Malong which started in 2010 election.

The so-called "politicians from Northern Bhar-el-Ghazal" who joined Riek Machar are individuals who were not appointed to the constitutional posts by President Kiir. Mr. Ayii Ayii Akol lobbied for three years to be appointed as a Minister in Juba but failed to get it. Because of that, he decided to join the rebels hoping that the power-sharing deal will give him a position.

I want the people of South Sudan to know that Mr. Dau Aturjuong and others who defected to the rebels have no influence in Northern Bhar-el-Ghazal. The citizens of Northern Bhar-el-Ghazal cannot follow individual opportunists who joined SPLM-Al-Qaeda led by Riek Machar because it is being supported by Khartoum regime.

No person from Aweil can support a rebellion that is being supported by the North. The Arab Messiriya who are fighting the people of Northern Bhar-el-Ghazal everyday to take Mile 14 are agents of Sudan government. If Mr. Dau Aturjuong joined Arab nomads and Sudan government to kill the people of Northern Bhar-el-Ghazal, he will fail. No one from Aweil will join an opportunist who joined Khartoum to kill his own people because of personal vendetta. Mr. Dau Aturjuong has no place in Northern Bhar-el-Ghazal and has erased his credibility by joining SPLM-Al-Qaeda.

I want to alert the media that the defection has no impact at all and will not change the balance of military power on the ground. Today on May, 30, 650 rebels, commanded by one Maj. General and a Colonel defected to the government of South Sudan. Mr. Dau Aturjuong defected to Riek Machar without a single soldier. His three wives disowned him and will call a Press Conference very soon in Nairobi to declare their allegiance to the constitution of South Sudan.

Gen.