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George Athor's rebellion

George Athor's rebellion
Part of the factional violence in South Sudan

Map showing insurgencies in northeastern South Sudan from 2010 to 2011. Areas affected by George Athor's rebellion in red.
Date30 April 2010 – 19 December 2011
(1 year, 7 months, 2 weeks and 5 days)
Location
Northeastern South Sudan (part of Sudan's Southern Sudan Autonomous Region until July 2011)
Result

South Sudanese government victory

  • Death of George Athor
  • Many rebel areas retaken by government forces
  • Athor's forces largely surrender in February 2012
Belligerents
South Sudan Democratic Movement (SSDM)
Gabriel Tanginye's militia
Supported by:
 Sudan
 Eritrea (alleged)
EUPF (alleged)
 South Sudan (Southern Sudan Autonomous Region until July 2011)
Commanders and leaders
George Athor 
Gabriel Tanginye 
Abraham Thiong Ajang[1]
Units involved

SSDM/A

  • George Athor's private army
  • Various tribal militias (loosely)
Gabriel Tanginye's militia
Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA)
South Sudan Police Service
Wildlife wardens
Strength
2,000–Thousands[2] Unclear
Casualties and losses
At least hundreds killed[3]

George Athor's rebellion[4][5] was an uprising in the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region (later the independent South Sudan) which lasted from April 2010 to December 2011. Organized by South Sudanese military commander and politician George Athor, the conflict mainly took place in the states of Upper Nile and Jonglei as well as some border areas.

The rebellion was launched by Athor when he was defeated in the 2010 South Sudanese general election, rejecting the results and using his private army to battle the government. He eventually organized the South Sudan Democratic Movement (SSDM), an alliance of various rebel leaders, though the insurgents' actual cooperation remained very limited and Athor continued to wage his insurgency largely on his own. Over the course of the conflict, Athor rejected a number of deals offered by the government, and a ceasefire agreement reached in January 2011 quickly fell apart. The rebel leader was ultimately killed by security forces in December 2011.

Background edit

 
Southern Sudan Autonomous Region, part of Sudan until July 2011

From 1983 to 2005, Sudan was affected by a civil war.[6] George Athor, a member of the Padeng sub-clan of the Dinka people,[7] joined the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) at the conflict's start, serving at various fronts and rising in the ranks over the years. In 2005, the Sudanese government and some rebel groups, including the SPLA, signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.[8] This resulted in South Sudan being granted autonomy as the "Southern Sudan Autonomous Region", with the SPLM –the SPLA's political wing– forming the first government of Southern Sudan. The SPLA was reorganized as a regional military, and began to absorb the various other regional militias and rebel factions. An independence referendum was prepared in the south.[9] Athor was subsequently posted to Upper Nile, where he was involved in various factional clashes and gradually promoted until becoming lieutenant general, 8th Division commander in Jonglei, and SPLA deputy chief of staff for political and moral orientation.[8][7] Athor had a substantial base of support in Jonglei, particularly at Khorfulus County, and within the military. He had reportedly grown wealthy thanks to corruption, and amassed a large amount of additional weaponry for his private army. These extra guns included many confiscated by the SPLA during the disarmament of the Lou Nuer in which Athor had been involved.[8]

For the 2010 South Sudanese general election, Athor resigned from his SPLA position and ran as an independent candidate for the Jonglei governorship.[7] The SPLM disapproved of this move, and backed incumbent governor Kuol Manyang Juuk instead.[7] Athor lost, and –like many other unsuccessful candidates of the election– revolted.[10] At the start of their uprising, Athor's forces were considered the most powerful insurgent group in Southern Sudan.[10] His loyalists included elements of the SPLA's 3rd and 8th Divisions.[7] In addition, Lou and Jikany Nuer youths rallied to his uprising, mostly to gain access to weapons for their own tribal conflicts against the Murle people.[11]

Rebellion edit

Early uprising edit

When Athor's defeat in the election was announced, his forces attacked a SPLA base at Doleib Hill, southwest of the Upper Nile state capital Malakal, on 30 April 2010.[4] This assault resulted in eight deaths.[10] At first, Athor denied that he or his followers were responsible for the Doleib Hill attack, while also claimining that the SPLM had rigged the Jonglei election and harassed his supporters, demanding that Kuol Manyang step down as governor. The South Sudanese government dismissed his accusations and demands.[12] Athor's followers subsequently began to repeatedly clash with government forces in Jonglei.[10] As a skilled commander, Athor quickly gained ground, capturing large parts of Jonglei.[7] He announced the formation of a rebel alliance, the "South Sudan Democratic Movement" (SSDM) with an armed wing called "South Sudan Army" (SSA),[4][11] and insisted that he was fighting for military and government reforms.[11]

Over time, Athor was able to attract other dissident commanders to his SSDM/A alliance, including Bapiny Monituel in Mayom County,[13] John Uliny and Alyuak Ogot in Upper Nile,[14] Gatluak Gai in Unity State,[14] David Yau Yau in Pibor County.[15][14] Despite these alignments, the different rebel leaders did little to unite or coordinate their uprisings; most were unwilling to accept anyone but themselves as chief commander.[16] As many of the other rebellions were at least partially driven by ethnic loyalties, Athor also struggled to gain support as he was a Dinka like many members of the government. In addition, his main area of operations was relatively isolated from other insurgent areas.[17] Athor's efforts to create a united rebel force thus failed, and he continued to wage a rebellion largely separate from other SSDM/A members.[16][17] He also enlargened his private army by arming supportive civilians.[11] By September, he was suspected of hiding near the Ethiopian border.[8] In the next month, Athor's rebels were accused by the SPLA of being responsible of an ambush in Unity State, killing 23 soldiers and policemen.[18]

In October 2010, the government and Athor's force began negotiations.[10] In the same month, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit granted amnesties to several rebel leaders, including Athor, Gatluak Gai, and Gabriel Tanginye.[19] However, the talks soon stalled. In response, Kiir organized a direct meeting of government delegation and Athor at an undisclosed location in late December, but the rebel leader did not attend the meeting. Meanwhile, his followers clashed with the SPLA in Pigi County, with up to 20 soldiers killed according to SPLA sources.[10] Athor's refusal to accept a deal reportedly frustrated his allies in the SPLA.[10]

Post-2011 South Sudanese independence referendum edit

 
Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) fighters in 2009

Just before the South Sudanese independence referendum, however, the government was able to reach an agreement with Athor. On 5 January 2011, a ceasefire was signed by representatives of both sides in Juba, overseen by South Sudanese Vice-president Riek Machar. Even though the agreement included a timetable for the reintegration of Athor's force into the SPLA, it did not solve all issues. One key point of contention was the rank which would be granted to Athor upon his return to the SPLA. Members of the military were dissatisfied with the ceasefire's terms and blocked Athor when he attempted to travel to Juba, and though the ceasefire held during the independence referendum from 9 to 15 January, fighting resumed afterward.[10][20]

Heavy clashes between the SSDM/A and the SPLA took place in Fangak County on 9–10 February.[10] Both sides blamed each other for the clashes. Athor claimed that the government army had attacked his contingents at Dor, Koliet, and Kolnyang in Fangak, places where his rebels has assembled to wait for their integration into the military. According to Athor, his forces had "pursued" the SPLA attackers after repelling the initial attack, resulting in a battle at the county headquarters of New Fangak. In contrast, the SPLA claimed that the insurgents had struck first by assaulting Dor and Fangak, killing policemen, prison guards, wildlife wardens, and civilians as well as temporarily capturing New Fangak. According to this version of events, the SPLA had counter-attacked to retake the seized areas. Local officials reported that the fighting led to at least 200 deaths and 400 people being wounded.[8]

Later, clashes also took place at Diel (near Dor) and Atar (50 km southeast of Malakal).[8] Another regional dissident commander, Gabriel Tanginye, reportedly allied with Athor around this time; his forces subsequently began to clash with the SPLA in Fangak County.[21] On 27 February, heavy fighting erupted at three locations in Fangak; three weeks later, the SPLA overran Athor's hideout in Pigi County. The rebels subsequently retreated toward the Ethiopian border. On 7 March, another battle took place in Pigi County; the result of this clash was disputed: Athor claimed that the SSDM/A had captured several SPLA tanks, while the SPLA claimed that it had captured several rebel bases in the area.[20] In April 2011, Gabriel Tanginye and his militia surrendered to the SPLA; he was subsequently placed under house arrest in Juba.[22] In the next month, Athor armed 1,000 Gawaar Nuer and Padeng Dinka youths for their own conflict with the Murle; in return, the militants promised to aid his operations. Ultimately, the youths renegaded on the deal.[23] In June and July, SSDM/A commanders Gai and Yau Yau signed their own agreements with the government.[14]

In September and October, there were clashes between Athor's followers and the SPLA in Ayod County.[11] Athor's attempts to bolster his forces during this fighting by enlisting local youths again failed, as the new recruits instead retreated with their guns.[23] By November 2011, Athor's forces had been largely dislodged from northern Jonglei, though they still maintained some presence in the counties of Ayod, Fangak, Pigi and possibly Akobo.[21] His influence in Akobo had greatly declined, however, as many Luo Nuer militants had split from his forces in order to protect their homes from attacks by Murle militias.[11] Despite these setbacks, Athor remained adamant regarding his demands for any deal with the South Sudanese government, conditioning an end of the uprising on "new elections, the release of political detainees, and the selection of a third party to enforce any future peace agreement with the government". As these conditions were not met, negotiations between his forces and the government made no progress.[24]

On 19 December 2011, Athor was killed by the SPLA,[25] reportedly when he attempted to enter South Sudan's Central Equatoria from Uganda[14][26] or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[2] According to Vice President Machar, Athor had attempted to recruit new members for the SSDM/A in the region, but SPLA border guards had encountered the rebel leader's group in Morobo County, opened fire, and killed him and one other insurgent. The South Sudanese government stated that it had not intended to kill Athor, whereas the SSDM/A accused Kiir's government of having previously attempted to assassinate the rebel leader.[26]

Role of foreign forces edit

Despite the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005, the Sudanese government continued to covertly support and supply several militias which were opposed to the government of the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region and later independent South Sudan, thereby encouraging a number of rebellions in the south.[15] The South Sudanese government thus quickly began accusing Athor of being supported by the Sudanese government, a claim initially described as lacking independent evidence and unlikely by Small Arms Survey researchers.[27] However, evidence of Sudanese support in the form of new weapons captured from Athor's rebels were surfacing over the course of the rebellion.[15] It was eventually confirmed that Athor had been in frequent contact with the Sudanese government which had smuggled arms to him; in one incident, a Sudan Airways helicopter had been used for this purpose.[28] Despite this support, Sudan Tribune journalist Steve Paterno argued that the Sudanese government had also not been interested in allowing Athor to create a functioning rebel alliance, as several smaller rebel groups were easier to manipulate. Paterno identified this as one of the reasons for the SDDM/A's failure.[17]

In addition, Athor travelled to Eritrea at least three times in 2010 and 2011;[28] it is possible that the Eritrean government subsequently began to also supply him.[15][28] There were also unverified claims about Athor being supplied with weaponry by the Ethiopian Unity Patriots Front (EUPF) during his rebellion.[29]

Aftermath edit

Athor was succeeded by Peter Kuol Chol Awan as the leader of the SSDM/A; Awan and 1,800 of his fighters surrendered to the SPLA in February 2012.[25] Some SSDM/A factions, like Uliny's and a minority of Athor's former followers, continued their resistance,[25][14] and others –such as Yau Yau's– later resumed their rebellions.[14] Factional and ethnic violence as well as warlord rebellions continued to affect South Sudan.[30] Politically unstable, the country descended into another civil war in late 2013.[31]

References edit

  1. ^ "SPLA commander killed by his bodyguard in Malakal". Radio Tamazuj. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b "South Sudan forces say kill rebel leader George Athor". Reuters. 20 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  3. ^ "South Sudan rebel George Athor 'killed'". BBC. 20 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Small Arms Survey 2011b, p. 1.
  5. ^ LeBrun 2013, p. 1.
  6. ^ Martell 2018, pp. x, 102–114.
  7. ^ a b c d e f LeBrun 2011, p. 5.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Small Arms Survey 2011a, p. 2.
  9. ^ Martell 2018, pp. 157–159, 187–188.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Small Arms Survey 2011a, p. 1.
  11. ^ a b c d e f LeBrun 2011, p. 6.
  12. ^ James Butty (3 May 2010). "South Sudan Official Denies Split in SPLM Ranks Following Attack on Military Base". VOA. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  13. ^ Small Arms Survey 2011b, pp. 2–3.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g LeBrun 2013, p. 3.
  15. ^ a b c d LeBrun 2011, p. 8.
  16. ^ a b LeBrun 2011, pp. 8–9.
  17. ^ a b c Steve Paterno (22 December 2011). "Demise of George Athor huge blow to South Sudan rebellion". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  18. ^ "23 Dead in South Sudan Ambush". VOA. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  19. ^ Michael Onyiego (6 October 2010). "Southern Rebels Granted Pardons as Security Council Tours Sudan". VOA. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  20. ^ a b Small Arms Survey 2011b, p. 2.
  21. ^ a b LeBrun 2011, p. 2.
  22. ^ LeBrun 2011, pp. 2, 9.
  23. ^ a b LeBrun 2012, p. 9.
  24. ^ "South Sudan Rebel Says Peace Talks Failed, Violence Likely". VOA. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  25. ^ a b c LeBrun 2012, p. 5.
  26. ^ a b Hannah McNeish (19 December 2010). "Top Rebel Leader in South Sudan Killed". VOA. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  27. ^ Small Arms Survey 2011a, pp. 2–3.
  28. ^ a b c LeBrun 2012, p. 6.
  29. ^ LeBrun 2012, p. 7.
  30. ^ Martell 2018, pp. 187–189.
  31. ^ Martell 2018, pp. 187–189, 207.

Works cited edit

  • LeBrun, Emile, ed. (November 2011). "Fighting for Spoils: Armed Insurgencies in Greater Upper Nile" (PDF). Sudan Issue Brief (18).
  • LeBrun, Emile, ed. (April 2012). "Reaching for the gun. Arms flows and holdings in South Sudan" (PDF). Sudan Issue Brief (19).
  • LeBrun, Emile, ed. (November 2013). "Pendulum Swings: The Rise and Fall of Insurgent Militias in South Sudan" (PDF). Sudan Issue Brief (22).
  • Martell, Peter (2018). First Raise a Flag. London: Hurst & Company. ISBN 978-1849049597.
  • "Sudan: George Athor Rebellion, Jonglei State, Updated February 2011" (PDF). Sudan Human Security Baseline Assessment. Geneva: Small Arms Survey. 21 February 2011.
  • "Sudan: George Athor's Rebellion, Jonglei State, Updated April 2011" (PDF). Sudan Human Security Baseline Assessment. Geneva: Small Arms Survey. 27 April 2011.

george, athor, rebellion, part, factional, violence, south, sudanmap, showing, insurgencies, northeastern, south, sudan, from, 2010, 2011, areas, affected, date30, april, 2010, december, 2011, year, months, weeks, days, locationnortheastern, south, sudan, part. George Athor s rebellionPart of the factional violence in South SudanMap showing insurgencies in northeastern South Sudan from 2010 to 2011 Areas affected by George Athor s rebellion in red Date30 April 2010 19 December 2011 1 year 7 months 2 weeks and 5 days LocationNortheastern South Sudan part of Sudan s Southern Sudan Autonomous Region until July 2011 ResultSouth Sudanese government victory Death of George Athor Many rebel areas retaken by government forces Athor s forces largely surrender in February 2012BelligerentsSouth Sudan Democratic Movement SSDM Gabriel Tanginye s militiaSupported by Sudan Eritrea alleged EUPF alleged South Sudan Southern Sudan Autonomous Region until July 2011 Commanders and leadersGeorge Athor Gabriel Tanginye Abraham Thiong Ajang 1 Units involvedSSDM A George Athor s private army Various tribal militias loosely Gabriel Tanginye s militiaSudan People s Liberation Army SPLA South Sudan Police ServiceWildlife wardensStrength2 000 Thousands 2 UnclearCasualties and lossesAt least hundreds killed 3 George Athor s rebellion 4 5 was an uprising in the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region later the independent South Sudan which lasted from April 2010 to December 2011 Organized by South Sudanese military commander and politician George Athor the conflict mainly took place in the states of Upper Nile and Jonglei as well as some border areas The rebellion was launched by Athor when he was defeated in the 2010 South Sudanese general election rejecting the results and using his private army to battle the government He eventually organized the South Sudan Democratic Movement SSDM an alliance of various rebel leaders though the insurgents actual cooperation remained very limited and Athor continued to wage his insurgency largely on his own Over the course of the conflict Athor rejected a number of deals offered by the government and a ceasefire agreement reached in January 2011 quickly fell apart The rebel leader was ultimately killed by security forces in December 2011 Contents 1 Background 2 Rebellion 2 1 Early uprising 2 2 Post 2011 South Sudanese independence referendum 3 Role of foreign forces 4 Aftermath 5 References 5 1 Works citedBackground editFurther information Ethnic violence in South Sudan nbsp Southern Sudan Autonomous Region part of Sudan until July 2011From 1983 to 2005 Sudan was affected by a civil war 6 George Athor a member of the Padeng sub clan of the Dinka people 7 joined the rebel Sudan People s Liberation Army SPLA at the conflict s start serving at various fronts and rising in the ranks over the years In 2005 the Sudanese government and some rebel groups including the SPLA signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement 8 This resulted in South Sudan being granted autonomy as the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region with the SPLM the SPLA s political wing forming the first government of Southern Sudan The SPLA was reorganized as a regional military and began to absorb the various other regional militias and rebel factions An independence referendum was prepared in the south 9 Athor was subsequently posted to Upper Nile where he was involved in various factional clashes and gradually promoted until becoming lieutenant general 8th Division commander in Jonglei and SPLA deputy chief of staff for political and moral orientation 8 7 Athor had a substantial base of support in Jonglei particularly at Khorfulus County and within the military He had reportedly grown wealthy thanks to corruption and amassed a large amount of additional weaponry for his private army These extra guns included many confiscated by the SPLA during the disarmament of the Lou Nuer in which Athor had been involved 8 For the 2010 South Sudanese general election Athor resigned from his SPLA position and ran as an independent candidate for the Jonglei governorship 7 The SPLM disapproved of this move and backed incumbent governor Kuol Manyang Juuk instead 7 Athor lost and like many other unsuccessful candidates of the election revolted 10 At the start of their uprising Athor s forces were considered the most powerful insurgent group in Southern Sudan 10 His loyalists included elements of the SPLA s 3rd and 8th Divisions 7 In addition Lou and Jikany Nuer youths rallied to his uprising mostly to gain access to weapons for their own tribal conflicts against the Murle people 11 Rebellion editEarly uprising edit When Athor s defeat in the election was announced his forces attacked a SPLA base at Doleib Hill southwest of the Upper Nile state capital Malakal on 30 April 2010 4 This assault resulted in eight deaths 10 At first Athor denied that he or his followers were responsible for the Doleib Hill attack while also claimining that the SPLM had rigged the Jonglei election and harassed his supporters demanding that Kuol Manyang step down as governor The South Sudanese government dismissed his accusations and demands 12 Athor s followers subsequently began to repeatedly clash with government forces in Jonglei 10 As a skilled commander Athor quickly gained ground capturing large parts of Jonglei 7 He announced the formation of a rebel alliance the South Sudan Democratic Movement SSDM with an armed wing called South Sudan Army SSA 4 11 and insisted that he was fighting for military and government reforms 11 Over time Athor was able to attract other dissident commanders to his SSDM A alliance including Bapiny Monituel in Mayom County 13 John Uliny and Alyuak Ogot in Upper Nile 14 Gatluak Gai in Unity State 14 David Yau Yau in Pibor County 15 14 Despite these alignments the different rebel leaders did little to unite or coordinate their uprisings most were unwilling to accept anyone but themselves as chief commander 16 As many of the other rebellions were at least partially driven by ethnic loyalties Athor also struggled to gain support as he was a Dinka like many members of the government In addition his main area of operations was relatively isolated from other insurgent areas 17 Athor s efforts to create a united rebel force thus failed and he continued to wage a rebellion largely separate from other SSDM A members 16 17 He also enlargened his private army by arming supportive civilians 11 By September he was suspected of hiding near the Ethiopian border 8 In the next month Athor s rebels were accused by the SPLA of being responsible of an ambush in Unity State killing 23 soldiers and policemen 18 In October 2010 the government and Athor s force began negotiations 10 In the same month South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit granted amnesties to several rebel leaders including Athor Gatluak Gai and Gabriel Tanginye 19 However the talks soon stalled In response Kiir organized a direct meeting of government delegation and Athor at an undisclosed location in late December but the rebel leader did not attend the meeting Meanwhile his followers clashed with the SPLA in Pigi County with up to 20 soldiers killed according to SPLA sources 10 Athor s refusal to accept a deal reportedly frustrated his allies in the SPLA 10 Post 2011 South Sudanese independence referendum edit nbsp Sudan People s Liberation Army SPLA fighters in 2009Just before the South Sudanese independence referendum however the government was able to reach an agreement with Athor On 5 January 2011 a ceasefire was signed by representatives of both sides in Juba overseen by South Sudanese Vice president Riek Machar Even though the agreement included a timetable for the reintegration of Athor s force into the SPLA it did not solve all issues One key point of contention was the rank which would be granted to Athor upon his return to the SPLA Members of the military were dissatisfied with the ceasefire s terms and blocked Athor when he attempted to travel to Juba and though the ceasefire held during the independence referendum from 9 to 15 January fighting resumed afterward 10 20 Heavy clashes between the SSDM A and the SPLA took place in Fangak County on 9 10 February 10 Both sides blamed each other for the clashes Athor claimed that the government army had attacked his contingents at Dor Koliet and Kolnyang in Fangak places where his rebels has assembled to wait for their integration into the military According to Athor his forces had pursued the SPLA attackers after repelling the initial attack resulting in a battle at the county headquarters of New Fangak In contrast the SPLA claimed that the insurgents had struck first by assaulting Dor and Fangak killing policemen prison guards wildlife wardens and civilians as well as temporarily capturing New Fangak According to this version of events the SPLA had counter attacked to retake the seized areas Local officials reported that the fighting led to at least 200 deaths and 400 people being wounded 8 Later clashes also took place at Diel near Dor and Atar 50 km southeast of Malakal 8 Another regional dissident commander Gabriel Tanginye reportedly allied with Athor around this time his forces subsequently began to clash with the SPLA in Fangak County 21 On 27 February heavy fighting erupted at three locations in Fangak three weeks later the SPLA overran Athor s hideout in Pigi County The rebels subsequently retreated toward the Ethiopian border On 7 March another battle took place in Pigi County the result of this clash was disputed Athor claimed that the SSDM A had captured several SPLA tanks while the SPLA claimed that it had captured several rebel bases in the area 20 In April 2011 Gabriel Tanginye and his militia surrendered to the SPLA he was subsequently placed under house arrest in Juba 22 In the next month Athor armed 1 000 Gawaar Nuer and Padeng Dinka youths for their own conflict with the Murle in return the militants promised to aid his operations Ultimately the youths renegaded on the deal 23 In June and July SSDM A commanders Gai and Yau Yau signed their own agreements with the government 14 In September and October there were clashes between Athor s followers and the SPLA in Ayod County 11 Athor s attempts to bolster his forces during this fighting by enlisting local youths again failed as the new recruits instead retreated with their guns 23 By November 2011 Athor s forces had been largely dislodged from northern Jonglei though they still maintained some presence in the counties of Ayod Fangak Pigi and possibly Akobo 21 His influence in Akobo had greatly declined however as many Luo Nuer militants had split from his forces in order to protect their homes from attacks by Murle militias 11 Despite these setbacks Athor remained adamant regarding his demands for any deal with the South Sudanese government conditioning an end of the uprising on new elections the release of political detainees and the selection of a third party to enforce any future peace agreement with the government As these conditions were not met negotiations between his forces and the government made no progress 24 On 19 December 2011 Athor was killed by the SPLA 25 reportedly when he attempted to enter South Sudan s Central Equatoria from Uganda 14 26 or the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2 According to Vice President Machar Athor had attempted to recruit new members for the SSDM A in the region but SPLA border guards had encountered the rebel leader s group in Morobo County opened fire and killed him and one other insurgent The South Sudanese government stated that it had not intended to kill Athor whereas the SSDM A accused Kiir s government of having previously attempted to assassinate the rebel leader 26 Role of foreign forces editDespite the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 the Sudanese government continued to covertly support and supply several militias which were opposed to the government of the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region and later independent South Sudan thereby encouraging a number of rebellions in the south 15 The South Sudanese government thus quickly began accusing Athor of being supported by the Sudanese government a claim initially described as lacking independent evidence and unlikely by Small Arms Survey researchers 27 However evidence of Sudanese support in the form of new weapons captured from Athor s rebels were surfacing over the course of the rebellion 15 It was eventually confirmed that Athor had been in frequent contact with the Sudanese government which had smuggled arms to him in one incident a Sudan Airways helicopter had been used for this purpose 28 Despite this support Sudan Tribune journalist Steve Paterno argued that the Sudanese government had also not been interested in allowing Athor to create a functioning rebel alliance as several smaller rebel groups were easier to manipulate Paterno identified this as one of the reasons for the SDDM A s failure 17 In addition Athor travelled to Eritrea at least three times in 2010 and 2011 28 it is possible that the Eritrean government subsequently began to also supply him 15 28 There were also unverified claims about Athor being supplied with weaponry by the Ethiopian Unity Patriots Front EUPF during his rebellion 29 Aftermath editAthor was succeeded by Peter Kuol Chol Awan as the leader of the SSDM A Awan and 1 800 of his fighters surrendered to the SPLA in February 2012 25 Some SSDM A factions like Uliny s and a minority of Athor s former followers continued their resistance 25 14 and others such as Yau Yau s later resumed their rebellions 14 Factional and ethnic violence as well as warlord rebellions continued to affect South Sudan 30 Politically unstable the country descended into another civil war in late 2013 31 References edit SPLA commander killed by his bodyguard in Malakal Radio Tamazuj 31 January 2014 Retrieved 14 December 2022 a b South Sudan forces say kill rebel leader George Athor Reuters 20 December 2011 Retrieved 14 December 2022 South Sudan rebel George Athor killed BBC 20 December 2011 Retrieved 14 December 2022 a b c Small Arms Survey 2011b p 1 LeBrun 2013 p 1 Martell 2018 pp x 102 114 a b c d e f LeBrun 2011 p 5 a b c d e f Small Arms Survey 2011a p 2 Martell 2018 pp 157 159 187 188 a b c d e f g h i Small Arms Survey 2011a p 1 a b c d e f LeBrun 2011 p 6 James Butty 3 May 2010 South Sudan Official Denies Split in SPLM Ranks Following Attack on Military Base VOA Retrieved 12 December 2022 Small Arms Survey 2011b pp 2 3 a b c d e f g LeBrun 2013 p 3 a b c d LeBrun 2011 p 8 a b LeBrun 2011 pp 8 9 a b c Steve Paterno 22 December 2011 Demise of George Athor huge blow to South Sudan rebellion Sudan Tribune Retrieved 14 December 2022 23 Dead in South Sudan Ambush VOA 10 August 2010 Retrieved 12 December 2022 Michael Onyiego 6 October 2010 Southern Rebels Granted Pardons as Security Council Tours Sudan VOA Retrieved 12 December 2022 a b Small Arms Survey 2011b p 2 a b LeBrun 2011 p 2 LeBrun 2011 pp 2 9 a b LeBrun 2012 p 9 South Sudan Rebel Says Peace Talks Failed Violence Likely VOA 19 November 2010 Retrieved 12 December 2022 a b c LeBrun 2012 p 5 a b Hannah McNeish 19 December 2010 Top Rebel Leader in South Sudan Killed VOA Retrieved 12 December 2022 Small Arms Survey 2011a pp 2 3 a b c LeBrun 2012 p 6 LeBrun 2012 p 7 Martell 2018 pp 187 189 Martell 2018 pp 187 189 207 Works cited edit LeBrun Emile ed November 2011 Fighting for Spoils Armed Insurgencies in Greater Upper Nile PDF Sudan Issue Brief 18 LeBrun Emile ed April 2012 Reaching for the gun Arms flows and holdings in South Sudan PDF Sudan Issue Brief 19 LeBrun Emile ed November 2013 Pendulum Swings The Rise and Fall of Insurgent Militias in South Sudan PDF Sudan Issue Brief 22 Martell Peter 2018 First Raise a Flag London Hurst amp Company ISBN 978 1849049597 Sudan George Athor Rebellion Jonglei State Updated February 2011 PDF Sudan Human Security Baseline Assessment Geneva Small Arms Survey 21 February 2011 Sudan George Athor s Rebellion Jonglei State Updated April 2011 PDF Sudan Human Security Baseline Assessment Geneva Small Arms Survey 27 April 2011 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title George Athor 27s rebellion amp oldid 1188787510, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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