Renegade General claims new Ceasefire agreement is the end of tension in South
A former renegade general has welcomed a ceasefire agreement signed between his forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) – and pledged to support independence during Southern Sudan’s independence referendum, which got underway on Sunday.
General George Athor launched a rebellion earlier last year against the SPLA, the dominant force in Southern Sudan. But in relinquishing his renegade status, he has added to cautious confidence that the referendum will proceed smoothly.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Southern Sudan queued and then filed patiently into polling booths on Sunday, in a vote that is almost certain to see citizens of the semi-autonomous (and largely Christian) region vote in favour of full independence from the Arab-dominated North.
I’m for the independence of the South through the referendum.\"
Just ahead of the vote, Athor claimed the deal signed in Juba marks the end of intra-southern tensions in the region. He was speaking in Jonglei State. The agreement specifies an assembly area for Athor’s renegade forces until a final agreement is reached with the SPLA. I’m for the independence of the South through the referendum,” Athor said during a press conference.
Athor became a major challenge to the government of semi-autonomous Southern Sudan after losing in the general elections last year. He was a candidate for the governorship of Jonglei State, but lost to Kuol Manyang. He accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – the political wing of the SPLA - of rigging the vote.
Click here for more background information on General Athor by the Small Arms Survey
In turn, the SPLM accused Athor of being a stooge of the Arab-dominated North, which fought a two-decade long civil war against the SPLA, ahead of a 2005 peace deal, which gave Southern citizens the right to vote for secession in a referendum. Six years later, that referendum is finally a reality – and there is a palpable relief that Athor has signed a ceasefire, thereby removing one potential ‘spoiler’ of the referendum process.
Jonglei State became insecure with attacks against the SPLA by Athor’s forces. In a conciliatory move, Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir pardoned insurgent groups in Southern Sudan before the vote on independence and on Saturday urged citizens in the South to vote peacefully. Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir and Kiir early last week agreed not to support proxy forces against one another, as Southern Sudan heads towards independence.
Concern still surrounds the Abyei region, which sits on the still un-demarcated border between North and South Sudan.
There is now a growing sense that the referendum process – and probably secession – may proceed without a return to large-scale violence. This said, concern still surrounds the Abyei region, which sits on the still un-demarcated border between North and South Sudan. Tensions are particularly high in Abyei, as polling in this area has been postponed, due to disagreement over who is eligible to vote.
There are particular tensions in Abyei between the South’s Ngok Dinka ethnic group and the Misseriya – nomadic cattle-herders who migrate to the South during the dry season. The Misseriya were allegedly used as a proxy force against the SPLA by Bashir’s regime during the later stages of the 1983-2005 North-South civil war – and they are determined that they be given the right to vote in the referendum, against the wishes of the Government of Southern Sudan.
Clashes broke out between the Dinka militia and the Misseriya at the weekend, reportedly resulting in the deaths of several people, though reports on Sunday suggested that leaders of the two communities would engage in talks to de-escalate this localised situation.
