General Buay was stripped of his rank and expelled from the army in 2019 for ‘treason’ and later on joined, in May this year, joined South Sudan United Front (SSUF) led by former army chief General Paul Malong Awan Anei who then reinstated his rank and promoted him from Major-General to Lieutenant General.
Two months later, he formed a new rebel group to fight the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit. When asked why he would abandon Malong two months after joining him, Buay said he didn’t want to return to Juba as Malong is in talk under Sant’Egidio Community and will possibly rejoin the government.
In a statement on Monday, General Stephen Buay Rolnyang said he has divided South Sudan into two politician front one on each side of the river Nile to make it easier for power-sharing in his movement.
“In pursuance of policy of appointments and formation of political leadership, and in order to avoid tribalism in the SSPM/A, I, General Stephen Buoy Rolnyang, interim chairman and commander in chief of the SSPM/A, do hereby divide the Republic of South Sudan into two geographical and political fronts,” he said in the statement extended to Sudans Post.
Buay said in the statement that the fronts will be Western Nile Front which shall comprise of the states of Unity, Warrap, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Lakes, Western Equatoria, Central Equatoria, plus the Abyei and Ruweng Administrative areas.
The other front will be Eastern Nile which shall comprise of the states of Upper Nile, Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria and Pibor Administrative Area.
“If chairman and commander in chief comes from the either side of the front, the deputy chairman and commander in chief will come from the other side of the front,” he said.
“The political positions of the national executive committee and other lower political positions in the SSPM will be appointed fairly or equitably depends on the competence and capability of those who will be appointed to positions of the national executive committee (NEC) in the South Sudan People’s Movement,” he added.