Kiir’s security advisor, spy chief forming Sudan-like Rapid Support Forces in Unity state’s Mayom – commander

JUBA – South Sudan president’s security advisor Tutkew Gatluak Manimeh and Director-General of Internal Security Bureau of the country’s National Security Service (NSS) General Akol Koor Kuc are forming a Sudan-like Rapid Support Forces in Mayom County of South Sudan’s Unity state, according to a former army commander who has defected to General Paul Malong-led South Sudan United Front.

Fighting erupted on Monday morning in Mayom allegedly after Mayom commissioner, James Chuol Gatluak Manime, ordered to disarm civilians who had allegedly refused to join up the new paramilitary body being put up. Others close to the commissioner say the commissioner was ambushed by armed youth.

According to a confidential security report written to the Directorate of International and Public Relations at the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs in Juba by the military attaché at South Sudan Embassy in Khartoum, Kiir’s security advisor and who is also a brother to the Mayom County commissioner transported military hardware to Mayom with approval – according to other sources – from General Akol Koor Kuc.

The weapons – including AK47s and PKMs – were heading from Sudan allegedly donated by deputy chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council Mohamed Hamdan Daglo who is better known as Hemeti and the commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces that played key role in the 2019 removal of President Omar el Bashir.

“With respect, on Friday, April 2, 2021, South Sudan Presidential Security Advisor Hon. Tut Gatluak loaded two (02) Mitsubishi lorries under supervision and coordination of the South Sudan Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport and Immigration (DCRNPI), Brigadier General (Police) Gatkuoth Gai and direct … escort of command of Colonel Alfred Louis Kiek of South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) of Lieutenant General Panyiny Monytuil Wijang faction with following military arms to Mayom County for armament of Bul tribe local militias to go and raid the cattle of Warrap state,” the document dated April 9, 2021, reads in part.

The military materials being transported include one-thousand (1,000) AKM riffles, one-hundred and fifty (150) boxes of AKM armors, forty (40) PKMs heavy machine guns and Six (06) boxes ammunitions, according to the document.

In a confidential security report, General Kuol Deng Abot, the Director General of Directorate of International and Public Relations of the ministry of defense in Juba, said Tut Gatluak has transported military hardware to Mayom County saying the presidential advisor has been spotted in Sudan loading vehicles for the weapons.

“The Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs’ of the Republic of South Sudan Hon. Tut Gatluak has been spotted in Khartoum loading two Mitsubishi Trucks with Military hardware destined to Mayom County Unity state to help the forces of Lieutenant General Bapiny Monytuil with an aim to arm local civilians to carry of raid in Warrap State,” the confidential report said.

“The arms are said to be under the escort of Colonel Alfred Louis Kiek,” the report added.

In reaction, General Stephen Buay Rolnyang, a former army commander who was stripped of his rank band dismissed from active army service in 2019 following a year-long imprisonment over unclear reasons, said Kiir’s security advisor and NSS chief have long planned to establish a Rapid Support Forces in Mayom County.

He said the fighting which took place in Mayom on Monday morning erupted after Tut Gatluak’s brother, the commissioner of Mayom, ordered for the disarmament of the youth who has refused to join the RSP being established.

“Tut Gatluak loaded guns and ammunition from Khartoum to form a militia forces in Bul, that led to the fighting of this morning between youth and the commissioner of Mayom County, the brother of Tut Gatluak, when the armed youth refused to be recruited into the what is called Rapid Support forces, and the commissioner ordered his forces to disarm them by force,” he said in a brief statement seen by Sudans Post.

“This is the evidence of what is being planned by Tut Gatluak. The guns got approval from the Director General of National security, General Akol Koor to vice president of Sudan, Hemeti to release the guns,” he alleged.