Malong’s group ‘not happy’ with our progress – Gen. Stephen Buay

JUBA – South Sudan opposition commander and leader of the holdout South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A) General Stephen Buay Rolnyang has said that South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A) led by General Paul Malong Awan is not happy with the ‘progress’ being made by his group.

This comes after Gen. Malong’s group said in a statement extended to Sudans Post on Friday that a senior rebel commander from South Sudan People’s Movement/Army has abandoned General Stephen Buay Rolnyang and has decided to join the South Sudan United Front/Army.

According to the statement from General Malong’s group, the little known rebel officer identified as Maj. Gen. Amos Kuol Puok Gatwech crossed from General Stephen Buay’s group during an announcement in the Sudanese capital Khartoum where he was welcomed by Malong’s allies there.

But General Buay’s group disowned him on Saturday as unknown and Buay himself told Sudans Post in an interview that General Paul Malong, who was once his boss, was not happy about the progress the group is making in its efforts to organize itself to wage war against Kiir.

“Malong group is not happy with our progress,” General Buay told Sudans Post on Saturday morning from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, adding that Malong’s South Sudan United Front/Army was making the claim “for propaganda purpose.”

Gen. Buay decided to rebel in May last year after he was stripped off of his rank and dismissed from active service following false claims that he was found trying to join the rebellion when he was arrested in 2018 following an attack on his residence in Mayom County of Unity state by militia commander Gen. Mathew Puljang.

He was detained for more than a year and was then stripped of his rank, and then dismissed from active army service. He decided to join Malong who restored his rank and promoted him to the rank of Major General before resigning from the group to form a faction of his own.