Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The lead investigator in a prominent trial stated on Monday suspended First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, instructed the late commander of the South Sudan People’s Defense (SSPDF), Maj. Gen. David Majur Dak and his bodyguards surrender their weapons to officers of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in Opposition (SPLA-IO) following the capture of the Nasir garrison by the White Army.
Maj. Gen. Basilio Thomas Wani, the lead investigator and police commissioner of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, presented a statement regarding the seven individuals accused of involvement and connections related to the March Nasir incident.
During a presentation at the 12th session in Juba on Monday, Wani outlined the alleged roles and connections of Machar to the March Nasir incident.
Thomas stated that Machar, via phone calls, instructed the late Maj. Gen. David Majur Dak to surrender himself along with his bodyguards to SPLA-IO commanders following the takeover of the Nasir garrisons by the white army.
“During the evacuation attempt, he (Machar) instructed Nasir County Commissioner, James Gatluak and SPLA-IO commanders to persuade late Maj. Gen. David Majur Dak and his forces to leave their weapons inside the Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and aboard the helicopter without arms,” Thomas said.
Thomas said Machar as commander-in-chief of SPLA-IO failed to prevent atrocities committed by his soldiers during the attack on SSPDF garrison in Nasir.
“He (Machar) neglected to intervene on the issued order to stop killing of unarmed SSPDF personnel who had surrendered their weapons, and he didn’t prevent execution of the wounded and captured SSPDF soldiers,” said Thomas.
Thomas claimed that Machar communicated by phone with one of the SSPDF soldiers who survived the Nasir incident, asking him to return to Nasir from one of the villages with a promise of promotion if he joined the SPLA-IO and maintained APCs in Nasir.
“He (Machar) gave guarantee and assurance to the UNMISS and to provide safe passage to SSPDF personnel by moving the white army 300 to 5000 meters from Nasir military garrison which never happened resulting in the killing of Maj. Gen. David Majur Dak and others.”
He stated that the second accused, Mam Pal Dhuor, 37, provided funding to the white army through an M-Pesa transfer of 123,000 Ugandan shillings and 625,000 Ethiopian Birr to carry out an attack on the Nasir garrison.
He alleged that the third accused, Gatwech Lam Puoch, 66, who is the MP representing Nasir County in the National Legislative Assembly, shared intelligence and supported the mobilization of the white army.
He stated that Lam held a press conference where he described the SSPDF command’s decision to move forces to Nasir as a unilateral one and expressed their objections to it.
He also indicated that Lam claimed the forces being sent to Nasir were not exclusively SSPDF but included members of the Agwelek and Abushock militias, and therefore did not represent unified forces.
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