It has come to the attention of this author that Lt-Gen. Isaac Obuto Mamur Mete, has had his case complicated. The complication came about as a reaction after the Commission that was charged to investigate Maj-Gen. Mamur dismissed the case and recommended Maj-Gen. for reinstatement. Maj-Gen. Mamur was reported to have been reinstated by the Minister of SPLA Affairs, Dominic Deim, who was believed to have maintained the position of Maj-Gen. Mamur in the SPLA top echelon's reshuffle.
However, those behind the arrest and possible lynching of Maj-Gen। Mamur, has been in detention for nearly a year now, cried foul. They went to H.E. Lt-Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the C-in-C of the SPLA, to reverse the reshuffle order. It is reported that the C-in-C heeded to them and four judges were alleged to have been composed to try Maj-Gen. Mamur.
When Maj-Gen। Mamur appeared before the four judges, his own lawyer made his submission and said: "I didn't know that the South was composed of only one tribe, Dinka from Bor." He said the trial will never be fair; especially that Maj-Gen. Mamur does not come from the judges' tribe. Maj-Gen. Mamur's lawyer refused to continue with the hearing citing possible bias in the verdict. Maj-Gen. Mamur's lawyer did ask his client to leave the courtroom. But before they did leave the courtroom, one of the judges allegedly said: "go as of now and we will call you later."
When Maj-Gen। Mamur appeared for the second time before the judges, the four judges from Dinka Bor were not changed. But before Maj-Gen. Mamur's lawyer said anything, one of the four judges was alleged to have said: "Before you say anything we would like to ask you three questions only." Maj-Gen. Mamur was reported to have interfered and said to his lawyer: The first question is, there was an SPLM/A grader-tractor under your control; what did you do with it and where is it now? The second question asked: There was a power generator captured from the last recapture of Torit, where did you put it? The last question said: Where are the arms you received from the Ugandan authorities?
When Maj-Gen। Mamur's lawyer tried to respond to the judges' questions, Maj-Gen. Mamur intervened and begged his lawyer to answer the three questions. His lawyer did allow him to answer the questions.
Firstly, Maj-Gen। Mamur said, the grader-tractor did grade a number of roads and he mentioned the particular roads and their locations. As for the Generator, Maj-Gen. Mamur said it is in the general headquarters of Ikwoto County and the Commissioner of Ikwoto could be called to verify the information.
On the issue of arms, Maj-Gen। Mamur said: I received pistols from the Ugandan authorities. Mamur was reported to have said that he gave 20 of those pistols to the C-in-C and Six to Maj-Gen Bior Ajang, who also comes from Bor and was the secretary of the court proceeding in which the four judges from Bor were presiding over. Maj-Gen. Ajang was reported to have immediately reacted by saying: "yes and I have one of the pistols with me now."
It was reported that one of the judges reacted almost immediately to the response of Maj-Gen।Ajang, saying you are an accomplice to this case. The judge, however, went on to say that it appears that this case has taken a political shape since it involves the C-in-C. and another Deputy CoS. He said they were to prepare an immediate recommendation to the C-in-C who is also the First Vice-President and President of Government of South Sudan (GoSS) in order to find a political solution to Maj-Gen. Mamur's case.
Giving a critical look at the entire drama of Maj-Gen। Mamur's case, say in the recent court proceedings or the previous committee proceedings, one would indeed see very many hands involved to complicate the issue further. For example, someone appointed four judges from one section of a tribe, including a secretary? Why appoint four judges from Bor to try Maj-Gen. Mamur from Torit? Could it be because some people in Bahr Al Ghazal want to pity the people of Bor against those of Equatoria? Or some people from within Bor are trying to punish Maj-Gen. Mamur for a crime he didn't commit and his loyalty to Lt-Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit during the crisis SPLM/A suffered from before the CPA.
The crisis being talked about here is fully covered in the famous Rumbek Minutes। These minutes were famous because democracy was exercised for the first time in the SPLM/A under the leadership of Dr John Garang de Mabior. What do the good people of Bor say? Could this kind of a bad overture be played by some canning person or persons within the SPLA/M rank and file? Could the motive behind be a mission to cause maximum damage within the SPLM/A with a view to igniting another war between comrades-in-arms?
Could it then be possible to assume that the above speculations are in appropriate and what is appropriate is that both the Dinka Bahr Al Ghazal and those of Bor are resolved to end Maj-Gen। Mamur's career as well as live? Is it just Maj-Gen. Mamur they are after and not his entire community? God forbids, because the people of Bahr Al Ghazal did play a role that balanced and continues to balance the behaviour of the Dinka Bor people in the SPLM/A during and after the days of our late hero, Dr John Garang de Mabior.
This author should not be gotten wrongly that he is against the Dinka Bor people। There are some extremely good people from Bor. But the behaviour of the majority in the SPLM/A from Bor then and now, is commonplace.
SPLM/A is calling for a democratic transformation in the Sudan and that includes the South. Democratic transformation has got one very important ingredient: rule of law and its accompanying values like the protection of civil rights. How could SPLM/A transform this country into a fully democratic one when it is detaining people for years without trial? How could somebody like Maj-Gen. Mamur account for things that were not the reason for his arrest in the first place? On what legal grounds is he being detained if what happened to him and others languishing in the jails of SPLM/A in the South is nothing but a direct violation of human rights?
This author would like to appeal to H।E. the President of the GoSS and C-in-C of the SPLA, to release Maj-Gen. Mamur. The C-in-C has the power to form an impartial SPLA committee to scan the SPLA thoroughly and remove the bad seeds within it. SPLA has some people within it who are bent on discrediting H.E. the SPLA C-in-C. otherwise by trying to hurt Maj-Gen. Mamur very badly, these people know that H.E. the C-in-C would be held responsible for their own crimes and that is unfair.
In fact there should be nothing that goes within the army or say SPLA without the knowledge of the C-in-C। The C-in-C is a trained military intelligence officer. He should certainly know that most of the charges brought against Maj-Gen. Mamur or indeed anybody else in SPLA/M jails are framed ones. These charges are aimed at depriving Maj-Gen Mamur any other detained by SPLA of his hardly fought position within or without the SPLA and trying to lynch him/them.
The SPLA C-in-C should not allow this to happen because it would discredit him and put him into an awkward position with the community members of Maj-Gen. Mamur, especially in this period where politicians, including H.E. the C-in-C, are planning on their campaign strategies to win the elections.
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