By Matik Kueth
The South Sudan People’s Movement (SSPM), led by Lt. Gen. Stephen Buay Rolnyang, has rubbished reports alleging that the movement of recruiting Nuer youths from Ethiopian refugee camps for military training in Sudan.
This denial came after some media outlets reported that Buay had been active in Ethiopia and linked to recruitment activities targeting Nuer youths in the Tharpam, Jewe, and Assosa refugee camps in the Gambella region.
Dak Buoth Riek, SSPM’s National Chairman of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, described these reports as “rumors, false, and misleading.”
“The trending rumors that you hear that SSPM is recruiting some people in Gambella are lies. We’ve not launched any initiative that targets particular groups,” Riek said.
He added, “Movement is a movement that is abided by the will of rights, and, you know, people who are willing to join can only do that at their own free will. We don’t give any goodies. This is a movement of revolutionaries who give their time, their energy to the country.”
Riek underlined that SSPM operates with strict rules and regulations regarding membership, noting that the movement continues to recruit openly but in line with its policy and ideology.
“SSPM has not launched a campaign, you know, to recruit members in a particular place, especially in Upper Nile. We continue to welcome new members because the movement is a South Sudanese movement of people of the age of the majority. Our policy brief requires that those who are willing and committed to the objective and ideology of the party are welcomed from all over the country,” he stated.
According to the alleged reports, over 2,500 youths from camps in Tharpam, Jewe, and Assosa have allegedly been moved to military training sites in southeastern Sudan.
While these allegations have raised serious concerns about coercion and violations of international humanitarian law, the SSPM official insisted that such claims are baseless.
He noted that SSPM is currently focused on dialogue and alliances through the United People’s Alliance (UPA) and the Allied Coordination for South Sudan (Domain Initiative), aiming for peaceful change in the country.
“The movement is for the future, for tomorrow. It’s a movement that carries the core values of our sovereignty,” he stressed.
Riek further urged the public to disregard rumors suggesting targeted recruitment, reaffirming that the movement welcomes only voluntary members who share its ideology.