TONG TONG WIEU DENG OF COUNTER INTELLIGENCE: THE THREAT TO THE SPLM GOVERNMENT AND THE DESTRUCTOR OF SOUTH SUDANESE CITIZENS

May 26, 2019 Opinions

By Ali el Ali Ismail, Khartoum, Sudan,

May 26, 2019(SSNN) — South Sudan officially known as the Republic of South Sudan gained its independence from the Republic of the Sudan in 2011, making it the newest country with widespread recognition. Its capital and largest city is Juba. Geographically, South Sudan is bordered by Sudan to the north, Ethiopia to the east, Kenya to the southeast, Uganda to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the southwest and the Central African Republic to the west.

In term of resources, South Sudan is one of the richest countries in the whole world. For instance, it is endorsed with many natural resources, which among others include: petroleum or oil, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, diamonds, hardwoods, limestone and hydropower. The country’s economy, as in many other developing countries, is heavily dependent on agriculture. Other than natural resources-based companies, other such organizations include Southern Sudan Beverages Limited, a subsidiary of SABMiller.

In addition, South Sudan’s protected area of Bandingilo National Park hosts the second-largest wildlife migration in the world. Surveys have revealed that Boma National Park, west of the Ethiopian border, as well as the Sudd wetland and Southern National Park near the border with Congo, provided habitat for large populations of hartebeest, kob, topi, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, and lions.

Habitats in the country include grasslands, high-altitude plateaus and escarpments, wooded and grassy savannas, floodplains, and wetlands. Associated wildlife species include the endemic white-eared kob and Nile Lechwe, as well as elephants, giraffes, common eland, giant eland, oryx, lions, African wild dogs, cape buffalo, and topi (locally called tiang).

Little is known about the white-eared kob and tiang, both types of antelope, whose magnificent migrations were legendary before the civil war. The Boma-Jonglei Landscape region encompasses Boma National Park, broad pasturelands and floodplains, Bandingilo National Park, and the Sudd, a vast area of swamp and seasonally flooded grasslands that includes the Zeraf Wildlife Reserve (the above data was obtained from Wikipedia and for more information about the resources of South Sudan, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Sudan#Geography).

With the abundant resources as explained above with low population of 12 million people, it is expected that the people of South Sudan would have achieved the middle income class, which is not the case now. Rather, South Sudanese are the poorest and unhappiest people in the world. In 2018, it was established that South Sudan ranks third lowest in the latest UN World Happiness Report, and has the highest score on the American Fund for Peace’s Fragile States Index.

The cause of unhappiness is bad governance caused by terrible or frightening corruption. According to 2019 South Sudan scored 13 points out of 100 on the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index as reported by Transparency International. The report further stated that corruption Index in South Sudan averaged 13.33 Points from 2013 until 2018, reaching an all-time high of 15 Points in 2014 and a record low of 11 Points in 2016.

As I have found out during the time I was in Juba in South Sudan from 2012 to April 2019, the way security is understood makes it the father of all crimes and corruption. Security is being used to silence all the voices that protest against corruption and bad governance. This makes Security a source of insecurity itself and a mother of all crimes in South Sudan.

Thus as the subject of this article, which is at the same time based on the report based on the activities of Tong Tong Wieu Deng and his group as case study, I will discuss the way Security sector in South Sudan perpetuates crimes in South Sudan. To prove my point, I will use the report that was addressed to the CHIEF OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE, Republic of South Sudan (RSS) concerning the robbery of property of Anguei Mayom Atem known as Mike Mike in that report.

The part two of the report listed the youth from Awiel that Col. Tong Tong Wieu and his Group killed simply because they suspected them to be supporters of General Malong Awan. I obtained this report from one of the officers within the security sector whose name cannot be disclosed in this article since it can pose a threat to his person. The contain of the report are as explained below—

The report entitled: SOUTH SUDAN DEFENSE FORCE HEADQUARTERS, TO: CHIEF OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE RSS, PROPERTIES FOR MIKE MIKE. Then the report went on to state that the mentioned above officers (of Counter Intelligence in my own words) are involved in looting the Mike Mike in Hai Cinema in the same day of his detention Morning hours.

The report further stated that in the room they took SSP 500,000 and USD 10,000 and in other car they took USD 30,000, which Tong Tong Wieu Deng distributed them among to his group (Tong Tong’s group). From this USD 30,000, USD 20,000 was given to Chief Military Intelligence (CMI), Chokrac Alith Kudun. This report concerns the money.

In respect to the property found in Mike Mike’s house, which are entitled in the report as Assets in Mike Mike’s house, Col.Tong Tong Wieu and his group looted the following: three (3) Pistols, Israel made type, one (1) gahil, two (2) AK47, three (3) Magazine full of bullets, two (2) phones screen touch, iphone X, three (3) new Sumsung 59+ and other undisclosed military equipment. All these items as the report indicated were shared by Col.Tong Tong Wieu Deng and his group.

The report went on to give the names and contact of those who formed Col. Tong Tong Wieu’s group to include— (1) Col. Tong Tong Wieu tel no. 0912700362; (2) Capt. Angok Majok Kon tel: No. 0924555575; (3) 1st Ater Reech Aluei tel no.0924855136; (4) 1st Lt. Silman Majak Mangok tel no.0921111002/0912227775; (5) Sgt. Lat Ijal Lal; (6) Pvt. Taban Manyang Ruoth; (7) Pvt. Deng Garang Yel; and (8) Sgt. Driver Mayen Akon Deng. These are the members of Counter Intelligence Department in the security sector of South Sudan. They are the ones responsible for the killings of youth, intellectuals and those suspected to be members of opposition in South Sudan besides those National Security headed by Bol Madut Chol as discussed in my previous article.

Apart from the above report on the looting of Mike Mike’s property, Col. Tong Tong Wieu and his group are reported to be responsible of obstructing justice for the citizens of South Sudan against foreigners or Chinese to be specific. The case in point was the scenario of 22/1/2019. On that date it is reported that Col. Tong Tong Wieu was in court with the team of Counter Intelligence making a defense in favour of Chinese in the civil case in which Capt. Mawien Garang.

The substance of the case in brief was as follows—Chinese burned the house of Mawien Garang in 2018, which made Mawien go to court to seek for compensation from Chinese, the defendants in this case. It is reported that Chinese gave Col. Tong Tong Wieu USD20,000 to kill the case as the report stated.

Besides the above money given to Tong Tong Wieu to obstruct justice, the report further pointed out that the office of Counter Intelligence received the following items from Chinese in bribe: (1) three (3) bags of white flour, (2) four (4) jerry cans of cooking oil, (3) one (1) bag of onion and (4) two (2) bags of lentil, 50KG each. The report stated that Deng Malong Deng, who was the former secretary to Counter Intelligence (CI), was present at the time these items were given. Hence Deng Malong Deng is a direct witness against Col. Tong Tong Wieu and his group in the case of the obstruction of justice, corruption and bribery.

In addition, the report put forward some serious allegations against Col.Tong Tong Wieu as follows— (1) that he was responsible for the shooting that occurred in the Central Bank of South Sudan that resulted into the death of several people in 2010. The shooting took place during the looting or robbery in the Bank.

(2) That Col. Tong Wieu was the one responsible for the closure of Gemtel Network in South Sudan. The closing down of Gemtel was done without following the legal procedure and at the same time, Col. Tong Tong Wieu looted several assets of Gemtel after he ordered its closure. It was due to the consequence of the closure of Gemtel that led to the indefinite detention of the Lawyer of Gemtel called Kamal John who is now in the custody or under the detention of National Security Service of South Sudan.

(3) That Col. Tong Tong Wieu grabbed the house of Gatluak Chuol at Thongpiny near the UNMISS in Juba where he is currently residing. Col. Tong Tong Wieu is also accused of having grabbed other houses of rebels around Juba City, which he is currently renting them out to business people from which he received rents every month that go directly to his personal account.

(4) Finally, the report also stated that Col. Tong Tong Wieu is charged of illegally arresting and looting the house of Mike Mike of different properties which are already listed or discussed above.

The above is the first report and its copies were given to the following offices—(1) Office of the Chief of Defense Forces; (2) National Security Service; (3) the office of Chief of Military Judge; and (4) the office of Deputy Chief of Ground Force. This takes us to the second report.

The second report is entitled: REPORT FOR CMI order from chief military intelligence: TOP SECRET. The report begins with the names and the contacts of the officers from Counter Intelligence responsible for the killings of South Sudanese Citizens. These individuals include: (1) Col. Tong Tong Wieu tel no. 0912700362; (2) Capt. Angok Majok Kon tel: No. 0924555575; (3) 1st Ater Reech Aluei tel no.0924855136; (4) 1st Lt. Silman Majak Mangok tel no.0921111002/0912227775; (5) Sgt. Lat Ijal Lal; (6) Pvt. Taban Manyang Ruoth; (7) Sgt. Driver Mayen Akon Deng; Sgt. (8) Athian Dut from Military Police (MP); and (9) Sgt. Who is now Major in Officers Affairs Mohammed Abdallah Wuryei.

The report pointed out that the above officers and NCOs were involved in criminal activities and the killings of the people of Aweil on the ground that they supported General Malong as General Malong is considered to be an enemy to the government. The report further stated these officers used someone called Garang Aluru Achien to identify for them the youth from Aweil before they were killed.

To support the allegation against Garang Aluru Achien, the informant, the report adduced his telephone number which is 0926262222 and which was used in communication and coordination. The report asserted that Garang Aluru Achien has a close connection with Col. Tong Tong Wieu and the Chief Military Intelligence, Maj. General Chokrac Alith Kudun. The report clearly absolves the National Security from the responsibility of killings of youth from Aweil.

The report pointed out that after killing, the officers of Counter Intelligence headed by Col. Tong Tong Wieu in collaboration with Maj. General Chokrac reported that National Security was the ones killing the youth from Aweil which was not true. As the findings of the report indicated, National Security to some extent is blameless over the killings of the sons of Aweil.

The report further stated that 1st LT Lual Akoon Wieu, the National Security Officer that was reported missing was actually arrested on 1/04/2018 at 10:00 am and was immediately killed according to the orders given by Chief Military Intelligence (CMI), Chokrac Alith Kudun. The report implicated Col. Tong Tong Wieu to be the one who supervised the killing of 1st LT Lual Akoon based on the orders that came from Maj. General Chokrac Alith Kudun.

Moreover, the report listed the names of those who were killed by Tong Tong Wieu and his group. The names of the victims included— (1) Achier Anyuon; (2) Thiel Thiel; (3) Lual Garang; (4) Ajieth Deng Ngong; (5) Guot Guot Deng; and (6) Yor Achien Yor.

The report gave the details of the means of transport used by Col. Tong Tong Wieu and his members. The report pointed out that Tong Tong Wieu and his group currently use Two V8 Black in colour, one Land Cruiser Pickup Black in colour, escort of Chief Military Intelligence (CMI) and Land Cruiser Pickup White in colour. All these vehicles are reported to be numberless. The report further states that all these vehicles belong to Chief Military Intelligence, Maj. General Chokrac Alith Kudun who provides them for those of Col. Tong Tong Wieu to be used in grabbing and killings youth and others suspected to belong to opposition.

The report further pointed out that one of the places those who are grabbed to be killed are taken and killed is Gorom, which is the Prison of Military Intelligence (MI). This second report was copied to the following offices: (1) Office of the President; (2) Office of the Vice President; (3) Ministry of Defense SPLA GHQs; (4) Office of Chief Defense Forces; (5) Ministry of Interior; (6) National Security Service; (7) Deputy Chief of Ground Force; and (8) File.

Apart from the above two reports, there are some of the instances which I have witnessed in person. For instance, Areec Akot and Angok are not supposed to be in security. They were the ones responsible for the looting in different Markets such as Konyo Konyo Market, Custom Market, Munyiki, Chirkat. They have been looting traders in these Markets. For instance, they come and dropped bullets or any military equipment to the shops of the traders and fined them for having in position of prohibited items.

One of the sad cases was when they robbed Yusuf Ahmed the Somalis Citizens of USD 47000 on the grounds that he slept with the girl. Their action chased away Yusuf who came from Somalia originally. However, with the appointment of the current Chief Military Intelligence (CMI), Rin Tueny and his effort that led to the closing down of the offices of Counter Intelligence in different parts of towns in Juba, members of the business community are grateful with His Excellency the President for appointing General Rin who knows what he is doing.

However, they have called upon the President of South Sudan to set up a committee to investigate those mentioned in this article and if found guilty then they have to compensate those whose property they had robbed and punished for their actions as required by the law of South Sudan. Those individuals mentioned in this article beginning with Tong Tong do not deserve to work under security as they are criminals themselves.

In short, there are many atrocities committed by Tong Tong Wieu Deng of counter intelligence and his group. They are not yet disclosed as there is no much investigation we have carried out but as we have taken our investigations in all sectors to explain the evils covered up by the threats of the security, we shall bring to light many problems facing South Sudanese caused to them by security personnel. The security sector has therefore become a threat to the SPLM Government as it is destroying South Sudan and her citizens. We recommend that the President undertake reforms of security sector to save the country and the SPLM Party.

NB//: The insider, Ali el Ali, is a prominent human rights activist, lawyer and private investigator.

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