South Sudan: Rebel Group Warns of Imminent War - Calls On Civilians, NGOs, and UN Personnel to Leave Towns

The South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) is hereby informing civilians, NGOs and UN personnel residing in Unity and Upper Nile Sates to leave towns because the SSLA forces will commence Operation Ending Corruption within days. The SSLA does not want civilians to be caught in crossfire when it is engaging the forces of corruption that are stationed near civilians in most towns. It's unfortunate that the forces of corruption defending the regime in Juba live in towns with civilians making military operations difficult to safeguard the safety of civilians. With the safety of civilians in mind, the SSLA's Military High Command has no choice but to alert the civilians to leave towns prior to launching attacks. Although military secrecy could not allow the SSLA to alert the civilians ahead of time because the forces of corruption may prepare themselves in anticipation of attacks, we resolved that violating operation rules for the safety of people we are liberating is more important than winning battles.

The SSLA is fulfilling its international law duty to inform all NGOs and UN personnel to leave dangerous areas prior to launching the operation. We seriously call upon the NGOs, Red Cross and UN personnel to leave Unity State and Upper Nile within thirteen days. Should the NGOs, Red Cross and UN personnel fail to leave as we stated, the SSLA will not be responsible for any person caught between crossfire. Our forces have no intention to endanger the lives of international NGOs and UN personnel who came to South Sudan to assist our people. The primary reason for issuing this alert before starting the operations against the forces of corruption is because the SSLA leadership does not want any member of NGOs and UN personnel to be hurt in the process of liberating South Sudan from corruption and dictatorship.

The SSLA calls upon all civilians, journalists, NGOs and UN personnel to avoid visiting SPLA Headquarters of Bilpam in Juba starting March, 5, 2012. Civilians should also avoid going to office of Gen. Salva Kiir in Juba including his residence. SSLA commandos who are already in Juba will conduct surgical operations to speed up the liberation of South Sudan to bring to justice Salva Kiir and his loyalists. The SSLA has loyalists within SPLA forces in Juba who will join the special commandos to attack Bilpam and Salva Kiir's office and residence.

The UN personnel and NGOs should not ignore this warning for their safety. SSLA will not be held responsible for civilians and international personnel who refuse to heed our warning when they get hurt. Responsible people should take this warning very serious because the SSLA forces will launch widespread attacks in Upper Nile and Unity states. This time, the intensity of fighting will be equivalent to Operation Desert Storm of 1991 because the SSLA is committing all its forces to capture Unity State and Upper Nile.

We strongly alert the international community that Operation Ending Corruption will be the mother of all wars in South Sudan. We could predict that all civilians of both states will be displaced because this time the SSLA forces will fight day and night to capture both states in one week. This time SSLA forces will conduct its operations differently because so many peasants and young men joined its rank and file. We congratulate seven hundred youth of Mayiandit County who joined the SSLA forces last week. It is the policy of our Movement to arm youth who want to defend themselves from the forces of corruption. We encourage more youth of Mayiandit County to join SSLA in order to effectively defend themselves from SPLA forces that constantly take their cattle.

Lastly, the SSLA calls on SPLA forces in Unity State and Upper Nile to either join the Movement or go home if they don't want to die. This time, the SPLA forces will be confronted by SSLA forces composed of energetic young men who are highly motivated to liberate the South. Those SPLA forces who want to fight the SSLA should make necessary arraignments with their families to ensure the future of their children if they wish to die defending corruption in Juba. Most families of SPLA soldiers who were killed in battles suffer without any assistance from Salva Kiir who doesn't care about the families of SPLA soldiers killed in the battlefields. Therefore, members of SPLA army in Unity State and Upper Nile should think for the future of their children if they allow themselves to be killed defending corrupt regime in Juba.