SUMMARY
SSLM/A (South Sudan Liberation Movement/Army) was an armed rebel group established in 2011. It originally fought to oust the Government of Sudan and later, the Government of South Sudan, until it accepted a presidential pardon and an amnesty issued on 24 April 2013. Following this, the SSLM/A troops integrated into the government forces.
The SSLM/A was based in Unity state, which lay along the divide between northern Sudan and the autonomous southern region of Sudan prior to its formal separation as independent South Sudan in July 2011. The area of Unity state, which was the main area of operations for the SSLM/A, consequently became part of South Sudan. Some clashes were also reported to have occurred in the neighboring states of Warrap and Lakes in South Sudan as well.
The majority of SSLM/A forces were from the Nuer ethnic group; one of the largest in South Sudan. It was second only to the Dinka ethic group, which had dominated the SPLM/A rebel group and then effectively transformed into the Government of South Sudan.
As a result, the SSLM/A perceived widespread SPLM/A dominance, corruption and underdevelopment. Therefore, it claimed to want to replace the governing regime of South Sudan with a politically broad-based, democratically elected government and “a truly professional army”. This was announced in the Mayom Declaration that was released on 11 April 2011. However, at the time, South Sudan remained an autonomous region ruled through a power-sharing arrangement under the Government of Sudan; it did not become an independent state until 9 July 2011. Therefore, the SSLM/A incompatibility was considered part of the Sudan conflict over government (see Government of Sudan – SSLM/A) until this date. After 9 July 2011, SSLM/A violence is included as part of the conflict over government in South Sudan.
In 2012, the SSLM/A is estimated to have had between 1200 and 3000 troops. It was structured as a relatively loose constellation of forces that operated as independent units more often than as a unified movement.
The SSLM/A was founded by Peter Gadet, an ethnic Bul Nuer from Mayom county in Unity state, who had previously been a member of the SPLM/A. He led the group until August 2011, when he signed a peace agreement and joined the Government of South Sudan forces. However, the SSLM/A continued fighting without Gadet; James Gai Yoach become its leader and Bapiny Montuil served as deputy. Disputes arising from leadership and control over weapons began to internally fracture the group after April 2012 and Bapiny Montuil took over the leadership after Yoach was arrested in September 2012.
The support given to the SSLM/A from the Government of Sudan was a poor kept secret during 2011 and 2012. Some support was provided by the regime in Khartoum before the official independence of South Sudan as well as afterwards. This was motivated by the hostile relations between the Government of South Sudan and the Government of Sudan; both governments undermined each other by supporting each other’s rebel groups despite both denying such allegations. Accordingly, the regime in Khartoum supplied the SSLM/A with weapons and ammunition. They also offered the SSLM/A a safe haven north of the border and provided funds in order to enable their rebellion.
