Reward And Accountability

How commissioner Gatluak Lew Thiep Is undermining the SPLM/A-IO leadership

The political and security situation in Nasir County has deteriorated sharply under the leadership of Commissioner Hon. Gatluak Lew Thiep. His recent conduct has exposed a serious breakdown in discipline, coordination, and loyalty within the SPLM/A-IO local command structure.
What initially appeared as minor internal disagreements has now escalated into a deliberate campaign of intimidation, manipulation, and defiance against the movement’s legitimate leadership.

Acts of indiscipline and misconduct

Eyewitness within Nasir County confirm that Hon. Gatluak Lew Thiep has been committing repeated and deliberate acts of misconduct, summarized as follows:
1. Mobilization of Youths for hostile activities The commissioner has mobilized youths from Chie-Thiep and Chie-Manyian of Torkech to create disorder and provoke confrontation with movement leaders.
2. Encouragement of indiscipline
Commisioner has encouraged disrespect toward senior officials, undermining the chain of command and the moral fabric of the movement.
3. Supplying alcohol to youths
Evidence shows that he has distributed alcohol to youths with the intent of making them intoxicated and aggressive toward senior SPLM/A-IO leaders.

These actions represent not only a moral and leadership failure but also a calculated move to intimidate and weaken the SPLM/A-IO leadership in Nasir County.

Incident During Online Meeting

During a recent online meeting chaired by Acting Chairman Rt. Hon. Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, and attended by Gen. Yiey Dak and Lt. Gen. Peter Thok Luak, the commissioner allegedly mobilized a group of youths from Chie-Thiep and Chie-Manyian to disrupt and insult these senior officials.

Eyewitnesses indicate that the meeting degenerated into open disrespect and disorder. The commissioner stood by as the youths interrupted and verbally attacked the leadership. The insults directed at Lt. Gen. Peter Thok, accusing him of avoiding the frontline, were especially disgraceful given that Gen. Thok’s own sons fought courageously, while many of the accusers’ fathers never participated in any frontline operations.

In the same meeting, Chief Chuol Dothoal Wie, acting as Paramount Chief of Nasir County, further worsened the situation by attempting to silence Gen. Yiey Dak, claiming that the meeting did not concern him. This act of disrespect against a senior commander reflects the toxic atmosphere encouraged by Hon. Gatluak Lew Thiep’s leadership.

In addition, he has spread misinformation regarding an earlier promise made by Hon. Kech Nguoth and Hon. Bhan Char to provide anti-aircraft support. Instead of clarifying the matter, he manipulated the local youth, falsely claiming that the SPLM/A-IO leadership had betrayed them. This deliberate distortion has deepened mistrust and further divided the movement’s base.

Declaration of rebellion

In a subsequent meeting organized by Hon. Gatluak Lew and his mobilized youths, the group made an open declaration of rebellion, issuing the following demands:
1. Rejection of the appointment made by Rt. Hon. Oyet Nathaniel Pierino regarding the new governor.
2. Threats to resist any governor appointed by the current SPLM/A-IO leadership.
3. Refusal to allow the appointed governor to operate in Mandeng, Torkech, or Kueterenge.

It is important to note that these positions represent only two out of Nasir County’s fifteen payams, confirming that the defiance is narrow, personal, and unrepresentative of the wider community. Nevertheless, the implications for security and unity are serious and cannot be ignored.

Broader coordination and external influence

Investigations suggest that this situation forms part of a wider counter-insurgency network designed to weaken the SPLM/A-IO’s last strongholds in Upper Nile.
Available intelligence indicates that Gen. Gabriel Gatwech Puoch, Amb. Lam Chuol Jock, Hon. Pal Ruach, Hon. Gatluak Lew Thiep and Cde Tut Gony Chok are acting in coordination allegedly supported by Vice President Taban Deng G*i, Hon. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, and Gen. David Wang Chany.

Funding for these operations is reportedly channeled through Ethiopia, with Gen. Gabriel Gatwech Puoch serving as the main conduit for quarterly disbursements, allegedly financed by Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel.

The overarching objective is to fragment the SPLM/A-IO, erode its influence in Gaatmajiok land, and undermine the unity and discipline of the movement through political manipulation and community deception.

Recommendation by the Board of Reward and Accountability

The Board of Reward and Accountability has formally recommended that the SPLM/A-IO leadership under the Acting Chairman Rt. Hon. Oyet Nathaniel Pierino take decisive disciplinary action against Hon. Gatluak Lew Thiep.

The Board calls for his immediate removal from the position of Commissioner of Nasir County, noting that any attempt to reconcile without accountability would embolden future defiance.

This is not the time for negotiation with indiscipline, one senior member emphasized. This is the time for firm corrective action to protect the integrity, unity, and command structure of the SPLM/A-IO.

The leadership of the SPLM/A-IO must recognize that the situation in Nasir is not a local administrative issue but a coordinated internal assault on the movement’s structure and authority.

Hon. Gatluak Lew Thiep’s actions amount to political sabotage and military insubordination, posing a direct threat to the unity, discipline, and survival of the movement in Upper Nile.

The SPLM/A-IO leadership must therefore act decisively to restore order, reaffirm authority, and preserve the revolutionary integrity for which countless members have sacrificed.

The crisis in Nasir and Ulang

The identity crisis facing Nasir and Ulang has now become clear. It is evident that Gen. Gabriel Gatwech Puoch has been carrying out assignments on behalf of President Kiir’s regime. His work has strengthened the regime while severely weakening the SPLM/A-IO under the leadership of Acting Chairman Rt. Hon. Nathaniel Pierino Oyet.

In simple terms, one must ask, what has united Gen. James Koang Chuol Ranley, Gen. Gabriel Gatwech Puoch, Gen. David Wang Chany, and Hon. Pal Ruach Doap? And why did Elder Hoth Guandong Khor issue such a strong statement against the appointment of His Excellency Kech Nguoth Tiem, even warning him not to visit Mandeng or Kueterenge (Wathmanlual)?

The answer is straightforward, this is part of President Kiir’s agenda. The entire Gaatduany land (Nasir and Ulang) has been bombed by government forces, with the exception of Kuetreng. The reason Kuetreng has been spared is because Elder Hoth Guandong Khor resides there. Importantly, Hoth Guandong is the father in law of Gen. David Wang Chany and uncle to Gen. James Koang Chuol Ranley, Gen. Gabriel Gatwech Puoch, Hon. Kun Puoch, and Hon. Pal Ruach Doap. These men have been working together, bribing local people, and collaborating closely with the Commissioner of Nasir County, Hon. Gatluak Lew Thiep.

Many still struggle to believe that Hon. Gatluak Lew is, in fact, aligned with the government. But his actions, taken in collaboration with the above individuals, show clearly that he is slowly and deliberately dismantling the IO in Nasir.

Evidence against Hon. Gatluak Lew.

1. The bombing of Mandeng,
For the past six months, government gunships have bombed Mandeng under the pretense of targeting Hon. Gatluak Lew. In reality, this was a pressure tactic to build his credibility among the locals, making him appear as if he were a victim. However, despite continuous bombings, not a single person was wounded clear evidence of deception.

2. Favoring his own Sub-clan (Chie-Yol),
Hon. Gatluak Lew and Hon. Gatwech Jock Deng, both from Chie-Yol, have been protecting their own community while exposing others to danger. Currently, all Chie-Yol people live safely in Nasir with Hon. Gatwech Jock Deng, while none remain in Mandeng with Gatluak Lew. Even the chief of his own community refuses to stand with him.
• In the Burebiey incident, Chie-Bichiok lost 27 men and their guns, while Chie-Yol lost only one. This shows that Gatluak Lew has been shielding his people while sacrificing others to achieve his agenda.

3. Using other communities as tools,
Gatluak Lew has manipulated leaders from Chie-Bichiok to follow him blindly, leading to their community suffering heavy losses while his own remains unharmed. His clear intention is to push other communities to surrender and follow Chie-Yol’s example of cooperating with the SSPDF in Nasir town.

4. Returning captured weapons,
With Gatluak Lew’s support, the SSPDF recaptured Nasir and repossessed all the heavy machine guns previously seized by IO forces. These weapons had once been used to kill more than 350+ Nasir youth. Handing them back to the enemy is a grave betrayal.

5. Defying IO leadership in Humanitarian affairs,
Gatluak Lew unilaterally appointed a county coordinator for humanitarian affairs. This appointment was rejected by Rt. Hon. Nathaniel Pierino Oyet, yet Gatluak Lew ignored the directive. Instead, he instructed the ROSS coordinator to operate under the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) a body that exists only in the government structure, not within IO. IO’s recognized humanitarian wing is the Relief Organization for South Sudan (ROSS). His defiance proves he is not operating within IO’s doctrine.

The biggest pictures:

Hon. Gatluak Lew’s actions have,
• Divided IO political and military leaders in Nasir.
• Reached the grassroots, creating civilian divisions.
• Rejected the Governor appointed by Rt. Hon. Nathaniel Pierino Oyet, despite Oyet being the same leader who reinstated him as Commissioner.

The key question remains, where does Gatluak Lew get such powers, and who is backing him?

The Board of Reward and Accountability has concluded that,
• Hon. Gatluak Lew is a government agent.
• He is advancing the regime’s agenda with direct support from Gen. Gabriel Gatwech Puoch.
• His collaboration is reinforced by Gen. David Wang Chany, who has now been rewarded with the position of Chief Finance Officer of the National Security Service in Juba.

Hon. Gatluak Lew is no longer serving the IO cause. His actions reveal him as a trader and collaborator with the regime. The leadership of SPLM/A-IO under Rt. Hon. Nathaniel Pierino Oyet must demand that Gatluak Lew clarify his position openly, either with the movement or against it.

Commissioner Gatluak Lew Thiep of Nasir County is witnessed to have orchestrated deliberate actions that caused loss of life, fueled inter communal tensions, and threatened the fragile peace of Nasir and Ulang.

Following Governor Kech Nguoth Tiem’s appointment on 19 September, Hon. Gatluak Lew convened a meeting in Jikmir with an unauthorized military officers, youth leaders, and traditional chiefs, spreading false information and mobilizing forces to obstruct the governor’s lawful assumption of office. This led to the Buribiey attack on 20 September, resulting in forty-eight deaths and seventy-four injuries, a planned attempt to seize control and delegitimize the governor, leaving communities fractured and families devastated.

It is confirmed that Hon. Gatluak Lew continues to incite conflict in Mandeng, exploiting divisions between the Chie-Lang and Chie-Nyalieth communities for personal gain. He is supported by Hon. Pal Ruoch Doap and Amb. Lam Chuol Jock, Gen. Gabriel Garwech Puoch while other provincial actors, including Gen. James Koang Chuol Ranley, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, and Taban Deng, have taken a permissive stance.

Other actors, including Tut Gony Chok, Lam Lew Nyuon, and Koang Miyong, are motivated by personal business interests rather than the goals of SPLM-IO. Fearing Governor Kech Tiem’s administration might impact their enterprises, they are allegedly creating confusion and provoking instability in the area.

Individuals implicated include:
• Amb. Lam Chuol Jock
• Hon. Pal Ruoch Doap
• Cde. Tut Gony Chok
• Cde. Lam Lew Nyuon
• Gen. Gabriel Gatwech Puoch
• Brig. Koang Miyong Guandong

Their actions collectively bear responsibility for the Buribiey attack and ongoing efforts to divide communities for political advantage, violating the principles of public service and political ethics.

The boards of Reward and Accountability call on SPLM-IO leadership, under AC Nathaniel Pierino, to take immediate action, investigate Hon. Gatluak Lew, scrutinize the roles of Pal Ruach Doap and Lam Chuol Jock, and address why Pal Ruach Doap remains an active Deputy Speaker while other IO leaders have been suspended or removed from their positions by President Kiir’s administration.