Pro-Government Militias
Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army - United Lam Akol (SPLM/A-United Lam Akol) (Sudan)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | yes |
| PGM ID Number: | 646 |
| Country: | Sudan |
| Date formed: | Sept. 20, 1997 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | Lam Akol had previously been a leading member (foreign affairs secretary) of the SPLM/A-United PGM. In February 1994, he was expulsed from the SPLM/A-United. Lam Akol then returned to his home region. After the SPLM/A-United PGM had dissolved in 1994, Lam Akol named his own Shilluk forces SPLM/A-United. This was a different group than the SPLM/A-United PGM (Human Rights Watch). Lam Akol began to approach the government, and in 1997 he signed the Fashoda peace agreement with the Sudanese government. News sources refer to the group as a pro-government militia after that signature. Lam Akol became transport minister in the government. |
| Date dissolved: | Oct. 24, 2003 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | In 2002, Lam Akol resigned from the ruling National Congress party and became an important member of the opposition Justice Party. Lam Akol remained in Khartoum, but his alternate commander James Gadwell broke away from the SPLM/A-United Lam Akol and joined the pro-government forces of Paulino Matieb. Despite Lam Akol’s defection to an opposition party, most news sources continued to refer to the SPLM/A-United Lam Akol as a PGM. In October 2003, Lam Akol officially joined the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) of Salva Kiir. One news source mentions that a SPLM/A-United Lam Akol rump faction, led by James Othow, did not defect to the rebels. That news source also mentions that the government sent militiamen to support Othow’s fight against Lam Akol, his former colleague. There is no further evidence on James Othow’s faction beside this one news source. In 2005, Lam Akol was appointed Sudan government’s minister of foreign affairs under the unity government with he SPLM/A. Still, Lam Akol remained SPLM/A member and we consider the SPLM/A a rebel group even after 2005 (for details, cf. Codebook entry). |
| Termination Type(s): | PGM defects |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | no information |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | yes |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | 466 |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no information |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | no information |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic |
| Primary Membership: | ethnic |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Upper Nile |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | None |
| Purpose(s): | no information |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | Shilluk (Sudan) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The commander of the PGM is Lam Akol Ajawin, an ethnic Shilluk. He had been a senior member of the SPLM/A, before he broke away with Riek Machar and Gordon Kong Chuol to form the SPLM/A-Nasir. From 1997 to 2002 Lam Akol served as transport minister and was a member of the ruling National Congress Party. The Fashoda peace agreement, which the PGM signed in 1997, gave it a legal status. The government, especially the minister of federal rule Nafie Ali Nafie had some degree of control over the PGM even without Lam Akol. In 2002, he tried to transform the SPLM/A-United Lam Akol into different factions and organize it as pro-government militia. This by-passing angered Lam Akol who subsequently defected with his force. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.