| Country: | Sudan |
| Details of Formation: | Anyanya II is a successor movement to the rebel group Anyanya who fought the government from 1956 to 1972 and was incorporated into the army as stipulated in the 1972 Addis Abbeba agreement. Anyanya II formed in the late 1970s and was first a name covering a series of independent groups. Ethiopia assisted some of them and those that were assisted began to bring discipline to the others by 1982. In 1983, the SPLA was formed and backed by Ethiopia; some Anyanya II resisted incorporation and their leaders allied in 1983 with the Sudanese government for military and political support. Not all Anyanya II blocks allied with the government; only Anyanya II commander Paulino Matiep was permanently allied with the government. |
| Details of Termination: | By 1988, most Anyanya II forces had joined the SPML/A through negotiations, except for the faction of Paulino Matiep (the Anyanya II Bul Nuer forces), which remained on the side of the government. In 1991, Paulino Matiep joined Riek Machar’s SPLM/A-Nasir because both shared the goal of independence and the SPLM/A-Nasir already controlled Matiep’s region. Back then, the SPLM/A-Nasir was a PGM (cf. separate PGM entry SPLM/A-Nasir). In 1998, the Sudanese government entered into the Khartoum Peace Agreement with Riek Machar’s group; Paulino Matiep was promoted in 1998 to a major general in the Sudanese army and his militia, directly supplied by the government, was given the name South Sudan Unity Movement/Army (SSUM/A) (cf. separate PGM entry for SSUM/A). (Human Rights Watch 2003). News source give a divergent account of events: Still in 1992, the Anyanya II were welcomed by the Governor of Kordofan after a successful operation (which implies that they were not integrated into any other PGM at that time). In 1993, Brig Kuany, the governor of the State of Upper Nile, announced that the Anyanya II had officially disbanded after a joint attack with the SPLM/A-Nasir against the town of Malakal which involved plundering and looting the town. |
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the Anyanya II was to fight rebel groups (esp. SPLA (John Grang) and SPLM/A). The Sudanese government used the Anyanya II because it was strategically well located to attack SPLA recruits on their way to and from Ethiopian training camps. The Anyanya II was used as a surrogate force to keep SPLA presence at a minimum and to provide a buffer zone against SPLA incursions into the oilfields from the Dinka and SPLM/A stronghold in Bahr El Ghaza. Additionally, government alliance with the Anyanya II was part of a broader “divide and displace/destroy” policy to generate divisions among the rebels and thereby allow government the possibility to access to some oilfields (Human Rights Watch 2003). News sources add that the Anyanya II was lauded for providing support for the armed forces and the popular defence forces. This assistance, also in sending relief material to citizens in the southern part of Sudan, spared the armed forces’ efforts and was a reason for government alliance with the group. |
| Organisation: | Anyanya II received support from the Defence Ministry and engaged in joint actions with the regular armed forces. It also had links to Maj-Gen Sayyid al-Husayni Abd al-Karim, the Governor of Kordofan. In return for guarding oilfields against rebel attacks, the Anyanya II received substantial material benefits from the Sudanese government. In 1988, the SPLA captured the Anyanya II base in Mayom; the government then sent Lt. Gen. Omar El Bashir with army reinforcements to recapture the Anyanya II base from the rebels. As a consequence, a personal bond was forged between Omar el Bashir and the Anyanya II leader Paulino Matiep. This bond became more significant after Bashir became Sudanese President after a military coup in 1989 (Human Rights Watch 2003). News sources mention also other Anyanya II leaders (such Abdullah Chuol and after his death Gordon Kong Chuol), however, only the faction led by Paulino Matiep remained pro-government over the years and never joined rebel groups. |
| Weapons and Training: | Anyanya II was armed and supported by the Sudanese government (Human Rights Watch 2003). Also, they captured arms in attacks against rebel groups, including mortar 81 and Kalshnikov rifles. |
| Size: | A news source from 1987 estimates that there are 15,000 fighters in the Anyanya II. |
| Reason for Membership: | -- |
| Treatment of Civilians: | The Anyanya II militia under Paulina Matiep displaced villagers; the government army was also involved in such displacements (Human Rights Watch 2003). A news source reports that in October 1992, the Anyanya II had mounted an attack against the town of Malakal which it plundered and looted together with the SPLM-A/Nasir forces; as a consequence, the governor of the State of Upper Nile announced its disbandment. It is not clear if this attack occurred while still being an independent PGM or after officially having joined forces with the SPLM-A/Nasir (cf. termination details). |
| Other Information: | The group is also called “friendly forces” or Anya-Nya 2. Anyanya is the word for a poison made in southern Sudan (Human Rights Watch 2003). Most recruits are from the Nuer tribe. |
| References: |
Human Rights Watch. 2003. “Sudan, Oil and Human Rights.” ISBN: 1564322912 Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD |