A Nairobi Trip Sparks Controversy
Leek Mamer Leek, widely known as “90 Bullet”, heads the Jonglei-based Red Belt community militia in South Sudan. His recent video testimony outlines how a 2025 visit to Nairobi turned from de-escalation mission into accusations of rebellion.
The government later declared his group an insurgent movement; Mamer insists the designation rests on misunderstanding rather than intent.
From Mogiri Violence to Voluntary Exile
Mamer links the saga to clashes following alleged Murle cattle raids near Bor. After Bor youth retaliated at Mogiri market, media personality Mading Ngor warned that arrest warrants loomed.
Accepting advice to let tempers cool, Mamer left for Kenya, expecting a brief absence before resuming what he describes as community protection duties.
Recruitment Offer Rejected in Nairobi
Five days into the stay, Mamer says Ngor relayed an invitation from opposition figures eager to capitalise on his grassroots influence. He claims he refused immediately, stressing neutrality in national politics.
He contacted the late commander Thon Kuany, who, he says, echoed the refusal. Shortly afterwards, Ngor allegedly departed, leaving the delegation stranded until family members settled hotel bills.
Return Home, Rising Suspicion
Back in Bor, Mamer found rumours swirling that he had met rebel leaders. He alleges Ngor briefed senior officials, including Justice Minister Michael Makuei Lueth, portraying him as a new opposition commander.
Local politician Thiik Thiik Mayardit proposed formalising Red Belt as community police under state oversight, a concept Mamer embraced; yet the rebellion label persisted and finally became official.
Ngor’s Counter-Narrative
Ngor dismisses Mamer’s story as fabrication, branding him a rebel responsible for violent incidents around Bor throughout 2025. He questions the origin of Red Belt uniforms acquired in Gulu and travel logistics he denies organising.
He cites clashes with security forces, alleged kidnappings, and intimidation at health-centre openings as evidence of insurgency, promising a detailed dossier soon.
Conflicting Claims, Unanswered Questions
The duel of testimonies highlights South Sudan’s murky line between community defence groups and insurgent outfits. Neither side supplies documents or independent witnesses to settle the dispute.
Meanwhile, civilians in Jonglei navigate insecurity, hopeful that clarification of Red Belt’s status could redirect energies from confrontation toward constructive local policing.