The Jonglei State government has granted amnesty to Red Belt leader Leek Mamer Leek, Bor County Commissioner Samuel Ateny Pech announced during New Year prayers at St. Andrew Church in Bor.
“The person called Leek Mamer is pardoned. We have forgiven
him. If the soldiers find him, he won’t be shot again,” Pech announced.
The government’s amnesty comes after Mamer posted a video on
Tuesday evening denying any rebellion against the government.
“He went live and said, ‘The government is my father, and if my father wants to fight me, I have to run. That is the reason I don’t fight the government.’ He also added, ‘You have finished my great men as government,'" Pech stated. "That word is enough.”
The Red Belt, a community vigilante self‑defense force of
young people mostly active in Bor County that says it protects communities from
security threats in areas with limited government presence, was accused of
terrorism by the government last year.
The national government later declared the group a rebel
organization after its members failed to report to the South Sudan People’s
Defence Forces in Malual Chaat Barack.
Security forces were deployed to Bor to crack down on the
group, and in late November, one member was killed during the Star Hotel
shooting.
The amnesty announcement has drawn mixed reactions on social
media, with many people calling it a welcome gesture for the New Year 2026.