In South Sudan, the spectacular and enigmatic trajectory of stand-up comedian Feel Free is making headlines. Philip Omon, his real name, announced in April that he would lead an armed rebellion against the government of President Salva Kiir.
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With our correspondent in Juba, Florence Miettaux
These statements which, although they had not necessarily been taken seriously at the start, gave rise to the first attacks during May. And, in recent days, the South Sudanese army has been tracking the comedian turned rebel leader in the mountains of Eastern Equatoria, a region located in the southeast of the country. The army spokesperson announced that he had killed two of his fighters on 1er June. The actor would have managed to escape.
Many believed in a new sketch when, on April 28, the one who had proclaimed himself “ King of comedy in South Sudan » appeared in military fatigues in a video published on his Facebook account, followed by nearly 200,000 subscribers. Philip Omon presents himself as the commander-in-chief of People’s Freedom Movement (PFM), and denounces the “ corruption “, THE ” lies » and the “ tyranny ” of “ Salva Kiir regime “.
Not an isolated case
In his latest video posted on May 25, the young rebel leader appears on the side of a green mountain, and reveals his location in Chukudum, a village in Budi County, Eastern Equatoria. A beginner’s mistake perhaps… Since it was following the publication of this video that the South Sudanese army carried out an operation which led to the death of two of its men.
Now on the run, Philip Omon is not the first young person, enjoying a certain notoriety, a certain success in the civilian sphere, to take up arms, against all odds, against the South Sudanese government. In 2020, Kerbino Wol, a businessman and philanthropist who went into rebellion, was killed by the South Sudanese army at the age of 38.
More recently, in March, activist Peter Biar Ajak was arrested in the United States. He is accused of “ arms trafficking » towards South Sudan with the aim of mounting an armed insurrection.
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