Tito Biel Chuor (or Chol, Chor) was a high-ranking commander in the

South Sudan Defense Forces The South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), formerly the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), is the army of the Republic of South Sudan. The SPLA was founded as a guerrilla movement against the government of Sudan in 1983 and was a ...

(SSDF) during the

Second Sudanese Civil War The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originat ...

(1983–2005). Tito Biel, of the Dok section of the

Nuer people The Nuer people are a Nilotic ethnic group concentrated in the Greater Upper Nile region of South Sudan. They also live in the Ethiopian region of Gambella. The Nuer speak the Nuer language, which belongs to the Nilotic language family. T ...

, was originally in the

Sudan People's Liberation Army The South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), formerly the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), is the army of the Republic of South Sudan. The SPLA was founded as a guerrilla movement against the government of Sudan in 1983 and was a ...

(SPLA), but joined

Riek Machar Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon (born 26 November 1952) is a South Sudanese politician who serves as the First Vice President of South Sudan. Political life In February 2020, Machar was re-sworn in as first vice president following a revitalised ...

's breakaway faction in 1991. He followed Riek Machar when he became reconciled with the Sudan government in 1997, joining the SSDF. Major General Tito Biel led SSDF forces in 1998/1999 in clashes with Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) troops and militia under Major General

Paulino Matiep Paulino Matip Nhial (1942 – 22 August 2012), or Matiep Nhial, was a military leader and politician in South Sudan. Early career Paulino belonged to the Bul section of the Nuer people. He joined the Anyanya separatist force during the First Suda ...

. By April 1999 Tito Biel's SSDF forces in Western Upper Nile were cooperating with the

(SPLA) forces in Bahr el Ghazal, who were supplying arms. Tito was pushed out of

Leer Leer may refer to: * Leer, Lower Saxony, town in Germany ** Leer (district), containing the town in Lower Saxony, Germany ** Leer (Ostfriesland) railway station * Leer, South Sudan, town in South Sudan ** Leer County, an administrative division of ...

by Paulino's forces, and on arrival in

Yirol Yirol is a city in South Sudan. Location It is located in ''Yirol West County'', Lakes State, in central South Sudan. Its location lies approximately , by road, northwest of Juba, the largest city in South Sudan and the capital of that country ...

early in May 1999 he formally declared that he had switched to the SPLA, along with his officers and men. For several months after September 1999 he coordinated with Commander

Peter Gadet Peter Gatdet Yak (1958 – 15 April 2019) or Peter Gadet was a Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) general who became the leader of the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA), a rebel movement in South Sudan. Early life He was born between 1957 and ...

in attacking various oil-related targets in Unity State. Gadet had also rebelled from the SSDF after fighting Tito earlier in the year for control of Block 5A. In November 1999 Biel, Gadet and other Nuer commanders formed the Upper Nile Provisional United Military Command Council (UMCC) to coordinate anti-government forces in the state. They were not satisfied with

for cooperating with the government despite the fact that the government had not honored the Khartoum peace agreement and had not handed over control of the oil fields to the Nuer militias. Riek Machar resigned from the government at the end of the year and in February 2000 formed the Sudan People's Defense Forces/Democratic Front (SPDF). For a while the UMCC and SPDF cooperated, but the arrangement broke down as the government supplied Machar with arms and ammunition to settle grievances with the SPLA/Gadet troop. Later in 2000 Tito Biel joined Riek Machar's SPDF. He spent several months after March 2000 in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city prope ...

with Riek Machar and other leaders. In early 2001 Tito Biel returned to Eastern Upper Nile with Riek Machar where they tried to drum up support for the SPDF militia. In early February 2002, resentful that he had not been consulted on Riek Machar's deal with John Garang to rejoin the SPLA, Tito Biel rejoined the Sudan government. Later he was joined by Peter Gadet.

References

Sources * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Biel, Tito South Sudanese politicians Living people Year of birth missing (living people)