Gossip-Based Intelligence and Organisational Fragmentation: The Case of the SPLM/A, 1983-2005 - Insider Reflections on Rebel Military Intelligence in South Sudan".

This article examines the role of gossip-based intelligence within the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) from 1983 to 2005, highlighting its detrimental effects on organizational cohesion and decision-making. Drawing on the author's four decades of insider experience and scholarly analysis, the study reveals how reliance on unverified, rumor-driven intelligence led to wrongful arrests, internal purges, and factionalism, culminating in the SPLM/A's fragmentation in 1991. The research situates these dynamics within institutional intelligence and political conspiracy theories, emphasizing the politicization of intelligence and the absence of effective oversight mechanisms. It further traces the historical and structural influences on SPLM/A intelligence practices, including training under Ethiopian and Sudanese intelligence services, which contributed to a culture of suspicion and internal targeting. The article concludes by recommending strengthened accountability, improved training, and transparent recruitment to mitigate the harmful impact of gossip in intelligence operations.