Response To Nuer Youth Executive Council’s Press Release
3 min readBy Tearz Ayuen
I read your press release in which you’re calling for immediate release of your chairman, Peter Tut Hoth and SPLA Major General Simon Gatwec Dual who got detained by the alleged Dinka security agents recently. In the press release, you also urge every Nuer in the government to resign from Salva Kiir’s government. That is interesting! You even ‘de-nuered’ the SPLA Chief of General Staff, James Hoth Mai for having not supported your ‘cause’. He must be thinking himself to death now, trying to figure out which tribe to relocate to. And whether there is any tribe willing to welcome him. Oh poor Mai!
Anyway,
What is Nuer Youth Executive?
Is it a political party?
Or is it a civil society organization?
What are its goals?
When was it formed?
Does the government recognize it?
What does it intend to achieve in the next 2 years, 3 years, 5 years or 10 years?
Where is it headquartered? – Its physical address?
Who funds your projects?
There is something I don’t understand here. Your chairman was detained by the government, the very government a Nuer son is the second most powerful man. Besides, hundreds of Nuer sons are holding strategic positions in the government. So, what makes you think that the Dinka, the whole tribe of about 4 million people, is behind the arrest of Tut? If the Dinka government was picking on Nuer youth at random, why didn’t the military intelligence pick Lam Tungwar or Manasseh Mathiang or any other Nuer youth? Why Peter Tut?
I am not sure if you are aware that there is a government, a democratically elected government that is running the affairs of South Sudan, with the help of a constitution. They call it South Sudan Transitional Constitution. It contains rules and regulations that guide the activities of the government and the citizens. As a youth group of today, you cannot call for a release of an individual the government is holding over some sort of a crime. It’s illegal. If you do, others will regard you as a tribal head. And you do not respect the constitution. But you can pressure the government to speed up the judicial process: trial, hearing. And that is if you’re a registered institution. Yes, threatening the authorities to release ‘criminals’ is a guerrilla-war-era way of tackling issues of public concern, and is a bad idea at these critical times. Keep in mind that I am not saying Tut is guilty of whatever the government has accused him of, but I am just encouraging you to go it the proper channel.
Again, I am not saying you’re an illegitimate group but I am afraid, I doubt your legitimacy. If you’re a registered body of whatever kind and the government knows you, why do you tribalize the arrest of Tut to an extent of asking members of Nuer community to leave the government? Here is a secret. You are not the only youth group that does not like the way the government is managing the affairs of South Sudan. The youth have a common enemy – the ruling SPLM party which is made up of our aunts and uncles. Don’t you think it is about time every young South Sudanese ceases being a kuku, Murle or Anyuak?
Millions of youth are yearning for a change. Why can’t you join hands for a bigger, stronger and smarter body that could act as a mouthpiece for all the young people in the country?
You have a beautiful name though– Nuer Youth Executive Council!
Yours sincerely,
Your brother from another tribe called South Sudan.
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I would wish just to second what my colleague has said above.For sure if so called Nuer Youth are indeed dissatisfied with what current government accomplishing or has failed to fulfill their promises, then they ought to cooperate with other youth from various communities across the republic and overwhelming voted out this government during the next general elections.In fact James Hoth Mai has to persistently perform his duties with a lot of integrity as he is doing current and leave alone those whose interest is to see S.Sudan sinking and shamefully,muppetly laugh and then make reckless statements which are destructive as well.Shame on them!