Padang Dinka Community Position Paper on the Proposed IGAD Peace Agreement
REF: PADANG COMMUNITY POSITION ON IGAD PROPOSED “KEY PROVISIONS AND JUSTIFICATION FOR THE AGREEMENT ON THE RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN”
July 22, 2015 (SSB) —- Padang Community Union is a Union of Seven Communities in Eight Counties of Greater Upper Nile Region; namely Abiemnom and Panriang in Unity State; Renk, Maluth, Baliet, Akoka and Malakal in Upper Nile State, and Pigi in Jonglei State.
We, the Padang Community Representatives consisting of Community leaders, members of Council of States, members of National and State Legislative Assemblies, Youth and Women Associations, met in Juba on 25th June 2015 under the auspices of Padang Community Union (PCU), to scrutinize the recent IGAD proposed agreement entitled “Key Provisions and Justification for the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.”
Padang Community applauds and expresses profound heartfelt gratitude to IGAD – Leadership, the International Community and all the Stakeholders for investing enormous efforts on peace process to bring a conclusive end to the unjustifiable violence that has gripped our nation since December 2013.
Nevertheless, Padang Community hereby registers its profound shock and dismay over certain provisions contained in the IGAD proposed Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. Our shock and dismay are prompted by the content of the document in Chapter I entitled, “Transitional Governance Arrangements,” paragraph 8 in the section labelled, “Arrangements for states most affected by conflict,” which reads as follows:
The State Council of Ministers in the states of Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile shall be reconstituted and appointed at the beginning of the transition, and not later than a month. As per the following power sharing ratios: GRSS: thirty three (33) per cent; SPLM-IO fifty three (53) per cent: SPLM Leaders (Former Detainees): Seven (7) per cent: other Political Parties: Seven (7) percent.
After a careful review and closer examination of the above provision, we have reached the conclusion that IGAD Mediation is either misled or biased to sandwich malicious ill-intended tribal conspiracies and tendencies that are driving Riek’s rebellion to commit all the unthinkable atrocities since the eruption of the current conflict in South Sudan.
IGAD is fully aware that the current conflict was triggered by power struggle within the SPLM Party. This is a fact that is well defined by the warring Parties as well as IGAD Mediation and the International Community. It has been further confirmed by self- evident various SPLM groupings such as SPLM, SPLM-IO and SPLM-FDs adopted in peace processes.
Despite the fact that the conflict is well defined as a political conflict with a definitive root cause identified as power struggle within the SPLM Party, yet Padang Community has continuously suffered from Riek’s ethnically targeted massacres in the three (3) States of Greater Upper Nile. Riek committed unbearable atrocities against innocent unarmed Padang civilians mostly children, women, elderly and disable in what we consider as intended plan to annihilate Padang population. He mercilessly gang raped our girls and women and systematically murdered our unarmed civilians in their homes, Churches, Mosques and Hospitals and uprooted masses of them from their homes. Such atrocities had not been witnessed during the long war of liberation in the united Sudan.
IGAD is also aware that this is not the first time for Riek Machar to commit such atrocities. Riek defected from SPLM/A in 1991 launched wide range mayhems massacre of Padang civilians including women, children elderly disabled people. He repeated such massacres of Dinka Bor civilians as well. All this went unaccounted for and not justice was done to Riek or his group. Based on lack of accountability for all atrocities committed, Riek and his group are again repeating more atrocities than the ones carried out in 1991. They are even shamelessly talking about accountability of atrocities committed during this conflict. Riek and his group must be rewarded, but must be held accountable instead for all the atrocities committed in 1991 as well as the one being committed in the ongoing conflict.
Power sharing in Greater Upper Nile States (Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei) has never been part of the senseless violence that brought anarchy to the 3 States. Why should the genocidal Riek be rewarded the rule of Greater Upper Nile States for all the evils he has done in the region? Why should he be honoured to rule the same people for causing them untold death, rape, destruction, starvation and displacement when Riek himself has never demanded the rule over Greater Upper Nile? Will IGAD Mediation and International Community be willing to grant the same favour to anyone who will commit the same evil act?
Padang Community, therefore, categorically rejects and condemns the IGAD’s proposed power sharing formula, which gives 53% to the rebels, 33% to GRSS, 7% to SPLM-FD, and 7% to other political parties. Because it is designed to break up the Country into areas controlled by the Government (Bahr-El-Ghazal and Equatoria) and others assumed to be controlled by rebels (Upper Nile) respectively. IGAD Mediation needs to respect the sovereignty of the Republic of South Sudan on the process of negotiating peace.
Padang has been side-lined and has not been represented in the peace negotiation process even though the Government and IGAD are fully aware that the issues being discussed directly affect the Community. The Community bears the most burden of the current war, yet it is not represented in negotiation neither in the Government team nor in the civil Society. Yet the war is practically fought in Padang’s territories and the Padang people are the most affected people by the war.
It is a fact that the outcome of peace shall have severe consequences on Padang’s political, economic and humanitarian viability. Because majority of Padang people currently live under the custody of United Nations in UNMISS protection sites and in other displaced camps in deplorable conditions. The Community is at the verge of losing its both natural and human resources due to current conflict. Therefore, we should be among the primary stakeholders that are seeking lasting solutions to the conflict on the round table so that our interest is not compromised in the peace process and thereafter as it is evident in the IGAD proposed Agreement.
Highlights:
- The current political turmoil was triggered by political differences within the ruling Party; SPLM. We believe that peace can be realized by addressing the root cause of the conflict by SPLM, SPLM-IO and SPLM-FD. The SPLM intra-party Agreement (Arusha Agreement), should be the base for re-unification of SPLM Party to settle the outstanding political predicaments in the Country. The IGAD-led peace process should anchor on Arusha Agreement to bring lasting peace instead of looking elsewhere for new bases.
- It is a plain fact that all the major oil-producing oil-fields in Paloch, in Upper Nile State and Unity State are all within the Padang Community’s Territories. The only exception is the minimum oil producing oil field in Thar Jaz which produces about 8% of the total oil production in South Sudan that is in Nuer’s land. We, therefore, do not understand the criterion used by IGAD Mediation to grant Riek Machar the rule of Greater Upper Nile. The only possible basis for Riek Machar to be honoured and rewarded the rule of Greater Upper Nile is that he has rebelled and has committed untold suffering to the people of Greater Upper Nile.
- Padang Community recognizes the fact that majority of the rebels hail from one ethnic group out of the nine ethnicities (Dinka or Jieng, Nuer, Shilluk, Maban, Koma, Anyuak, Murle, Jehe and Kachipo) represented in Greater Upper Nile region. It is unfair and unjust, therefore, for IGAD to propose the rule of one ethnic group (Nuer) over the eight ethnic groups who did not rebel or commit inhumane atrocities. The eight ethnic groups that are excluded by IGAD proposed power sharing, are currently bearing the effects of the conflict, defending their people, land and properties, and more importantly the constitution of the Republic of South Sudan.
Recommendations and Way Forward:
The suffering of children, women, disabled and elderly is so immense that any attempt to realize just and fair peace cannot be resisted or opposed under any circumstances. Nevertheless, Padang Community unanimously agreed that unjust and unfair peace will not bring the lasting peace and will not heal the wounds caused by the ongoing political upheaval that has subjected masses of innocent citizens into deplorable and inhumane conditions.
In order to attain lasting peace and political stability in the Republic of South Sudan, Padang Community recommends the following:
- In respect to existing governance institutions and for the rule of law to prevail in the Republic of South Sudan, the Community advises IGAD Mediation Team, all the stakeholders and negotiating parties to strictly focus on addressing the main issue that sparked the current conflict.
- The Community demands inclusion of at least two or three Padang representatives in the negotiation team to avoid the past mistakes committed during the negotiation of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which led to the grouping of most Padang’s areas as contentious border areas even where it should not have been.
- For the sake of lasting peace and unity of the Country, Riek Machar is to only share power in the National Government under the united SPLM Party. The Transitional Government of National Unity, in which Riek will be a party, shall then form the State Governments.
- In case, IGAD Mediation would not consider our recommendation for any reason, we propose the creation of states on the basis of twenty three (23) old Colonial Districts. Based on this proposal, we the Padang Community demands the creation of two states as follows:
- Ruweng State (RUS) in Unity State to constitute Abiemnom and Panriang Counties.
- Central Upper Nile State (CUNS) to constitute Seven (7) Counties of Renk, Maluth, Maban, Baliet, Akoka and Malakal in Upper Nile State and Pigi County in Jonglei State.
Long live SPLM,
Long live SPLA,
Long live Salva Kiir Mayardit and
Long live Padang Community.
Best Regards;
For Padang Community:
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Dr Ramadan Chan Liol, Mr Monywach Tiop Ajak
Chairperson, General Secretary
Padang Community Union, Padang Community Union
Juba, South Sudan. Juba, South Sudan
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