Bor Community Leaders in the USA: We are with the government of South Sudan on IGAD-Plus peace proposal
Public Statement from the Leaders of Bor Community in the USA regarding the IGAD-Plus Peace Proposal
August 24, 2015 (SSB) — As the IGAD plus peace proposal on South Sudan had hit a deadlock on the government side. Our position as one of the affected community in South Sudan, is that we supported the position of the government not to sign this flawless peace proposal by IGAD because it’s lack the clarity on how to avoid another December 15, 2015, in the near future. The IGAD plus peace proposal has the purpose of creating tribal loopholes and a goal of making the government of South Sudan to collapse. Therefore, we say no to this peace being imposed on President Kiir’s Administration in Addis Abba, Ethiopia.
Don’t mistake our stand on the IGAD plus peace proposal because we know that our country want peace. However, as a leaders of Bor Community in The USA, we believe that the current peace is not being negotiated in good faith to meet the interest of South Sudanese people. Because allowing a nation to have two armies, (the national army and the warlord army), two budgets, as per this IGAD Plus proposal is not the way to build a cohesive nation but rather a way to turn South Sudan into stateless chunks of oil-rich territories tossed up for grabs by any player in the region or the world over.
A reasonable person or a concerned citizen would know where this document (IGAD Plus peace proposal) belongs: historical junkyards!
Overall, we as Bor leaders in USA, believed that leaving the fate of our people in the hands of their very killers of (1991, 2013, and 2014), poses existential threat to existence of South Sudan and its people. As leaders of this community, we say NO to peace option that allow two armies (the national army and tribal army) to run our country. That is why we believed that President Kiir has done the right thing to walk away from that deal, and we support him in this decision.
With that being said, we know our friends in the West won’t agree with our position, but we have to push an envelope on them to understand where we are coming from and to let them know that every country has their own Bin Laden of their time. In South Sudan, we have our own Bin Laden and he need to be brought to justice before he destroyed another twin towers as he did in the early 90s and 2013. We will not brought him to face justice in American way of killing their Bin Laden but through a very meaningful peace proposal not through an imposing peace like the one that being negotiated in Addis Abba, Ethiopia.
We know that one would ask what kind of the peace proposal that we will support as the leaders of this community and concern citizens of South Sudan. We want to see the peace proposal that resonate with the Western values that don’t reward the criminal behaviors and avoid encouraging of insurgency as a way to ascending to leadership in our country. Also, we want the peace that will not allow people with the mentality of the following groups (KKK, White Supremacy and Black Panther) roaming the country with their weapons without a government intervention on them as the American did to their anti-progressive in 1950s-60s.
Therefore, as the leaders of the Bor community in The USA, we rejected the peace that allows the share of national resources, the national army, government positions, with one tribe out of 64 tribes. We are also, against the demilitarization of the Juba and the replacement of the state forces with the UN forces because forces have been toothless since the war broke out in mid-December, 2013.
There have been an instance where the people throats were slit while the UNMISS forces were present and never intervened to save the lives. The incidences, in Malakal, Bor, Bentiu, and Akobo can attest to this inability of the UNMISS forces being a viable force to provided protection to properties and lives in South Sudan. And not only in South Sudan, which the UN forces have found to be ineffective.
Many times, the UN forces fail to save the lives of the innocent people than the really army of the country. Therefore, we rejected the UN intervention forces in our country affairs and want our national army to continue with their duty of providing equal protection to all citizens regardless of their tribes or political affiliations.
Finally, our recommendations on IGAD plus peace proposal are these:
1-The IGAD plus peace proposal need further study, and the President doesn’t have to sign it immediately.
2-Also, the warlord Riek Machar need to make peace with his runagate Generals that broke away from his main SPLM/IO group first before signing the peace.
3-No two separate armies in South Sudan because there is no any country in the world that has two separate armies.
4-No share of the national resources with one tribe. We have one government and the wealthy of the country need to be shared among the 10 States, where the states with high populations would get a bigger share than the states with a lower populations as it is done in USA.
Any peace proposals that doesn’t brace all the stated issues we recommended above, is what we are against as the leaders of the Bor community in the USA. Should the IGAD plus peace proposal fail to modify their proposals on the peace agenda, we encourage the government of South Sudan to stand their ground not to sign the peace that advocates for a share of resources, government positions, and two separate armies within our country.
Because we don’t want an experimental government that will not last long before another conflict breakout. As leaders of Bor community in the USA and concern citizens of South Sudan, we want to assure the government of South Sudan leaders that we stand with them, and we will do our part here in the West.
Thanks,
Akol Aguek Ngong, President
Ajok Atong Atong, Vice President
Cc: Matier Mayom Mayen, General Secretary
Cc: Manyok Maluil Joh, Information Secretary
Cc: Majur Deng Nhial, Press Secretary and Bor Spokesman
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