SPLM Chapters in Australia: An Open Letter to the SPLM Party leadership in Juba (Part 2)
An Open Letter from the SPLM Chapters in Australia, written and signed by the leadership team, and address to all SPLM Party Headquarters and secretaries in Juba, South Sudan
To: His Excellency President of Republic of South Sudan,
Chairman of SPLM Party,
Secretary General of SPLM Party
SPLM Party Interim committee,
Cc: Vice President of Republic of South Sudan
Council of Ministers in the Ministerial Portfolios,
Secretary General of External relations,
Re: Open Letter to SPLM Party leadership – Juba
The SPLM Chapters leadership in Australia support the government efforts of being committed to peace, unity and security measures; applauded the creation of 28 states; and welcome the re-structuring of all secretariats in the SPLM Party.
November 14, 2015 (SSB) —- The SPLM Chapters in Australia had met and affirmed to add their voices to the current political and socio-economic dynamisms in the history of South Sudan. Martin Luther King, Jr. vividly once said history recorded that the greatest tragedy of social and political transition was not the strident clamour of the bad people, but the dead silence of the good people. He added that what we would remember in the end is not only the bad words of the enemy, but also the dreadful silence of our close friends and allies.
We the leaders, the SPLM Chapter leaders in Australia, and on behalf of the members of SPLM Chapters in diaspora, would like to congratulate the president of Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, the entire governing council of ministers, and general secretariats, for the signing of peace and stability with the SPLM-OI and G-10 stakeholders. We also believe that any problem, which has the beginning, has the end. Those human problems can be only best resolved by the local people who had been affected by those problems. The country had been in the lockdown for long, and the nature of political differences could be likened to the game of chicken – you bleak the eye first, and give in; or else the worst happens, and the grasses suffer. The South Sudanese people had seen the worst happened. The people desperately need unity, peace and security in the country. These are important phenomena, which allow the flourishing, and prosperity of human kinds and their societies.
The entire world had witnessed the enormous sufferings, massive deaths, and displacements of children, women and innocent civilians across the country. We are relieved that peace and stability has eventually prevailed, and the hope of one united nation would be restored. We urge the government to continue to embrace peace despite mix messages that are still infiltrating from the reservoirs and hangovers of the war. Nonetheless the people of South Sudan are tired of war, and need stability to build their nation once again, and move on.
Moreover, the SPLM Chapter leadership team has welcomed and applauded the creation of 28 independent states. This creation of many states will directly, or indirectly restore long lasting peace and stability in the country. South Sudanese people had been the victims of socio-political, demographical, geographical tribal divisions and faction game since 1956. Therefore the creation of 28 states will forge new identity and political culture, which will have more checks and balances based on close social cohesion and common understanding among people within the state.
South Sudan is a resourceful nation on earth; we are blessed with abundance natural resources such as petroleum, gold and many other minerals; natural and rich wildlife, and virgin land for agricultural activities. We believe that the best methodology to share those resources and bring ‘modern towns to people’ – a phrased coined by the late Dr Garang De Mabior, in a more balanced, fair and equitable manner is only achievable through 28 states. Of course, corruption is known as chronic in many governments across the world, and the young South Sudan is close to the top of those countries affected by corruption. We believe the creation of 28 states will not eradicate corruption, but can significantly reduce the frequencies of corrupted practices because the people will have close watch on their shares, and there will be inter-states healthy competition in terms of development and innovations.
Citizens in the state will exercise their rights to access information, and can question the performance of their state as compare to the development in other states, which receive equal budget from the central government.
So citizens in the state can question and set up the investigation committee to investigate government officials in the state who are observed to acquire wealth overnight through corrupted means, and never had lucrative assets declared legally. Mr President, the creation of 28 states strategy will definitely injure the roots and spinal cord of corruptions, which will in turn create more savings and equitable wealth sharing in the country.
However we recommend that the creation of 28 states presidential decree can be passed through the parliament, so that parliamentarians can closely examine and would potentially endorse it, this exercise the democratic process and ideals of consulting people representatives and respect the constitutional sovereignty of the land. Nonetheless, the government has to ensure that the creation of 28 states is effectively implemented.
Great implementation can be achieved only through establishment of an independent committee, which will receive and evaluate the feedbacks from the states, and also this committee will stipulate the states guidelines and safeguards about the structure and formation of the states government, and fairly demarcate the new states borders, this committee will address arising issues and minimise potential disputes and risks along the line.
The SPLM Chapter Australia would like to continue to request the government of Republic of South Sudan to build diplomatic relations and opportunities with Australia. There is a strong South Sudanese Australian community in Australia, and these populations could be of great workforce and social change benefits to South Sudan government only if South Sudan embassy is established here in Australia, and can act as a diplomatic conduit between the two nations.
Also, the leaders of SPLM Chapters in Australia have welcomed the dissolution of the SPLM Party secretariats general and other organs as a gesture to re-structure the party leadership and set new priorities. We the SPLM Chapter Australia are highly organised, and stick with the values, identities and strategic principles on which the SPLM party was founded.
The members of SPLM Chapters in Australia request the new leadership of the SPLM Party to motivate, encourage, and forge unity of purpose and common voices, which can strengthen the policy position of SPLM Party and Government at large both at home and in the valleys of the international community.
The SPLM Chapters Leadership in Australia had been deeply disappointed by propagandized and confused communications from the secretary general of External Relations, Ms Suzanne Jambo. Ms Jambo massively weakened the position of government during the 16th Dec 2013 crisis in South Sudan and internationally.
Ms Jambo was unable to reinforce the position of government during the crisis, as a government civil servant in a position of authority, her primary responsibility was to sale the messages and strategic security position from the government and share it with all the SPLM Chapters who were ready to support the government of South Sudan. However, she went cunningly silence on the position of SPLM Party and the government of South Sudan, and sent out mix signals through her close cohorts, which colluded with, and implied that the government of South Sudan was dysfunctional.
Ms Jambo, also initiated a half-baked propaganda of dissolving the SPLM Chapters in Australia, and delegated a chameleon – like team, who wanted to dissolve the traditional SPLM Chapters in Australia and replaced with the SPLM–IO and G-10 Stakeholders motives, this was an obvious tactical move, even the blind could see. In respond, about 3 Letters were sent to Ms Jambo, requesting to clarify her position and motive, and she went deadly silence again.
We the SPLM Chapters leadership in Australia do not want to work with people of the cast of Ms Suzanne Jambo. Overall the performances of Ms Jambo in fact weakened the diplomatic and lobbyists on behalf of the government here in Australia. It was a mess and quite detrimental to SPLM party foreign relations.
We can summarize the performances of Ms Suzanne Jambo, in the words of Oliver Cromwell that ‘you have sat too long for any good you been doing lately, Depart, I say, and let us be done with you, in the name of God, go!’
South Sudan is a diverse nation inhabited by resilience and hardworking people. The people need peace, unity and tolerance. Great and modern people don not aim to exterminate each other, but learn from, and accept the challenges of diversity. We are better than what we had been through, and we can do better, South Sudanese people can do better than what they went through. The government can do better.
Yours Affectionate,
Written and own by the following signatories:
1. Peter Thuch
Australia Country SPLM Chapter Secretary General,
and Chairman of SPLM Chapter Western Australia,
Email: thuchmapior@yahoo.com
2. Catherine wani
Australia Country SPLM Chapter Chairwoman,
and leader of SPLM Chapter Victoria Australia,
3. George Aguer Deng
Australia Country SPLM Chapter Vice-chairman,
and former chairman of SPLM Chapter South Australia,
4. New South Whale -SPLM Chapter
Australia Country SPLM Chapter Executive member,
and leader of SPLM Chapter New South Whale, NSW Australia,
5. David Kuel
Australia Country SPLM Chapter executive Member,
and Chairman of SPLM Chapter Tasmania Australia,
6. Abraham Bol Malek
Australia Country SPLM Chapter Executive member,
and leader of SPLM Chapter Australia Capital Territory, ACT
7. Alfred Akoon Majak Piu
Australia Country SPLM Chapter Executive Member,
and Chairman of SPLM Chapter South Australia
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