Dear Gabriel Tanginye, Please Change your Mind and Return to Riek Machar’s Camp
7 min readThiang Nuer Community: An Open Advice to Gen. Gabriel Gatwech Chan Deng, aka Gabriel Tanginye
Dear Gat-Chan,
December 26, 2015 (SSB) —- With all due respect we’re addressing to you this first open advice, as our father and one of the high-valued leaders among Fangak’s Thiang Nuer Community. Since July this year, we have been monitoring closely your clandestine steps first from Pagak to Khartoum and then from Khartoum to Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where you’re now. In fact, it is incumbent upon us, we, the Thiang Nuer Community and Youth in particular to break our long silence on your alleged defection from SPLM/SPLA-IO under the Leadership of Dr. Riek Machar Teny to the so-called South Sudan Federal Democratic Party of Changson Lew Chang and Peter Gatdet Yaka.
Dear Gabriel,
It’s a sad fact, that you’re being lured to leave or abandon an utmost common cause of Thiang, Naath Community and National objectives. That is a fight for democratic general reforms and a national against genocidal, established dictatorship government of Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Therefore, first and foremost, the Thiang Nuer Youth and Community both at home and abroad would like to put some few salient questions/points across, for you to take note of. This is a first open statement from your own Community, the Thiang Nuer to you Gen. Gabriel Gatwech Chan. As you know, Thiang Nuer Community always stands its solid ground towards national goals. Thus, we’re airing out this statement, deep from the top of our hearts, and indeed with automatic, backups from our proximity neighbors namely; Gawaar, Lak and Padang Dinka communities of Greater Fangak District. These three communities all along with Thiang Nuer community share mutual interests not excluding staging a unify fight against any individual lured to destroy the truth! So have you really defected? Are you, in anyway, planning to work, help or fight alongside Salva Kiir Mayardit? Because, embarking to do anything that would aids Salva Kiir Mayardit in dismantling IGAD-PLUS Compromise Peace Agreement; is tantamount to destroying further the truth, South Sudanese people’s unity and even harmonized way of ending this twenty-two (22) months old devastating civil war in South Sudan.
Dear Gabriel Gatwech,
We need you to take this note carefully; as we mentioned earlier on that this statement is issued on behalf of and by your own grassroots, the Thinag Nuer Community, Youth and Intellectuals across the globe. “A tree without roots is not only a reclusive tree but also must be considered a rotten and dead tree”. Just try to turn around; do you see your roots (The Thiang Nuer Community) behind you?
Yes, we cannot bury your previous remarkable contributions and personal commitment you diligently did, in years before Republic of South Sudan’s independence. For instance, in the last struggle prior to South Sudan’s Independence, you really stood on your solid ground, though practically and vividly in ambiguous angles. That contribution is still standing there and should not be denied. And what we do know of you, in most cases, once you promise to fight for the common objective you don’t hold back or easily give up a fight until the last minute, we cannot deny this whatsoever. However, as we can see it now, the route you’re taking is not healthy and not walk- able route at all. In short, to plan and work for Salva Kiir Maryardit’s led group!! Why, we say it is not a right way for you to go?
Because:
- Salva Kiir mass murdered more than twenty thousands (20,000) South Sudanese civilians and even from one ethnic group mostly elderly, women and children in Juba, 2013
- Salva Kiir was the one who ordered the attacked on you in Kaldak on 24th April, 2011, killed hundreds including the civilians.
- Salva Kiir was the very person who also ordered your illegal arrest shortly upon your arrival in Juba; 2011, at the Airport.
- Salva Kiir was also the same person who imprisoned you for almost three years in Juba without constitutional and legal reasons. During which your own children and family had badly fallen apart due to an economic hardships imposed. To mention but a few!
Not only that; the person whom you’re being lured, to aid in one way or another, is the same human being who has a long objective of seeing you ,plus your colleagues, dead. Have you forgotten all those? When you were humiliated, arrested in 2011, it was one of this Community’s members, on behalf of all, who immediately went to the press and condemned in strongest term possible your unconstitutional and tribally-motivated arrest. The same Government of Salva Kiir kept you in prison for almost four years without trail until you and the rest were finally released on bail on 7th October 2013. Your release, in October 2013, also came as a result of much more efforts put forward by the Thiang Nuer Community plus their well-wishes in various South Sudan’s Communities’. You can even still remember how Thiang Nuer Community’s members could (while you still in prison) collect the little money they have had just to support your needy family. And your family managed to uphold a living, despite those difficult situations it was forced to by Salva Kiir Marydit. That was an essence of having your own Community rallied behind you. Now who do you think will follow you from Thiang Nuer Community? None!
Again, at the outset of Nuer Civilians Juba Massacre, you also personally targeted by the same Salva Kiir and Juba-based Fangak’s military and political leaders who hate you to death. As other targeted South Sudanese, you narrowly escaped death in Juba, trekked all along for almost a month through Greater Bahr Elgazal region and bravely managed to penetrate until you reached Old Fangak, which is your own home town, where you stayed with full protection provided by these Youths releasing this statement. You know more than us, as to how much pains incurred on you by Salva Kiir’s regime, so we cannot waste much of our time writing them all in details.
Dear Gatwech Chan,
We were all caught by surprise when we heard that you were defecting to join and share interests with SPLM’s Juba, the killers’ group of twenty thousand Nuer civilians, brutally killed in Juba. Moreover, if you have really created a faction of your own which supports and encourages Salva Kiir in acting against national-agreed upon peace accord, then we can assure you that all Thiang Nuer Community are not with you, in your such individual ambition.
Instead, we, the Thiang Nuer Youth and Community are hereby reiterating that we still have our moral, political and military support behind Hon. Johnson Kuol Gai, Phow State’s Deputy Governor, H:E. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam and Dr. Riek Machar Teny. This is our position and we will remain in this position until the broad needed reforms in the Republic of South Sudan are fully carried out under Dr. Riek Machar Teny’s Leadership and in accordance with IGAD-PLUS Compromise Peace Accord! In another terms, all the Thiang Nuer Youth, Intellectuals and Community will continue rallying behind the Thinag Nuer’s Sons & daughters who are still committed to work for total democratic reforms and fight under Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon.
In persons these Thinag Nuer Sons & daughters under Dr. Machar’s leadership are:
- Hon. Johnson Kuol Gai
- Hon. Stephen Par Kuol (emigrated)
- Brig. Gen. Jok Kuach Toich
- Hon. Isaac Tut Machar
- Hon. Gabang Peter Riir
- Brig. Gen. Daniel Gatwech Chan
- Brig. Gen. Nhial Kuol Wang (also emigrated)
- Colonel. James Nuot Puok
- Major. Koang Dhuor
- Colonel. Isaac Nhial Dar
- Ms. Teresa John Gatwech, and many more.
Lastly, Dear Gat-Chan, we would like to conclude this first open press statement by saying that we need you to, rescind your decision, immediately return to re-join the ranks and files of the SPLM/SPLA-I.O under the leadership of Dr. RIEK MACHAR TENY DHURGHON!
Long Live Democratic Republic of South Sudan
Long live Dr. Riek Machar Teny
Long live Gabriel Duop Lam, the Governor
Long live Johnson Kuol Gai, other Thiang Sons & Daughters
Signed:
Thomas Jenay, Chairperson
THIANG NUER YOUTHS
Old Fangak, Jonglei State
Email: thomasjenay591@gmail.com
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