Dr. Marial Benjamin’s immature denial and justification has made it worse
By David Mabior Atem, Winnipeg, Canada
March 23, 2016 (SSB) —- Without wasting time, on a personal capacity, I call upon Dr. Marial Benjamin to unconditionally and immediately resign and apologize to Abyei’s people and the South Sudanese population who united together and fought tirelessly for statehood. Starting from your letter dated March 6-March 22, 2016; you have shown unpatriotic and unacceptable behaviours in your comments against compatriot Dr. Luka Biong Deng and the people of Abyei in general.
You have added salt to an unhealed wound, by denying and crafting the justification that; “we all know, if you talk about the ethnicity of the Dinka of Abyei geographical and socially and culturally, you don’t get any Dinka outside the territory of South Sudan”. Really! Your explanation had made it worse; although you sound defensive and responsive you made it seem as if you had consulted literatures to back up your claim by saying that; “we must know, even anthropologically, the Dinka are always known to be found in South Sudan”.
Please see this link: https://paanluelwel.com/2016/03/22/foreign-affairs-minister-marial-denies-calling-people-of-abyei-sudanese/#more-33857
This is insane statement, makes it shoddier; begs and poses questions like; where you speaking as a Dinka representative or minister in the republic of South Sudan? When did it become a policy that living outside the borders of South Sudan meant that you are not South Sudanese? Does living outside the territory take away the natural right of ethnicity and citizenry? In your view, what do you consider as the outside territory of South Sudan now that Abyei people were politically transferred to Kordofan in 1905?
In my opinion, you are scarifying Abyei people in expenses of the government of South Sudan and Sudan bilateral relations. Your statement would be considered as an appeasement to Khartoum regime given government economic dependence on the north and far-fetching solutions for improvement stained human right records with world body.
However, being a supporter of the SPLM/A in UK had deprived you on how the sons and daughters of Abyei people have contributed in a frontline. His Excellency, President of South Sudan knows that achievement.
Therefore, it is disheartening and mind-boggling when described your comrade in struggle and colleague as appeared blow:
Without wasting time, on a personal capacity, I call upon Dr. Marial Benjamin to unconditionally and immediately resign and apologize to Abyei’s people and to the South Sudanese that united together and fought for statehood. Your explanation and justification has made it worse.
David Mabior Atem is a former South Sudanese child soldier and Cert. Policy Analyst, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He can be reached at: mabior4@hotmail.com
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