From the people of Jonglei state: Protest letter to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, IGAD, and UNMISS
7 min readThe Republic of South Sudan, Jonglei State Civil Societies
July 19, 2016
TO: Secretary General of the United Nations,
President of United Nations General Assembly,
IGAD,
TOIKA countries,
Chairperson JMEC,
AU representative
SUBJECT: PROTEST AGAINST THE HUMILIATION OF THE LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH SUDAN AND HER PEOPLE
Mr. Secretary General,
When the United Nations was established 71 years ago after the Second World War in 1945, the formation was meant to aim at improving the economic and social conditions of its member states and to solve political problems in the world in a peaceful and harmonious way. Unfortunately those noble objectives and dreams which president Franklin Roosevelt prophesized for the wellbeing of humanity are being turned by others into despotic and lethal weapons of oppression and suppression of the weak and the vulnerable.
Mr. Secretary General,
Since implementation of compromised peace agreement in 2005, your office and person in particular has been on many occasions intransigent and indifferent to the wishes aspirations and noble expectation of people of South Sudan as could be explained through the following movement of events since 2005 to moment.
- Prior to conduction of referendum in South Sudan in 2011, the one that culminated into the independence of South Sudan, you explicitly states in the UN and we quote “that the international community should see to it that South Sudan did not secede from Sudan” that statement from one of the venerated positions in the world triggered a protest in South Sudan and your person bowed down to the voice of the people and consequently apologize for the slip of the tongue if it were.
- When the CPA was on implementation, Hilde Johnson the secretary general special representative to South Sudan used to impose herself on the sittings of the council of ministers of South Sudan listening to the secrets of the government as well as imposing her opinion on the government; a practice that is not done in South Korea, Norway or anywhere in the world.
- When the crisis of December 2013 erupted in South Sudan, the international community displayed open partiality to the coup leaders by even ignoring the 2,000 people butchered by Riek Machar in Bor and instead concentrated on the 6000 people killed in Juba. Those killed in Juba anywhere in South Sudan are all South Sudanese but to prefer death of some over the death of other humans is unacceptable and not in line with UN charter.
- When the compromised peace agreement was drawn after the 2013 crisis, it is purposely designed to serve the interest of rebels not in the interest of majority of the South Sudanese people and their government. And on that trend, the agreement was imposed on the vulnerable people of South Sudan.
- When the head of states of the member states on the UN were to address the UN general assembly in 2015, President Salva Kiir was equated with his designated 1st vice president Riek Machar to address the same body! Imagine the same body to be addressed by Barack Obama president of the united states of America and by John Biden his deputy or Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto on the same forum the same day, Trump, the republican candidate would have immediately asked for the resignation of Obama or his impeachment had that happened in the united states of America. What a bad precedent that will go down in the history of the leading international body and the mankind.
- To continue with the deliberation of South Sudanese people and their leadership the way the so-called CPA was designed in indicative of the broker’s determination to further their dubious interest against the people of South Sudan. In other words, the design was to frustrate the president in order to step down such that a puppet and malleable leader assumes power in South Sudan. If not intentional frustration, how could there be two parallel powers (president versus 1st Vice President) parallel armies, parallel body guards, appointment of cabinet by lottery, giving over fifty members of national legislative assembly to the opposition in order to overweigh the government voting and decisions, an oversight committee to overrule the decisions government and so many experimental decisions on poor Africans in general and the vulnerable people of South Sudan in particular. Congratulations to the great people of Ghana for refusing the testing of Ebola against their nationals.
- The brokers of the deal pressurized the president into signing the unworkable agreement but did not pressurize Riek to return home in time in order to speed up the formation of transitional Government of National Unity (TGONU). Instead the pampered baby of IGAD, AU, Troika, and dragged his feet to arrive Juba eight months after the signing of the so-called Compromised Peace agreement. During the absence of the SPLM/IO president Salva proceeded with the implementation of some chapters and articles embodied in the agreement such as demilitarization of Juba City and accommodation of South Sudanese turned rebels in luxurious hotels in Juab for indefinite periods. When Riek and the company arrive late and participate in the formation of transitional government of national unity, the plotters, who throughout the crisis continued to peck for faults to be committed by the government. Start to speak about the delay in the implementation of the agreement of. But before the elapse of the three months of the formation of TGoNU Riek the born to rule thought of destroying the agreement by attempting to cease power by force as he returned enforced with new confidence succeeding this time to overthrow the government unfortunately wishes were not horses to be ridden with whim. The president whose neck was sought, humanly took care of Riek and escorted him to his residence; thus nullifying the one of the misplaced articles of separate guards, separate army.
- But the designers of the so-called compromise peace agreement did not give up, you, the outgoing secretary general rushed to the conclusions and came up with condemnation of both parties to the agreement on equal footing by suggesting penalizing both parties with arms embargo, sanctions of more personalities to the conflict and augmenting the UN peace keepers.
- Then while the government was busy trying to bring peace to Juba and other areas, another conspiracy was being cooked secretly under the auspices of AU to send in invading forces to occupy South Sudan and further more without shame, the UN asked for the surrendering of Juba Airport to UN. It is not South Sudan that will be astonished by this request of handing over the airport but even the whole world will rubbish the idea. This request of invasion of South Sudan and handing over of airport is the result for surrendering the sovereignty of the legitimate democratic government of South Sudan.
- The persistent call of regime change of legitimate government tantamount in essence to coup de’tat
- Some puppets calling for change in foreign capitals against their government and country should learn the examples of their likes in other countries e.g. Mr. Ayaat Alawi of Iraq and others in Libya, Yemen, and Central Africa Republic.
The way South Sudan government and the people are being treated is surprising when horrific human rights are being openly violated in other parts of the world. We thought that the international community should concentrate on where the human suffering is at the peak. What about Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Nigeria and Afghanistan. Even South Korea, your home country is continuously under the intimidation and harassment of North Korea by overflying ballistic missiles over South Korea into the Japanese sea. What is the grantee that the missiles does not fall in the South Koreans people.
For this unfair and despotic treatment on the people of South Sudan, we the people and masses of Jonglei State herby:
- Condemn with the strongest terms possible the last coup attempt in Juba by Riek Machar on the 8th July 2016.
- Condemn the blanket blame on all the parties to the CPA without pinpointing the finger to the offender.
- Reject the planned increase of the number of UNMISS forces in South Sudan.
- Reject and condemn the unrealistic request of the AU to handover Juba Airport to the UN.
- Reject the conspiracy of invasion of sovereignty state of South Sudan by foreign governments.
- Despite the inconsistency, the irrelevance and forceful imposition of the agreement, we urge the SPLM-IG to proceed with the implementation of the CPA to the letter and spirit.
- The government to strongly protect the civilians everywhere from anybody or any group of armed people whether be they civilians or soldiers.
Sign: Jonglei civil societies;
Youth
- Abraham Deng Mayen
- Maketh Abraham Guet
- Mayen Duany Jok
Traditional leaders, paramount chiefs of Jonglei state greater Bor Counties.
- Deng Mabur Malual, Duk County Paramount Chief
- Manyok Ajak Majok,Twic East County Paramount Chief
- Alier Gideon Aluong Ajak, Bor County Paramount Chief
Women leaders/ Jonglei women association
- Awur Riel Biar
- Sarah Achuei
- Fatarah Kuca Manyok
Cc: President Salva Kiir Mayardit and C-in-C of SPLA
Cc: Speaker of NLA
Cc: Speaker of Council of states
Cc: SPLM secretary General
Cc: All foreign embassies in Juba
Cc: Governor of Jonglei State
Cc: Speaker of Jonglei Legislative Assembly
Cc: Media houses
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