Padang Jieng community in the Diaspora petition President Kiir over Malakal
PADANG JIENG COMMUNITY IN DIASPORA POSITION ON THE CONDITION YOUR GOVERNMENT PLAN TO DESTABILIZE PADANG JIENG STATES TO ANNEX ITS COUNTIES TO OTHER STATES MOTIVATED BY TABAN DENG GAI
October 20, 2016 (SSB) —- We the members of the greater Padang Jieng community in North America would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude for the leadership role you have played since 2005 to the present time. Mr. President, the members of the Padang Jieng Community in Diaspora and back at home in South Sudan, remain supportive of your work to bring peace to our country of the Republic of South Sudan through the right initiative which led to the lawfully creation of 28 States. You know very well Mr. President how the citizens of Padang Jieng have continued to stand firm behind the government of South Sudan with unwavering solidarity since the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in 2005. We continue to stand with your leadership to protect the constitution of our country from internal and external invaders. Subsequently, Padang Jieng everywhere felt overwhelming and relief from internal marginalization. When your leadership gave Padang their two states from 28 states, it was for the benefit of peace, stability and the security of the whole South Sudan. The creation of 28 safe many lives across South Sudan during the Juba coup attempt on July 8, 2016, at the J1 (presidential palace), by rebel leader Riek Machar, to subvert the government. Why should Taban Deng get permission to run the show of putting the people back to war?
Mr. President Politics is “an art of possible.” Remember that Taban Deng still has Riek Machar and Lam Akol ideas to destabilize Jieng in South Sudan. If you allow the declaration of Padang states or counties to be annexed to other states other than leaving their status quo, then you are inviting carnage. Padang is tired of its land and people being sacrificed for peace or used as a screen to gain wealth, power, and fame. The Padang Jieng has no any other government other than your government, so why Padang land and its people are being auctioned out to the enemies of peace who have just killed us yesterday? Well, we have a single message for your government and Taban Deng Gai. Notes that, any attempt to reverse the creation of Padang two states to be divided among other states will be the RED LINE and the LAST RESORT, should such plan is allowed to be executed, then it will be a declaration of violence with absolute resistance.
Mr. President, you know that Padang’s States have a border with Khartoum from both locations; therefore, Padang knows how to fight their way to Khartoum if that is the only safe haven to get any support. Let us be clear to your government that, Padang has the power to defend their territorial integrity and their God given resources as well as to join the Sudan if this redistricting of the two states to other states was a plan of your government (TGONU). The Padang is the peaceful community, therefore; we support the idea of good neighborhood-ship, but not annexation or detachment of our two States to Shilluk, or Nuer states at this time.
If you want to expand the South Sudan States, then Eastern Nile and the Ruweng States of Padang Jieng must remain intact. It is a warning and a red line to be crossed should an attempt is made to partition Padang states to other states; we must take any measure should the government along with Taban takes an oath to divide us again.
Mr. President, the Padang Jieng Youth, women and children across diaspora and South Sudan refuse the peace that will result into a serious repercussion for dividing Padang states among Nuer and Shilluk states in order to make this peace more attractive. It was a deliberate plan by Taban Deng, as he claimed during the speech he delivered in Juba with his SPLM/IO advance team. He made some reservations about 28 states particular Eastern Nile State and Ruweng State in your watch, however, you had made clear that, “If anyone wanted to reverse the creation of 28 states, he or she would go and talked to people in these states”. The question is why Taban is still talking about Padang states’ problem now? Mr. President, Padang has been the victim since 1991 and 2013 because of the name “Jieng.” However, we are ready to pay the price should the partitioning of the Padang states to other states is implemented as result of a conspiracy cooked-up by Taban Deng Gai, and those who are behind it against Padang in general.
When Taban came to Washington last month, he held a meeting with the South Sudanese communities in New Jersey USA on 9/24/2016, and he told the audience that, “Malakal issue is a problem that I will resolve because Malakal belongs to Shilluk as well as my land that Dinka took in Unity State called Manga that “him” previous dubbed as “Dual-Jang in Nuer language” has been annexed to Ruweng Jieng Padang State which is very painful to me the end of the quote” This narrative was supported by Defense Minister, Kuol Manyang Juk to which he responded: “when we go back to South Sudan, we will make sure to resolve the issue of Malakal.” Mr. President, Padang Jieng in Diaspora and at home would like to clarify to your government and people of South Sudan that any attempt to annex Padang Jieng counties from Eastern Nile State, and Ruweng State is a red line. It is a promotion for declaration of violent resistance from Padang Jieng in the Republic of South Sudan. As you know that, the unity of Jieng is in your hands, either you support Taban Deng or some of his element’s decision against Padang states or leave the Padang States peaceful intact.
The second issue, Padang Jieng Community in Diaspora and at home urgently calls on your administration to address and relocate the SPLM/IO unconstitutional military that still settled in the areas of Padang Jieng Counties such as the Greater Pigi which is currently Atar and Khorflus County and Gal Achol in Baliet County. These forces are not national forces that abide by the nation’s will and constitution. The residents of these places occupied by those illegal forces scare to go back to their homes because they do not trust them since they are not organized national forces.
The Padang Jieng Community peacefully requests the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to make an urgent consideration to relocating those unconstitutional cantonment forces that are in Padang Jieng Community areas mentioned above. Our children are desperately in need of going back home, and Padang community was not interested in starting anything that may derail peace in the country but with your administration activities in Juba, thing will be different if our demands are ignored. The Padang Jieng Communities are yearning for peace the same way as every South Sudanese community. Padang Jieng Community deserves peace in their newly created States like other south Sudanese in their states. Mr. President, Padang Jieng states’ security have been hindered by the present of these unconstitutional forces in Padang areas in Eastern Nile State in particular.
The third issue, your administration has marginalized Padang Jieng Community that was your backbone in the military by not promoting them in ranks like everyone else, rather your government demoted them by forcing high-ranking officials in the government into early retirement. Among the generals of Padang retired, demoted and not mentioned in ranks are as follow: 1. Michael Miakol Deng Anyang “Abushok Battalion command.” 2. Deng Along “Muzulum Battalion command.” And so, on …… Mr. President, any attempt to undermine Padang Jieng Community who has been suffering will derail the peace you are trying to build because no one would want to live with a snake in the same room. Taban has a head of a human which you may see but in snake body. Padang Jieng Community’s two states are willing to endorse internal peace between its neighbors and the whole country, but the decision of your government in Juba plus the present of these illegal forces pose threat to the bilateral coexistent, peace, stability which was at the point of achievement. Padang Jieng community in the diaspora is kindly extended our message to our governors across the 28 states in South Sudan to respect their States policies and act in an ethics that promote peace and harmony with their neighbors. Padang Jieng asks for their States to remain unchanged, divided or emerge to other States.
The Padang Jieng Community Diaspora and at home condemn the action toward the Padang Jieng States to be annexed to any other States. To dismantle Padang’s coexistent and vibrant culture, it will be an invitation of conflict should the red line is crossed. Padang Jieng community condemns in strongest term possible the maneuvering plans being constructed to destabilize the Jieng of Padang.
The position of Padang community in the Diaspora and back home is uniformly very clear. We have rejected the idea of government’s secret plans to redistrict Eastern Nile and Ruweng States to other states or any county intact with these states should not be allowed to be given to other states in South Sudan. We have also rejected to any attempt by Padang sons and daughters to buy positions in the government with their God given land and resources. Anybody from Padang found conspire with our enemies to divide and rule Padang, will definitely face serious consequences. The creation of popular 28 states wasn’t the root causes of Riek Machar and Taban Deng, rebellion in 2013. If this was not the root cause, why should two states from Padang are seemed to be sacrificed in order to buy peace?
Finally, the Padang community across South Sudan is well known for being peaceful people. We are peace loving community. We always embrace peace in our young nation, therefore, we will stand together with our government to achieve everlasting peace in the republic South Sudan.
Signed by:
- Wilson Thonakur De Lual – Chairperson of Padang Community in North America
- Mayiik Deng Kiir – duty chairperson of Padang Community in North America
- Ngor Kur Mayol – acting secretary of Padang Community in North America
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