South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF): The new rebel movement formed in the Equatoria
5 min readDr. Lako Jada Kwajok, the new chairman and C-in-C of the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF), the new rebel movement formed in the Equatoria. He left a revealing paper trail here where he has been a regular contributor at Nyamilepedia website. Unfortunately, it is hard to ascertain if he is a medical doctor or a real PhD holder, not that it necessarily matter in RSS, but just that he is already being compared to the other two DRs: Riek and Lam.
SSDF Press Release: New rebel group in formed in Equatoria elects Dr. Lako Jada Kwajok as its Chairman and C-in-C to lead armed struggle against the government of South Sudan
October 31, 2016 (SSB) —— The people of South Sudan have come a long way to attain independence. Apart from few years following the Addis Ababa Agreement of 12 March 1972, they have known nothing but wars since the departure of the British in 1956. It led to immeasurable suffering, loss of lives and the consequences of a protracted war in the form of underdevelopment and lack of infrastructure. It’s against that background the people of South Sudan voted overwhelmingly for independence with high hopes for a brighter future.
However, 11 years of SPLM/SPLA rule failed to deliver and brought human-made disasters upon the people of South Sudan. It plunged the country into civil war that was entirely avoidable. It committed heinous crimes against its people with perpetrators operating with absolute impunity. Corruption is beyond imagination coupled with a total breakdown of law and order in all parts of the country.
The peace agreement is dead or on life-support. We are dismayed by those who still want people to believe that the peace agreement is alive and kicking. Instead, they should have focused on addressing the cause of failure to implement the peace accord. It’s not a secret that the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE) which is running the government from behind the curtains, have strongly opposed the peace agreement. Salva Kiir made his reservations known to everyone. Those reservations were the cause of the collapse of the peace accord.
The recent revelation of the Dinka Development Plan (DDP) explains why the country is in the current dire situation. The government is pursuing a policy of domination and hegemony of the Jieng (Dinka) tribe over the rest of the tribes forming South Sudan. The country is to be ruled according to the Jieng culture and there is no room for cultural diversity.
Unfortunately, some influential international players are misinformed and misguided by the notion that the Jieng form the majority of the population of South Sudan. The fact of the matter is that the Jieng tribe is the biggest but it does not constitute a majority by any means. At best it forms less than 20% of the population which is quite disproportionate to their domination of the government. Even if they were to be the majority, we have seen President Obama from a minority taking the highest office in the most powerful nation on Earth. It’s all about good governance and the rule of law that the regime utterly failed to deliver.
The sons and daughters of Equatoria have risen to the occasion and taken upon themselves the responsibility of rescuing the country from total collapse and widespread chaos. A meeting inside South Sudan, saw the birth of South Sudan Democratic Front – SSDF. A unanimous decision took the following steps:
Lako Jada Kwajok as Chairman and commander-in-Chief of the SSDF. He emphasized the importance of forging an alliance with SPLM/A – IO, the Agwelek forces, the Bahr el Ghazal fighters and the Cobra faction (SSDM/A) in the struggle against the regime.
The names of the members of the Political Bureau and the military are to be announced in further Press releases.
The immediate objectives of the SSDF as stipulated in the Manifesto are:
- Removal of the failed and illegitimate regime of the SPLM/SPLA Party through peaceful means, armed struggle or both.
- Establishment of a Confederation of States as the best system of governance for South Sudan. Its success is evidence-based as Switzerland, one of the stable countries of the world has been a Confederacy since 1291.
- Accountability for: (a) War crimes and crimes against humanity since 15/12/2013 (b) Corruption and embezzlement of public funds (c) Land-grabbing.
- Reconciliation and healing.
- Repatriation of refugees and the internally displaced people (IDPs).
The SSDF urges the people of South Sudan in general and Equatoria in particular to stay strong and united. The road to victory is long and difficult but victory in itself is inevitable.
LONG LIVE EQUATORIA!
LONG LIVE SOUTH SUDAN!
Signed by:
Lotole Lo Luri, Deputy Press Secretary – SSDF
Dr. Lako Jada Kwajo, Chairman – SSDF
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