The SPLA is the legitimate National Army Despites the Crooks Rebranding
5 min readBy Thon Atem Ayiei, Juba, South Sudan
November 7, 2016 (SSB) — The campaign to re-brand the SPLA as looters, thieves, militias and a tribal army has just begun. Nobody is thinking of the Arabs anymore, foreign aggression. They will only be thought of in times of unfolding catastrophic events coming from the provocative neighbors such as the case of SPLA in Eijilig, they were not militia or Mathiang-Anyor, they were not tribal army either, they were they gallant forces of our nation we had all contributed food and many other things to them in solidarity.
Until of the recent of 2013 and 2016 eruption of war, former guerrillas of liberation struggle toward south Sudan independence have found themselves apparently critized and betrayed by their own citizens in a move seem to have been encouraged by foreign powers. It’s very unfortunate and irresponsible seeing our gallant forces SPLA being tarnished on daily basis by people with hidden agenda allied to warlords of the disgruntled politicians who had not experienced wars with Arabs and less contributed to south Sudan freedom.
SPLA are the freedom fighters and founders of south Sudan and they will continue to defend the country from all types of enemies irrespective of their critiques, with unlimited efforts. They will continue to defend the country constitutions, to protect the civilians’ lives and their properties as mandated by the transitional constitution of the republic of south Sudan.
Some prominent figures who came from diaspora, especially those who were in Khartoum and western world are the ones undermining the SPLA legacy, trying to turn the civilians against their own army resulting to the crackdown of the long standing relationship between them. They also went as far as calling SPLA Militias, looters, thieves and tribal Army dominated by one ethnic group, forgetting to acknowledge the jungle contribution of the SPLA, especially how the ethnic group in question had suffered in those days to ensure the proclamation of the nation and the sovereignty, we are today abusing to achieved the ill-gotten political interests.
Notwithstanding the same spoilers attempts, the interim administration and the government of South Sudan gave them lion share to forge nationalism and silence the opportunists, they also looted government with huge amount of money to give them another opportunity to cling to power by all means but the failure in doing so has now taken a dangerous trend of rebranding the only army as a militia and all of the sorts of names to right prove their calls for foreign forces to take the country over, a blatant lie that can never be given way to take place as long as South Sudan deserve the right to exist as a sovereign state.
All of the militia leaders, starting with Gen. Paulino Matip Nhial, Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, Peter Gadet Yak, Gabriel Tanginyang and Dr. Riak Machar Teny have had a doomed protracted objective of spoiling the name of the mighty SPLA to suite them of previous rebellion records during the movement in an attempt to sugarcoat themselves as clean participants of the war fought with the northerners.
Since all of these happenings, the egocentric politicians were busy squandering to control all resources while SPLA were just committed to their obligations and duties, keeping the security of post and pre-independence accrued to full protection constitution of the country.
The reign of Dr. Riek Machar and his cliques in the South during the interim period worked as a golden opportunity to groom a good number of allies, loyal militia, deployment officers loyal to him in strategic garrisons and bribing some generals in the army who were desperate for hard currencies in order to possibly achieved what he had failed to achieved in 2013 and 2016 altogether.
With all attempts to tarnish national army reputation, the civilian population still recognizes the contribution of the national army during the civil war with Sudan government and Dr Riek with his Militias getting integrated all over the divisions. The history will remain unconcocted even if the traitors continue with their blame game of setting back south Sudanese from achieving her potentials.
Their pessimism and interest to dismantle the hard work achieved by people who put nation first, will never bear them any fruits no matter of how much the foreign allies support them. When one sits down and analyzes this political hatred, you can conclude that it is difficult to destroy the SPLA by propaganda of branding them militia, tribal army, looters you can name them.
South Sudan can never be destroyed to fail its status of a sovereign state as required by disgruntled politicians whose interest remained securing government positions and if not, fighting back to get re-instated or rebellion has to be staged.
Inclusion, Gen. Paul Malong Awan, the Chief of General Staff has got a lot to transform in the army especially the damage incurred by his predecessor, Gen. James Hoth Mai which other short-sighted observers blamed on him. Gen. Malong has proven beyond doubt to his critiques that he is capable of blocking those who might want to cling to power by unconstitutional means.
The presence of Gen. Paul Malong as general chief of staff, has witnessed for the first time in Bilpam Head Quarters the construction of new standard building undermining the free-pubs of Gen. Oyay Deng Ajak and Gen. James Hoth Mai in times of enough money. King Paul is duty bound to disprove those campaigning for the disappearance of SPLA as national army to be replaced by foreign forces as is the case with Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro, Dr. Lam Akol, and Pagan Amum Ukiech along with their infamous cliques.
The writer is a south Sudanese national and a student in Kampala University can be reach on thonatemayiei@gmail.com or +211922888553.
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