Apuk Dinka youth withdraws support from Governor Gum Makuach of Gogrial State
Date: 15th Nov.2016
Subject: APUK YOUTH UNION IN JUBA STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE NEGATIVE APPROACHES TAKEN BY THE GOVERNOR OF GOGRIAL STATE AGAINST APUK COMMUNITY AND WITHDRAWS ITS ALLEGIANCE
November 15, 2016 (SSB) —- We, the Apuk youth in Juba are extremely outraged by the negative approaches taken by the governor of Gogrial State, Hon. Abraham Gum Makuach by marginalizing and betraying Apuk community. The administration of the state under his leadership has never delivered tangible services to the citizens of Gogrial state in general and Apuk community in particular since the creation of the state.
In a brief introduction to the above subject, we want to remind the general public that the ticket he got appointment to that position came as a result of recommendation from Apuk community and the expectations of youth were very high because he was a virgin politician who hasn’t participated previously in community and state affairs. Currently, he has created some irrelevant problems that are inconsistent with the constitution of the state. For example, he has created traditional system of government of dividing new counties and additional members of parliament on the basis of traditional chieftaincies of former Gogrial district and he has also created a puppet commercial system of government.
The reasons why Apuk community is talking of marginalization and betrayal are as follows;
- Unequal division of new counties of former Gogrial East and West counties which gave only four (4) counties to Gogrial East (two payams have not been upgraded) and nine (9) to Gogrial West (all nine payams have been promoted) that counted to his failure number one. The questions are: which criteria did he use in creating new 13 counties? Why the governor has surrendered his administration to certain selfish individuals who make decisions on his behalf?
- Inappropriate division of five additional parliamentary seats: Hon. Abraham Gum Makuach had not justified to us the modalities he used to divide five parliamentary seats by allocating four positions to former Gogrial West and ONLY one to former Gogrial East.
- Unjustified arrest of executive chief, Ngor Thiep followed by his subsequent detention in the military jail and his final death sentence passed by court martial which is against the law since he is a civilian who could undergo a trial in the civil court. The chief was terribly tortured while in cell to the extent of impotence and paralysis. Additionally, our Gelweng youth are also subjected to extrajudicial arrests at will of state authority under the directives of state governor who fails to arrest the culprits from the other side of communal conflict that committed the same atrocities and bring them to book. It is the weakness of the administration of the state to solve the recurring disputes between the two communities. Moreover, the executive chief Katjang-Makoldit Maluil Jok was recently relieved of his duties by the commissioner of Apuk East county Hon. Anyuon Chan Ajuong through the influence of the governor without legal charges against him which we realized that it is a bias aimed at targeting Apuk chiefs.
- Inequalities in distribution of humanitarian assistance meant for Internally Displaced Persons. In May 2016, an organization called Intermon Oxfam assisted conflict displaced people with aids; there was inequality in the distribution of food items. Those items were deviated to local markets leaving the community to die of starvation.
- Increment of household taxes from usual 30 to 500 South Sudanese pounds. This seems to be exploitation of vulnerable community members who can’t afford daily meal for survival. The taxes are only for the benefit of the governor and his close associates.
- Filing misleading, falsified, concocted and biased security report to the office of president against Apuk community elders: Worst of all, the governor has written a letter to the president of the Republic claiming that the ongoing fighting between Apuk and Aguok is impelled by Apuk elders namely Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit, Maj. Gen. Gregory Vasili, Hon. Kiir Madut Makuer and Hon .Kiir Aluetmiir Kiir to mention but a few. The governor has no clear evidence to tarnish the names of these peace loving elders who don’t have any intention to incite violence in Gogrial state and South Sudan as a whole. How comes that he(the governor) splits Aguok community into two rivalry enemies by using a tycoon man against two prominent leaders(Hon. Lual Deng Kuel and Hon. Lual Aken) who represent Aguok at the national government that they are the ones sponsoring this communal fight without authentication?
- Deployment of security forces on the territory of Apuk only leaving the other side of Aguok with no forces deployed there ever since 2005 up to the moment. In relation to the deployment of forces on our land, feeding them is turning out to be the order of the day that contributes to poverty since their little commodities are channeled to feeding of the forces as well as giving them three bulls a day based on locations of their deployment.
How long will the community be continuously providing them with food? What is the point of deploying these forces and at the same time our neighbors are continuing with assaults against our innocent people? How comes that innocent children and women are murdered in the hands of our aggressive brothers in the presence of security forces? How do we differentiate such acts with ongoing Dinkaphobia in Equatoria region?
The governor with his administration has failed to properly address problem administratively and resorted to writing letters of accusations to the office of president against elders of the two communities.
We therefore condemn in the strongest possible terms the attitudes of governor Abraham Gum Makuach for his incompetence to address the above grievances affecting our community. Thus, we are not part and parcel of that primitive and unjust government which marginalized its own people.
OUR POSITION IN THE CURRENT SITUATION
Based on the above grievances, our position is spelt out in the following terms:
- The Apuk Youth Union in Juba has resolved to withdraw its support and allegiance from Hon. Abraham Gum Makuach, the governor of Gogrial state.
- We are appealing for relocation of deployed security forces to the border points to rescue the deteriorating security situation.
- We urge the national government for immediate intervention for peaceful settlement of our communities’ disputes (Apuk Giir and Aguok-Kuei) for the fact that the state government is incompetent enough and not neutral to solve the problem of the two communities.
- We call upon the national government to form a fact finding committee to investigate the real root causes of dispute between Apuk and Aguok communities.
In conclusion, the aforementioned recommendations indicate our position as Apuk Youth Union regarding the negative behaviors of Gogrial State Governor. Hence, there is a need for our president Salva Kiir Mayardit to urgently look into the issue of Gogrial State leadership and its performance in regard to the endless conflict on the ground.
Signed by:
| S/No | Name in full | Position | Signature |
| 1 | Bol Deng Akeen | Chairperson | |
| 2 | Darius Adup Anyuon | Secretary General | |
| 3 | Lang Madut Aguer | Information secretary | |
| 4 | Ajang Malueth Ajang Nhial | member | |
| 5 | Giir Thiik Giir | member | |
| 6 | Akol Maduok Madut Akol | member | |
| 7 | Ajook Deng Atem Wol | member | |
| 8 | Paul Duwar Baak | member | |
| 9 | Tong Alfonse Deng Akol | member | |
| 10 | Daniel Akol Dau Manyang | member | |
| 11 | William Wol Aleu Abot | member |
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