SPLM-Concern (SPLM-C): New Splinter Group Forms in Khartoum
17 min readNew groups split from SPLM/IO, SSOA and OPP and formed under a new faction called SPLM-C, also this new faction is against the preconditions of SPLM-FDs
Tuesday, September 24, 2018 (PW) — Dear valuable citizens of South Sudan, regional community and international community, We would like to announce to all of you that we have split from the above mentioned parties due to delay tactics or preconditions the other oppositions still impose while it’s a right now to join our beloved South Sudanese in the country and start immediate implementation of peace. The burning point is the recent rejection of request of H.E the President of Republic of South Sudan when he requested SPLM/IO leader to come to Juba for the fresh beginning of lost trust.
Our faction does encourages short visit to Juba by opposition leaders in order for the citizens to taste sweet words of peace from their mouths and if the request regarded as kind of welcoming back home is being turn down like it’s happened then we are not part of that peculiar respond. According to revitalized peace agreement, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit remained as overall supervisor and if we still don’t trust or respect him then we are still lacking spirit of teamwork even up to the time of expected TGONU, there is no anywhere you can opposed your boss and at same time is your brother (we see President Kiir & Dr. Riak as brothers), no point to show respect to other boss (es) in different country or institution.
To make matter worse some factions have rejected the signed revitalized peace agreement and are now mobilizing people in the region and international for the continuation of meaningless/senseless war like if they will involve their children to fight for them but they will end up in hotels somewhere, nothing we have so far achieved during five years conflict but only the unimaginable devastation of our country. Thus, the country is in urgent need of rapid healings of several wounds it has sustained throughout the civil war we have undergone but not limited to paper recently inked only, it will be like a Doctor who wrote medicines to a patient and fail to encourage or tell patient how to use the medication properly. If patient made mistake to take overdose or fail to take medicines subsequently then who will be blame between a Doctor and a patient? So what we want to advice our brothers and sisters is that we should not give a chance to peace spoilers to preach in our absent, we must unconditionally come back to the country and help in eradicating doubt from people in order to prepare the conducive environment for the true implementation. We are so tired with many inflicts that always come from other factions & which were not limited to several reservations being imposed during peace process. Everybody has witnessed those reservations which were only satisfied the interests of individuals in the opposition while neglect the interests of common man/woman and that negligence cannot be achieved through barrel of guns. If you have been watching carefully with us, the negotiations were about positions, how powerful the person will be in the position and many others. The peace would have been signed early this year 2018 but it has been frequently obstructed by interests of opposition groups and as they have been appeased with those reservations, they accepted to signed peace because their benefits are being met satisfactory and yet we don’t know what they still need exactly why they don’t want to visit Juba.
Therefore, we felt unhappy with them because we have seen that they are only after their benefits and care only about their life. So they will come back any time they think will suit them and assume their positions and continue relish joyfully as we all know them very well in the previous times. We have decided to form our separate faction but our intention is not because we want to continue with violence in order to fight for the interests of all South Sudanese but will peacefully pursue the right of every citizen of South Sudan when we are together in the country. We are unconditionally ready to go to Juba either short or long visit in order to join our brothers and sisters for the implementation of peace agreement, no more assurance we should seek from mediators or international community because they have done their great part as they brought factions together with the government. Up to this point we don’t consider ourselves as better than other common men/women who have persevered for so long in the country, so others who claimed to be so important are now demanding proper security arrangement as if their life are so worthy than others. This time we must start to trust ourselves or our government in term of security we need because the security level that the people are in Juba or the whole country is enough for all of us and government has enough capacity to protect its people and if we insist by seeking guarantee from foreigners then we still have hidden agendas or else may be we are lacking patriotism.
Our party will be non-violence and it has full commitment to participate direct or indirect in the implementation of peace agreement and participate in democratic election.
Also we would like to give thanks to all South Sudanese for their long patience in the horrible situation the conflict has imposed on them, God has heard your prayers and He has blessed you with this compromise peace agreement finally signed. Our thanks will also go to H.E the President of Republic of South Sudan, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit and his team for the commitment they have shown in the peace without their faith in the negotiation the peace would not been possible.
Our sincere appreciation goes to the government of Sudan under H.E the President, field Marshal Omer Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir and we wish to tell him and his team that the friend in need is a friend indeed. Also our special thanks will go to IGAD, AU, UNMISS, UN, Troika and others for their tireless supports towards South Sudan’s peace process up to its final signature.
We have majority from SPLM/IO, some from SSOA and others from OPP. These collection of groups have joined together and formed SPLM-C and the capital C stand for Concern. Our fundamental objectives are things that will concern all citizens of South Sudan including the life of soldiers in the bushes regardless of their tribe, race, religion, culture and gender as now and in the future. Also SPLM-C will be against violence, tribalism, nepotism, corruption and other misbehavior acts as well as will respect every right of every human for now and in the future and the first priority of our party will be something that most benefit the youth and women as well as it will always be ready for any accountability.
This faction will provisionally be under the leadership of Cde. Grace Palata Roberto, she will be acting Chairwoman of the faction and C-in-C of the army of SPLM-C because the army are split too.
Hence, since war broke out in 2013 in Juba and spread over the country, the oppositions do claim that they are fighting for the interests of marginalized citizens generally but the idea has changed on the way when peace was began in Addis Ababa Ethiopia and passed on into different countries. To take you back, there has been no day or time those parties have ever emphatically talk about suffering of citizens in the country, IDPs as well as those in refugee camps in foreign countries. The citizens in the country need urgent things like security, job opportunities, clean water, physical infrastructure, food security, quality education, health as well as immediate voluntarily repatriation of IDPs and refuges. Every time in negotiation when oppositions seen the draft deal prepared met their interests they sign it immediately even if it is given to them around 4:30 PM almost to official closing time and when it is something concerning the nation then that is the time they protest even if the deal is given to them around 9:00 AM and that protest will take 2-3 days until mediators have to change that deal and draw it near their demands.
Question about the root causes of the war
They said that the root causes of the war must be discussed in peace process but we asked them who do not know the root causes among you. We said okay if you pretend that you don’t know the root causes then we will tell you whether you don’t know or know and you don’t want to talk about them. We told them that the root causes are you the prominent politicians and army generals in the opposition now, you have looted the resources of the country but the simply citizens didn’t have voices to talk about those resources or money since 2005-2013 but they only did celebrate you because of the power you had. Unfortunately because of a great pressure came from international community which questioned government to answer/account for the resources or money taken and hide in abroad by you. The government took initiative to find out about those resources and you were given conditions either to return the money or being relieve from your positions. Thus, you failed to return the money and the last option for the government was to relieve you. As you have noticed that you have been relieved then you decided to rebel and destroyed the country such that no one will benefit from it again. So now even though the country is brought down to its knee by you, still South Sudanese forgiven you and call you to come back and continue ruling them despite of the painful things you did to the country.
Therefore, SPLM-C have more evidences but it will outline some examples which it has accused SPLM/IO, SPLM/FDs, SSOA and OPP of being unhappy about while they are the things which are good with South Sudanese. So our party has been watching them carefully but we found that they did not concern about South Sudanese because they always demand things that delay the peace process and prolong the suffering of people as follows:-
1. Representation of oppositions in the expected TGONU
There was a big wrestling in the representation as each side said our number was less represented until it was brought to their appropriate percentage. But they have forgotten our potential youths who fought for them tirelessly. In that context, politicians & generals regard youths as creators of their seats/jobs but who could not be given jobs in what they have really struggled for and we have compared it with what our late freedom fighter Dr. John Garang said “southern Sudanese were creators of wealth but who have no wealth”. So such a concept inherited by our VIPs by putting themselves first is not good in this current situation of ours because our youths need to be empower with education and jobs in order for them to void being violate and if politicians seen that by empowered youths, then they will not be able to mislead them for their interests then SPLM-C will peacefully fight against that bad habit. If they were really fair, they would have proposed one vice president to be given to the youths but it’s already gone and we will not open that. Also we have never heard of how the women will be represented at their sides.
Hot debate about creation of 32 states
2– They talk of dissolution of 32 states but when these 32 states were created by our President, the citizens had over celebrated compare to the time of independence. Thus, these parties do not want South Sudan to be peaceful and that is why they call for dissolution of those states such that people will anger bitterly and they will continue blaming government or South Sudanese or else they do not want other people to be leaders like them as our governors, advisers, ministers, commissioners etc. in those states are now enjoying their posts cheerfully. Also on our point of view, there is no problem with 32 states even there is a need of more states by citizens because if those states got faithful and committed leaders then the services will be near to the people like what our late hero Dr. John Garang “said take town to people rather than people to town”. They claim that these states have created tribal border disputes but where did they get these complaints? They are staying in hotels in abroad and good things happening back in the country is not known to them. Sincere speaking there is no any society or community without border disputes and people do solve them locally with their community leaders. If people are to suspend ever border arguments then no community will be able to cultivate because even the farms also have the same problems. Also during former 10 states, there were tribal border disagreements and people used to solve them on their own ways, so even if South Sudanese agreed and combine this country to be one state still we will face the same border disputes.
Proposal of dissolution of the army
3. Another red line they had proposed is the dissolution of the army; they said that the army should be dissolved because it is tribal army but we have asked them where will we get people without tribe in order to form none tribe army? SPLA is composed of all tribes of South Sudan and no one will deny that except a certain tribe fear hard work of the army and that will not be blame on a certain tribe. Also no such proposal of dissolution of the army had ever happened somewhere before? Suppose to happened when CPA was signed with Khartoum government but it did not happen that way because you cannot even tell a single soldier to put down his/her gun and tell him/her to go home, my friend even if you are his/her father or mother, he/she will release some bullets on your head immediately instead of one bullet, let’s us accept peace and see how we will transform ourselves.
Reservations
4. Every time they seek reservations and we have told them no, your demand of reservations become too much and we tried to advise them that this is not Juba where all expensive hotels are being reserved for you and they could not accept our advice. For us not to liar, during their regime in Juba, whenever you go to the hotels you will find many parking spaces, rooms and tables are being reserved for VIPs and no other VIPs a part from these politicians and generals in the opposition are also included. Hence, according to SPLM-C the citizens are the ones supposed to be given those multiple reservations such that they will be able to hold anyone accountable.
Powers in governance
5. They demanded to know their powers in governance but we don’t understand what did they mean? And we have asked them the following questions:-
i) Do you need more powers to come and start war again among South Sudanese?
ii) Do you need more powers to come and continue employing only your tribe men and women?
iii) Do you need more powers to come and continue looting and corrupt the resources of the nation?
vi) Do you need more powers such that citizens will not ask any wrong things you have or will committed?
6. They talk about constitutional making process
We also asked them were you not the ones who wrote, verified and passed it without the knowledge of the citizens. So you should not confuse people on what you did yourselves and we have assumed that may be they want to add some articles which will favor them like:-
i) Taking country’s leadership in short cut but our new party and the citizens will not accept that and as we are a member of UN that system does not exist
ii) Delivering of services will depend on Elites’ will without proper accountability
iii) Giving necessary governments’ contracts to any company which has allocated enough percentage for big man or woman
vi) For the rich people to continue being rich and poor continue like that without equality
7. They also talk of free, fair and democratic election
We were about to laugh at them but we have actually laugh because there is no point to talk about free and fair election now. Why? Because there has been no election we had ever held in South Sudan after our independence such that we will be able to judge whether it will be free and fair or not. They are predicting and that one is like doubting or mistrust of someone’s his/herself of not able to defeat or win. However, even if the election can be free, fair and democratic like what then South Sudanese will not mistake to vote for any politician whose family is in USA, Canada, UK, and Australia. As he has managed to corrupt country’s money and took his family to such developed nations then nobody may know, maybe he/she will attempt to take his family to heaven if there is no another advanced nation he/she has not taken his family to in this world.
8. Demand of federalism
The demand of federalism by some opposition leaders is also another cause of power struggle because we have tested those proponents to tell us who will be the first leader of their region and in case South Sudanese adopt federalism, each ones of them proposed himself to be the first leader and no one wants to remain behind and we were expecting from them that they will say they do not call it for each ones’ interest. They also talked of change the system of governance but they are supposed to talk about the change of behaviors of corruption which is addicted in our bloodstream. So federalism will not come with handcuffs in order to hold our long hands that like to snatch the nation’s properties instead we should accept any existed type of government and provide adequate services to the country and after we have seen that system is not good for us then we will peacefully sit together and choice another type of system we think is good for us.
Special appealing to Troika and other well-wishers for recovery funds
As a new party, we are appealing to Troika countries and others to recognize and support signed revitalize peace agreement. We are requesting you to recognize it and continue with your previous commitment because the child called South Sudan was born in your hands. Its mother has been barren for so long and you have struggled with us to treated its mother since in Anyanya1, Anyanya2 and SPLM/A until it was conceived in 2005 and got born in July 2011. The long chronic illness which was with its mother has been inherited by the child when it was born. So South Sudan could not spend more than 3 years without fallen sick. Regrettably, it has severely got ill until it has been admitted into intensive care unit like a child with severe acute malnutrition (SAM); the problem of South Sudan is that, it care givers end up ate the nutrient foods and medicines which were necessary for its healthy and you too have again joined hands with us to get it out from intensive care unit and it got treated & now been referred to day care unit and we hope it will be screen out from all sort of cares very soon and in next few years people will surprise how it got developed. Therefore, without your involvement, South Sudan will go back into intensive care again and that will be painful to lose a child called South Sudan that was nursed by many partners or will be a great waste of your multiple resources or money you have contributed in as we have explained the long struggle above. Please don’t mind about those pretenders who have boycotted the peace and claim that it’s not inclusive while they are the ones who contributed much in this second suffering of South Sudanese and they cannot be include in this peace when they are running away from it. They were very care givers and they end up looted the resources and they are now very busy visiting their companies in abroad where they earn the approximate profit worthy of $100,000 monthly while poor South Sudanese who cannot afford daily meal are only looking for immediate peace to come such that they return to their homes, farms etc. while no fear of insecurity ahead of them.
Last and not least everything is with process, you see when educated men and women invented airplane, electrical power and many others, there were many life lost and people did not stop to develop them more and more. So take South Sudan as a new country as it will take process to be developed and free from all sort of malpractices. We are not try to defend the politicians but we have known very well that they have seen and learnt how citizens suffered in their hands as well as regional and international communities do angrily challenge them. Henceforward, give them another chance such that the implementation of peace in South Sudan could start and human right court of justice could be establish for any violator to defend him/her and even if the justice seems to be a threat to some politicians and generals as they do look for many ways to spoil peace.
Nevertheless, SPLM-C is fully committed to work with peace lovers and government to work hand in hand for the rapid implementation of peace agreement and true reconciliation among South Sudanese because our citizens have suffered enough from war, they got tired and they need to rest this time in order to see the ways of developing their country as well as voluntarily return of IDPs and refugees in foreign countries. Those preconditions remained are things to be resolve when we are all in the country instead are still raised outside and expect resolution from foreigners. We must start to trust ourselves because after peace no foreigner will be coming to settle any issue for us.
We will not be like a certain sultan whom Angel of God came to his sultanate long time ago, the Angel said to Sultan my friend I have come here to take one person from your sultanate either you or anyone you will give me. But because that sultan love himself so much he request an Angel to allow him to write the names of his people including himself (sultan) from top to the bottom and then the Angel will choice from the list. An Angel of the Lord accepted the request and told Sultan go ahead with listing. Sultan gave an Angel some wine to make him deeply sleep in order for him to write the names while an Angel was not seeing. As Mr. Sultan is selfish he wrote everybody first and put his name at the last and he awake up an Angel. When an Angel awoke up he appreciated sultan and he said because you are very good man in your sultanate, I will select the last person because an Angel of the Lord thought that the name of sultan was at the top.
Lastly as we have mentioned above that Mrs. is acting chairwoman, the party will announce to you the permanent chairperson in near future and he/she will be the one to arrange and communicate our trip to Juba. Be remained expecting that very person soon, he/she is mobilizing some money somewhere for the tickets of some members to Juba.
If you want to talk to us then you can reach us in this e-mail address as splm.c2018@gmail.com
This photo are hands of SPLM-C group trying to close-in peace agreement not to escape out again
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