President Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar: Speeches During Peace Day Celebration in Juba

31st October 2018: President Kiir’s and Dr. Riek Machar’s Speeches during the Celebration of the R-ARCSS in Juba, South Sudan

Speech of H.E. The President on the Occasion of the Celebration of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, 31st October 2018, Juba

-H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda
-H.E. Omer Al Bashir, President of the Republic of the Sudan
-H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya
-H.E. Sahle-Work Zewde, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
-H.E. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, President of the Federal Democratic of Somalia
-H.E. Mustafa Kemal Modbouly, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt
-H.E. Nasser Bourita, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco
-H.E. Deputy Chairperson of the African Union
-H.E. Leader of Delegation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
-H.E. Ambassador Ismail Wais, IGAD Special Envoy to South Sudan
-H.E. Gen. Taban Deng Gai, First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan
-H.E. Dr. James Wani Igga, Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan
-H.E. Dr. Riek Machar, Chairman of the SPLM-IO
-Excellencies the Representatives of the Parties signatory to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS)
-Excellencies members of diplomatic Corps
-Invited Guests

My Comrades, Ladies & Gentlemen

Thursday, November 1, 2018 (PW) —- First and foremost, allow me to sincerely congratulate all of you on this joyous occasion in which we are celebrating the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) under the theme; Celebrating the Dawn of Peace, appreciating friends, cherishing reconciliation and unity.

Allow me also to express my deepest appreciation to each of you for attending this very important function. In the spirit of promoting peace and stability in our beloved nation, I ask you all to join me in welcoming and congratulating Dr. Riek Machar Teny and all the opposition leaders who have shown their commitment to the peace deal by coming to celebrate it with us today. Their presence is a strong proof to all that war is ending and a new era of peace and prosperity is breaking. Please welcome them wholeheartedly and make them feel proud at home.

As you all know, our celebration of the revitalized Agreement would not be possible today without the support of the region and the broader international community. In recognition of this support, please join me in welcoming to the Republic of South Sudan dignitaries from Africa and the entire world. Their coming to grace this dignified celebration speaks volumes, and I personally would like to register my heartfelt appreciation to each one of them for being here.

I want to especially recognize the presence of my elder brothers, H.E. President Omar El Bashir of the Republic of Sudan and H.E. President Yoweri Museveni of the Republic of Uganda, whose particular efforts helped in making this occasion a reality.

I acknowledge the presence of the Heads of State and Government of IGAD countries who spent tremendous political resources to bring peace to South Sudan, especially Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia who is the Chairman of IGAD, and President Uhuru Kenyatta of the Republic of Kenya who serves as the Rapporteur of IGAD.

Fellow Citizens,

I want to thank the international community, particularly the United States and its Troika partners, the United Kingdom and Norway, China, Japan, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations in general and the UN Security Council in particular for their sustained efforts to bring peace to South Sudan. I greatly appreciate the generosity of the whole world in supporting our people during the last difficult five years. I also want to acknowledge the heroic and selfless services of many humanitarian workers and humanitarian organizations, some of who were caught up in the line of fire.

Fellow Citizens,

Allow me to personally thank you, on behalf of the government and all the parties to the Agreement, for your patience, perseverance, and resilience. You have endured immense suffering and the weight of responsibility heavily falls on my shoulders as your president and I deeply regret the physical, psychological, and emotional wounds you have undeservedly endured. As your president, I want to apologize on behalf of all the parties to the conflict, as leadership requires acceptance of responsibility.

Distinguished Guests and Compatriots,

Today marks the end of the war in the Republic of South Sudan. This war has been subjected to many analyses and it has been given many names. For those of us caught in the middle of it, we know it was neither an ethnic nor an economic war, but rather a naked struggle for power with a complete disregard for constitutional order. It was a complete betrayal of our people and their liberation struggle and this is what has warranted my apology to the people of South Sudan. The time for blame, as to who started it, is over, and those of us who consider ourselves leaders must accept the blame collectively and solemnly promise our people never to return them to war again.

Compatriots,

I want to reiterate in front of all of you and in the presence of all the African and world dignitaries that the war in the Republic of South Sudan has come to an end. Dr. Riek Machar and I and all the opposition leaders who signed this Agreement have forgiven each other and we have consciously decided to move this country through a healing process.

I personally forgave Dr. Riek Machar on the very day when his forces stormed the State House. I also hope that Dr. Riek Machar has also forgiven me. To forgive is not an act of cowardice, it is both a Christian obligation and inherently human.

As part of my commitment to this peace agreement, I want to announce today the release of all prisoners including James Gadet Dak, the Spokesperson of Dr. Riek Machar. Despite the fact that Gadet was convicted and sentenced to death by the court, I am releasing him today as a goodwill gesture. I am also releasing William Endley, a South African national and to be deported immediately. He should not be allowed to stay here in South Sudan.

Fellow Citizens,

I want to speak directly to the South Sudanese communities. This war was not your war; it was a confrontation between government forces and the forces of the opposition over power.

It was never about ethnic rivalry as many in the international media would like to characterize it. This being the case, I urge you to forgive one another, embrace one another and bury all feelings of hatred once and for all. All political struggles are temporary, just as leaders are temporary. But a nation endures. Unite and build your country as equal stakeholders and do not allow destructive elements to destroy your social fabric, which has endured since time immemorial.

To all the people of South Sudan, whether they come from big or small ethnic communities, my government and my party, the SPLM, are resolute in their commitment to ensuring equality of all people. By ending this war, we are recommitting ourselves to the ideals of our liberation struggle, which aimed to foster a just, peaceful, democratic and prosperous nation where all citizens are equal and treated as first-class citizens.

Fellow countrymen,

Many of you are wondering whether this Agreement is any different from the 2015 Peace Agreement and whether we are going to honour it. From my perspective, this Agreement is different in four fundamental ways.

First, all the parties to the conflict have realized that they could not meet their political objectives through violence and so peaceful resolution became the only option for all the parties.

Second, the mediation was impartial, more focused, and understood the issues that the parties were wrestling with and so they provided various realistic options and there was a sustained effort to bridge the gaps, unlike the previous rounds of negotiations.

Third, the parties were not coerced into signing this Agreement; each party signed on its own volition.

Lastly, some of the provisions of the last Agreement were inherently intended to divide the country such as the creation of co-presidency and two separate armies in one country. In this Agreement, such problematic provisions have been altered appropriately and amicably.

The four points I have elaborated are important because they define the character and quality of an agreement. For those of you who have read my press statement issued on 15th September following the signing of this Agreement, I made the intentions of the government very clear.

First, the suffering of our people was the primary motivation for the government to seek peaceful means to end the conflict. To achieve this, we made serious concessions, some of which were extremely difficult, but we pressed forward so as to end the war. As I said before, the war has officially ended, and this celebration is a testament to the fact that we are fully committed to this Agreement and we have all the intentions to implement it fully.

On 26 August 2015, the day we signed the previous Agreement, the mood

in the country was as if we had lost a national leader; it was gloomy. I was so lonely because the majority of the people in the government had opposed the Agreement. With this Agreement, I have the full support of the government and of the people of South Sudan.

So, we are not faking these celebrations, we are truly happy and grateful that we have successfully ended the war.

In line with this, I am instructing the military and all the security forces to open all routes and allow the people to move freely as an immediate peace dividend. I appeal to the opposition leaders to reciprocate this and to ensure that all land and river routes are opened.

For ordinary citizens, the most important gesture of peace is the ability to move across areas once considered enemy territories without hindrance. This will facilitate movement of humanitarian supplies, trade and expedite reconciliation and, more importantly, it will allow internally displaced persons to return home.

Compatriots

The difficult work has begun in earnest and that is for you the people of South Sudan to also make bitter concessions and return to your neighbour and ask to be forgiven for any wrongs you might have committed. It is until we have all accepted peace in our hearts and our minds and fully embraced each other when peace shall truly come.

Peace is not necessarily the silence of guns, although this is a big part of it, it is the recognition and acceptance of wrongs and the difficult decision to let these go. That truly is the definition of peace. I am aware of the mood among our friends, particularly the Americans and the Europeans, who feel betrayed and let down by our actions.

They have lost trust in us and for that reason they refused to be witnesses or guarantors to the Agreement. They feel that we are not genuine or that the Agreement we have signed is impractical.

As people who offered us immeasurable assistance and moral support during the struggle for our freedom, they are justified to be angry with us because of our failure to maintain peace in our country.

But we have also been disappointed with the way some individual leaders of these countries have insultingly treated us. Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon us on both sides of the Agreement to prove their fears and doubts unfounded by implementing it sincerely, fully and in letter and spirit.

I am calling for a new spirit within the international community to support us in implementing this Agreement. I know for a fact that this require mutual trust, but you must be willing to work with us toward building that trust. We need this peace for our people and ourselves more than you.

The burden of presiding over a country in war weighs heavily on us, the leaders of this country and it is totally untrue and frankly unfair to believe that we don’t care. With your partnership, these issues are history and the future that awaits us together through peace and development is one that will make us all proud as friends and partners.

Fellow Citizens,

I have no more to prove in terms of my commitment to the Peace Agreement. While conspiracy theorists would sit and give themselves credit as having caused in one way or the other the return to peace in South Sudan, it is not the sanctions, sentry reports, human right reports or other forms of conspiracies that provided the impetus for this Agreement. It is a genuine desire of our people and our moral commitment to peace as leaders and the support of our neighbours and the international community that brought this Agreement. It is the same factors that will sustain it.

As government and parties signatory to the agreement, we have started implementing the pre-transitional activities and the implementation is now well on track. We have already delivered on number of activities stipulated in the agreement as follows:

1. i) We have constituted the National Pre-Transitional Committee
   (NPTC), a body that is entrusted with preparation for the transitional government of national unity at the end of 8 months. The NPTC is effectively on duty now and it has recently held its first meeting in Khartoum.
2. ii) We also made our nomination to Independence Boundary Commission (IBC), the body that will be overseen by IGAD on the issue of states’ boundaries as per the agreement

iii) As a party to the agreement, we have also nominated our members for the Joint Defence Board (JDB);

1. iv) The government has released the prisoners of war and still working with agencies to find out if there are still more POWs to be released;
2. v) Many people are still surprised that this Agreement has come about at all. When African leaders talk about African problems, finding solutions becomes easily feasible. We have negotiated this Agreement and reached a compromise the way we know it.

This Peace Agreement is irreversible and those prophets of doom who are waiting for another explosion in Juba would have to find a new profession. Peace has returned to South Sudan, and it is here to stay forever!

Compatriots,

We have said too much about our commitment to peace, but many of you are wondering how exactly we are going to do this. We have four strategic approaches for consolidating and sustaining peace in South Sudan. First, we initiated the national dialogue, a process that is ongoing currently that aims to build consensus among the people of South Sudan. Second, we will implement this Agreement in letter and spirit while expanding its scope to incorporate those not in it.

Third, although our financial situation is precarious, the priority of the government would be to revive the economy and lay the foundation for critical transport, communication, power and Agriculture infrastructure before the end of the transitional period.

Lastly, we recognize that the image of South Sudan has been tarnished internationally and so this government shall pursue an aggressive foreign policy that aims at winning back our friends and making new friends with the aim of contributing to international peace and sustainable economic development.

Today is not the day to provide detailed plans for these strategic objectives; we will have other opportunities to elaborate on them. However, I want to elaborate on the National Dialogue since it is an on-going process. When we launched the National Dialogue in December 2016, many people thought that this was a political ploy to undermine a genuine political process in Addis Ababa.

Now, we have reached a political agreement and I am still committed to the National Dialogue process. Like I said so many times, we the political leaders and elites have always assumed that we speak for the people of South Sudan, but this is not always true.

The National Dialogue gives the people of South Sudan the opportunity to speak to us and for us. As this agreement shows, we have always dwelt on issues of power sharing to the neglect of the real aspirations of the people. As such, I am challenging the political leaders in this country to commit to the dialogue and to listen to the voices of the people of South Sudan. The National Dialogue fills a missing gap in the R-ARCSS.

The Agreement we have signed represents only half; because it is our voices as the political leaders. The National Dialogue provides the other half, which are the voices of the people. Until we have the voices of the ordinary people incorporated into the Agreement, we should not be satisfied or complacent. Given this fact, I have a proposal.

I want all the parties to the Agreement to embrace and endorse the National Dialogue as a viable process and if for any reason there are concerns with the set up or personalities leading this process, we should be flexible to consider those concerns, provided that the tremendous work that is already done at the grassroots is recognized as the point of departure and that the
regional conferences and the National conference should be conducted on the basis of a new consensus.

The point of the National Dialogue is not the reconfiguration of power in contradiction to the Peace Agreement. The point is that we need a broader consensus to take us beyond the Agreement and beyond elections. Doing this affords us the opportunity to serve the will and the interest of the people of South Sudan, who have spoken eloquently through the grassroots consultations.

In light of all of this, I call upon the opposition leaders to give serious consideration to the National Dialogue and to engage the Steering Committee and the government in ways that will enable their full and meaningful participation. They should not just oppose this noble process simply because the government initiated it.

In fact there is a direct correlation between (R-ARCSS) and the National Dialogue that makes them mutually reinforcing. The activities that are being undertaken as part of the National Dialogue Process are identical to the process that will have to be carried out as part of the Permanent Constitution Process under the (A-RCSS).

Therefore, the National Dialogue, in a sense is a rehearsal for the Permanent Constitution Making Process. Having said this, however, let me make it clear that the leadership of the Steering Committee is willing and ready to take on board any genuine concerns that would make this process truly national.

I also call upon the IGAD leadership to consider the National Dialogue as a mechanism for expanding and popularizing the Agreement. I want to appeal to our international partners to lend support to the National Dialogue so as to facilitate broad participation of our citizens.

We want to have a comprehensive peace that settles all disputes once and for all and to create a mechanism for continued political and social dialogue. I want to thank the governments of Japan, Egypt and South Africa for the financial, material and political support to the National Dialogue. I also acknowledge and appreciate UNDP, UNMISS and the entire UN fraternity for their support.

To the Steering Committee, I greatly appreciate the commitments and sacrifices of our eminent statesmen, His Excellency Abel Alier Wal Kwai and Hon. Angelo Beda for their leadership.

I want to assure you that the government will continue to support your work and the foundation of political and social stability rests with this Agreement and the National Dialogue combined.

Fellow Citizens,

As I conclude this statement, I want to invite all of you in the opposition and government- controlled areas to join us in implementing this peace Agreement. If you embrace peace among yourselves and in your families, then you are with us. If you trade among yourselves, then you are with us, if you share water points for your cattle and fishing grounds during this dry season, then you are with us. If you cease hateful statements on the social media and any medium of communication, then you are with us. If you get up and work to feed your family, then you are with us. If you put your guns away and carry sticks instead.

Peace implementation does not rest with Salva Kiir and Riek Machar and all the political leaders, peace in your communities’ rests with you. Dr.

Riek and I have the responsibility to tell our soldiers to cease fighting and to go back to their barracks or camps.

We have done so and we will continue to do so. There may still be rogue elements somewhere in the bush that will continue to cause harm and it will be our responsibility to look for them with a view of bringing them on board to support the implementation of this agreement. The ceasefire among Gelweng, White Army, and other community-based militias rests with the communities and the government will work collaboratively with them. We will pursue nationwide disarmament because guns are very dangerous and pose a direct threat to peace and tranquillity.

I appeal to IGAD countries to continue to work with us to the finishing line. There may be times when we will quarrel or disagree; but your continued mediation is highly welcome. Your support in terms of monitoring of the permanent ceasefire is welcomed. We will work very closely with the UN and humanitarian agencies to support those in need and to create a conducive environment for peace and economic revival.

We appeal to the Security Council to review UNMISS mandate to include capacity building and development support program as the protection of civilian mandate may become less important with the progress of peace. We call on our development partners to resume development activities across the country, as doing this helps us to promote peace through development.

Finally, let me reiterate the fact that rebuilding our country from the ashes of this five-year-old bitter conflict is our collective responsibility, my fellow compatriots. Moving forward requires us all to forgive each other for wrongs done as well as embracing ourselves in order to chart a dignified course towards full recovery.

I urge you all to unreservedly support the implementation of the peace deal and use the National Dialogue to express forward-looking ideas and build a political consensus to usher in an era of peace and prosperity for all in our republic. Peace has come at last and it is here to stay.

Dear Compatriots,

May I repeat our collective appreciation and gratitude to the leaders of IGAD and the AU for their persistence in helping us realize peace. Many of these leaders are here with us today. Let us give them a big hand and a loud “thank you”.
May the Almighty God bless you and bless the Republic of South Sudan.

Thank you.

Riak Machar’s speech during the peace celebration in Juba 31st October 2018

• H E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, the host of this historical event.
  • H E. Yoweri K. Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda
  • H E. Omar Hassan Ahmed el Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan.
  • HE. Ismail Omar Gueleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti.
  • HE. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya.
  • HE. Mohammed Abdulehi Mohammed, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia
  • HE. Sahle Work Zewde, President of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
  • HE. Mostafa Kamal Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt
  • HE. 1st Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan.
  • HE. Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan.
  • Rt. Hon. Speaker of Transitional National Legislature
  • Hon. Chief Justice of the Republic of South Sudan
  • HE. David Shearer, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Sudan and South Sudan.
  • HE. Amb. Prof. Joram M Biswaro, Representative of the African Union.
  • HE. Dr. Mahboub Maalim, IGAD Representative
  • Distinguished guests,
  • Ladies and gentlemen
  • My fellow compatriots

I am honored and elated to stand before you here, in Juba, after the tragic ordeal of July 2016, which led to the collapse of ARCSS and resumption of civil war in the country. We have come to celebrate the peace agreement, with you the people of South Sudan, the agreement which President Salva Kiir Mayardit and I together with other opposition parties signed on 12 September 2018. Although there is nothing that compels us in this Agreement to come here at this time before the end of the pre-Transitional period, however, we have come to underline and demonstrate our commitment and political will to implement the agreement in letter and spirit. We have come to build your confidence on the agreement and to seek your support for its implementation. We are also taking this opportunity of this celebration to disseminate the agreement.

My delegation is composed of political and military leaders of SPLM/SPLA (IO) and our traditional leaders (chiefs) who tirelessly shepherd our refugees in Sudan. Allow me to introduce them:

Following the collapse of ARCSS, SPLM/SPLA(IO) has been calling for a political process to settle the crisis. In this regards, we welcomed the IGAD’s decision of July 2017 to revitalize the ARCSS. I immediately constituted our peace delegation to engage in the High Level Revitalization Forum Process, despite my unjust incarceration in South Africa. We, therefore, thank and sincerely appreciate the role of IGAD and its commitment to bring Peace and end the suffering of the people of South Sudan.

I would like to thank in person H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, for taking the courageous decision of extracting me from the incarceration to engage in face to face meeting with President Salva Kiir Mayardit in order to end the impulse in the process.

We also thank the IGAD Heads of State and Government for delegating and mandating President el Bashir to continue the face to face meetings and mediation and to take the lead in the process on behalf of IGAD, which led to the signing of Khartoum Peace Declaration and subsequent agreements.

We appreciate the wisdom of President Uhuru Kenyatta for recognizing the need to continue the momentum that was gained in Khartoum; therefore, allowing President el Bashir to continue with the process.
We thank President Omer el Bashir for doing the most difficult task of persuading the parties to reach compromises in the midst of great suspicion and skepticism amongst regional and international actors and despite the trust deficit amongst them. Khartoum has become a hub for peacemaking.

Your Excellency, you have once again proven the skeptics wrong as you did in the question of the right of self determination and independence of South Sudan. Many did not believe you would accept the outcome of the referendum and that you would be the first to recognize the Independence of South Sudan. We share the vision of “rather two independent peaceful Sudanese States then a war torn one Sudan”. I want to thank your competent mediation team led by your abled Foreign Minister, Dr. Dirdeiry Mohammed Ahmed for their hard work and tremendous efforts to pull former warring parties together to cross the finishing line of peace.

I want to thank HE. President Yoweri K. Musveni, for his unwavering commitment in supporting the peace process. He was always on call to assist to break the deadlock, for example the eight- hour marathon meeting in the State House, Entebbe where a number of compromises where reached.
We thank Presidents of Republic of Djibouti and Somalia for their active participation in the process of peace in South Sudan.

We also thank H.E. President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda, the Chairman of African Union and H.E. Moussa Faki Mohamed, the Chairperson of African Union Commission who remained sized in search for peace in South Sudan. We thank the Secretary General of the United Nations, the members of UN Security Council, and the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of UN to Sudan and South Sudan.

We thank Troika (Norway, UK and US), European Union (EU), IGAD-Partners Forum, China and C5 (Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa) led by South Africa for their support. We thank Amb. Dr. Ismail Wais, IGAD Special Envoy for peace in South Sudan and his team for exerting efforts in the peace process.

We thank all South Sudanese civil society organizations both inside and outside, particularly women, youth and faith based organizations.

It is important to note that the signed revitalized agreement is to end the suffering of the people of South Sudan so that they can live in peace and harmony, reconcile and heal the wounds inflicted upon them during this traumatic war. We call on our people to support this peace agreement as it will reform the State and its institutions.

1) The agreement stipulates the establishment of unified national army, national security, national police, prison, fire-brigade and wildlife reflective of the diversity of the people of South Sudan devoid of any tribal domination.
2) The economic sector institutions reform aimed at an effective and efficient resource management, speedy economic recovery and eliminating corruption.
3) Judicial sector reform will be undertaken.
4) Devolution of powers and resources to all levels of the government to effect federal system of governance in the country.
5) This Agreement enshrines democracy and multi-party system in the country.
6) This Agreement establishes institutions of transitional justice namely Hybrid Court, the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, and The Authority for Compensation and Reparation. In this regard, we call upon the AU to expedite the establishment of Hybrid Court for South Sudan.
7) The agreement establishes institutions for repatriation, resettlement and rehabilitation of our citizen who are displaced internally and externally.
8)The agreement stipulates that the permanent constitution making process shall be people driven and this constitution shall guide us to free and fair elections.

Fellow compatriots, in short this is what the agreement says.

Furthermore, the IGAD Heads of State and Government who are celebrating with us today, have pledged to guarantee this peace agreement and to contribute troops to the Regional Protection Force to keep the peace in our country. We want to thank them again for this commitment. We, the people of South Sudan should not only thank them but reward them with medals and prizes since we cannot award them any Nobel Peace Prizes.

We thank President Omer el Bashir again for honoring President Kiir and I with medals. As for my part, I would like to assure my brother President Bashir that I will do my best to live up to the honor and work for peace in both South Sudan and Sudan.

I would like to thank my President Salva Kiir for organizing this august celebration and for inviting me and other colleagues in the opposition to participate in this historical event. It is indeed a milestone in confidence building. However, your Excellency, I reiterate my appeal to you to take further steps in the course of creating a conducive environment for peace namely:
1) Release the remaining political prisoners, detainees and abductees;
2) Lift the state of emergency so that our people can move freely, assemble freely; and so that roads and rivers transport and telecommunication can reopen and operate freely all over the country;
3) Unban the activities of opposition political parties, freedom of press and media so that a member of SPLM/SPLA(IO) can say in this freedom square VIVA SPLM/IO VIVA, and those whose passports have been withdrawn can travel proudly with their passports again.
4) Form joint peace dissemination and implementation committees.

In conclusion, we call upon the people of South Sudan to own and protect this Agreement.

God bless you all, God bless South Sudan
VIVA South Sudan VIVA.

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