Greater Pigi Community in Diaspora: Evacuate the Occupying SPLM-IO Forces from Atar & Khorfulus land

Greater Pigi Community in Diaspora: Petition Letter to the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity of the Republic of South Sudan Under the Leadership of President Sava Kiir Mayardit to Immediately Evacuate the Occupying Forces of SPLM-IO from our land of Atar and Khorfulus

Cc: H. E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of Republic of South Sudan

Cc: H.E Dr. Riek Machar, the First Vice-Presidents of Republic of South Sudan

Cc: H.E Gen. Taban Deng Gai, Vice-Presidents of Republic of South Sudan

Cc: H.E Dr. Wani Igga, Vice-Presidents of Republic of South Sudan

Cc: H.E Mama Rebecca Nyandeng, Vice-Presidents of Republic of South Sudan

Cc: H.E Gen. Abdelbagi Ayii, Vice-Presidents of Republic of South Sudan

Fellow innocents Citizen of Upper Nile State and the Jonglei State of ROSS

Tuesday, March 17, 2020 (PW) — The people of Greater Pigi County in Diaspora are overwhelmed by the productive and profound decision made last February 2019 to reverse 32 States back to the 10 States for the price of peace among our country citizens who were deprived and dismantled by war. Instantaneously, the Greater Pigi community in Diaspora does solidly petition for the remaining of Greater Pigi County under Upper Nile State following the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement agenda 2019 dissolution of the 32 states back to 10 States.

Based on historical evidence of December 2013, 2015 and 2016, South Sudan outbreak war; the people of Greater Pigi have faced more devastation and destructions by war than any other county in South Sudan. Despite the suffering and unmeasurable price on their lives, the Greater Pigi people are still very optimistic that the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity will order the evacuation of SPLM/IO forces who are still occupying Atar & Khorfulus land today.

Putting the records to book; in October 2015, South Sudan President Salva Kiir issued a decree of establishing 28 States with the dissolution of 10 states. As a result, the South Sudan Parliament approved the creation of 28 states of which Eastern Nile State was created. Therefore, the greater Pigi County was annexed to Eastern Upper Nile State. Succeeding that, in January 2017, President Salva Kiir again decreed States of the Country from 28 to 32 States, which resulted to creation of Central Upper Nile State of which Pigi remained under Central Upper Nile State as two separate counties (Atar and Khorfulus.)

 We the greater Pigi communities believed that the purpose and the benefit of signing the Revitalized Peace Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) on September 12, 2018, in Addis Ababa Ethiopia by the warring parties was to end the civil war in the country; to resolve the contaminating conflict in South Sudan, and to return all South Sudanese people back to their homes. Following, the Implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement agenda on 2019 has resulted in a dissolution of the 32 South Sudan States asserted that: We, the People of greater Pigi in Diaspora do unanimously petition and proposed that Pigi remained under Upper Nile State, Malakal Administration without being annexed back to Jonglei State. We believe that our concern is legitimate concern at this juncture because our people are not benefiting from Jonglei State.

Unreservedly, the People of the greater Pigi County in Diaspora in conjunction with the people back at home, strongly do propose 2 choices.

1. We the people of Greater Pigi have swiftly agreed that our two Counties of Atar & Khorfulus should remain in Malakal, the Capital City of Upper Nile State. The People of these two brotherly Counties will not accept any proposal by the government of the Republic of South Sudan that undermines or ignore the rightful decision of staying in the Upper Nile state and incite on annexing them back to Jonglei State. Joining the Upper Nile State of Malakal was and is the legitimate right and choice of the people of Greater Pigi community, not the right and choice for the Government of South Sudan. We the Greater Pigi Community has stated clearly that we do not want to go back to Jonglei State under this Implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement agenda 2019, dissolution of the 32 to 10 States. The people of Greater Pigi has been victimized, suffered, and faced many challenges due to long distance to Jonglei State, territorial disputes, and lack of trust among the communities in terms of security and representation.
2.  We the people of Greater Pigi are asking for separate administrative governing with two Counties reinstatement if we are not allowed to join Malakal, Upper Nile State. Therefore, the community do strongly ask the Government of Republic of South Sudan to let Atar & Khorfulus remain in their two separate counties as it was requested by our people and affirmed into the country’s presidential decree in January 2017 when president Salva Kiir consider the quests of the country citizens and created 32 states.

This appeal of the Greater Pigi Community in Diaspora is a big concern due to a very long distance from Greater Pigi County to Jonglei State. The distance between Pigi and Malakal is only 9.5 Miles, meanwhile the distance between Pigi and Jonglei State is 12 hours by car. This remoteness alone carries lots of disadvantages in relation to the immediacy, local employment opportunities, and accessibility to health service facilities. Alongside historical documented evidence, there is no doubt or dispute that the greater Pigi community was initially under the administration of Sobat District of which their head quarter was in Malakal Province during the Colonial period. Since the existence of the Jieng Padang community on the Eastern bank of the Nile, the Greater Pigi existed as Sobat District under Malakal province until late 1927 when Khorfulus community was taken to join Fangak District, and later followed by Atar community in 1945.

 The transfer of both Atar and Khorfulus communities to join Pangak District was a political influence of which Traditional Head Chiefs were convinced by the few political elites without the knowledge from the majority of the Greater Pigi communities who did not know how to express their rights and choices. After Greater Pigi community was transferred from Sobat District to Fangak District, Pigi community traditional leadership engaged Malakal Province leadership to build a school in Nyintha Atar in order to bring together Atar, Khorfulus and neighbouring communities along the Nile for the purpose of education and closeness. As a result of 1945, Atar School, which has become a well-known Atar Senior Secondary School, was built in Nyintha Atar, and the remnant wreckages of this school can still be found in Nyintha, Atar today. With all the above-presented evidence and reasons to your administration, the greater Pigi appreciate your consideration ruling and judgment for the right of people. The undersigned Pigi County Community in Diaspora:

Sign By:

1. Akot Miaker Nyok; Chairman, Canada
2. Abiel Mialual Michar; Deputy Chairman, USA.
3. Aru Miareng de Ngor; Deputy Chairman, Australia
4. Miakuach Bhol Nyok: General Secretary, Canada

Contact email: Abiel Machar <abmachar@gmail.com>

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