---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Jean-Francois Darcq" <[email protected]> Date: 31 Dec 2013 18:49 Subject: Fwd: [SouthSudan] I just signed “South Sudan leaders: Give Peace a Chance” To: "elisabethjanaina" <[email protected]>
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Acuil M Banggol" <[email protected]> Date: 31 Dec 2013 14:16 Subject: [SouthSudan] I just signed “South Sudan leaders: Give Peace a Chance” To: <[email protected]> [image: Change.org] <http://change.org> Shared with you Hi — I just signed this petition and wanted to ask for your support. The more people who join the campaign, the more likely it is to win. *Will you help by adding your name?*<http://www.change.org/petitions/south-sudan-leaders-give-peace-a-chance?share_id=GFCaqqQcmC&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_invitation> Thanks, Acuil M <http://www.change.org/petitions/south-sudan-leaders-give-peace-a-chance?share_id=GFCaqqQcmC&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_invitation> South Sudan leaders: Give Peace a Chance <http://www.change.org/petitions/south-sudan-leaders-give-peace-a-chance?share_id=GFCaqqQcmC&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_invitation> By Thomas Muortat London Sign Thomas’s petition <http://www.change.org/petitions/south-sudan-leaders-give-peace-a-chance?share_id=GFCaqqQcmC&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_invitation> WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT What South Sudanese want more than anything else at the moment is peace. We don’t want more deaths in our beautiful land - be that among our armed forces or our beleaguered civilians. This does not mean that the two warring sides are morally equivalent, but it means that seeking pure justice will not necessarily improve the situation. Some degree of pragmatism or compromise is needed from all sides. By raising arms against the government of South Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar has done more than anyone else to uphold the charge laid on him of attempting to overthrow the government. WHAT DR. RIEK MACHAR CAN DO The upcoming peace talks suggested by IGAD could be Riek Machar’s golden chance to advocate for more freedom, transparency and accountability in our nascent democracy. Continued violence will only do further damage to the cause of democracy that Riek Machar wants to champion. It is absolutely crucial that Riek Machar emulates President Kiir’s offer of unconditional cease fire. THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TALK TO THE WORLD The government for its part has failed to capitalise on Riek Machar’s weaknesses, particularity his decision to organise an army and wage war against his own government. Why are our embassies so silent? Why haven’t they been briefed and ordered to pro-actively, strongly and persuasively to convey the message of the government of South Sudan to the world’s media and governments? This culture of silence has led South Sudan down for many years. THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TALK TO SOUTH SUDANESE A wide and far reaching media campaign should be put in place to reach our people in their own languages all over South Sudan and beyond to deliver the unequivocal message that the people should stand together and should not allow differences amongst their leaders to divide them and set brother against brother and neighbour against neighbour. A special campaign should be aimed at our Nuer kin in their own language and if need be the President himself should go on the radio and speak to all Nuers and push the message that there is no way in which the government will fight against its own people. Why should Nuer youth in the ‘white army’ and elsewhere die in the hands of their own national army? These youth are our future and the backbone of our real economy. It should be made as clear as possible that the problem is with an individual, who happened to be a Nuer, who has declared war against his own country; that any country in the world would do what his government is doing to protect the citizens of the country. The President should put his case through and be ready to answer their questions - and we all know how difficult those questions are going to be! We should end the days when our leaders live as isolated islands or skyscrapers amongst the people. President Kiir should make it clear to the people that he is the leader today but that his time will pass and another South Sudanese from anywhere in our country will take his place and continue the difficult mission of pushing the country forward. JUSTICE MUST REIGN The government must apprehend and prosecute those who are known to have committed atrocities against our citizens. Such arrests must be widely broadcast so that people know that justice is being done. When the dust has settled, efforts should be made to identify and document all who have lost their lives because of their ethnicity. Everything should be done to ensure that lessons are learned and that this shameful episode is never allowed to happen again. The guilt will never go away but addressing this might make it a little lighter. South Sudan is a God loving and fearing land. We worshipped him long before Christianity or Islam entered our land. The last two came to augment and solidify what already existed. Oh GOD, have mercy and let your servants Kiir Mayardit and Riek Machar be guided by your wisdom. Sign Thomas’s petition <http://www.change.org/petitions/south-sudan-leaders-give-peace-a-chance?share_id=GFCaqqQcmC&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_invitation> You're receiving this message because Acuil M Banggol sent you an email through Change.org's petition sharing tool. Change.org has not stored your email address. If you believe you have received this message in error, respond directly to Acuil M Banggol at [email protected]. _______________________________________________ SouthSudan mailing list [email protected] http://just109.justhost.com/mailman/listinfo/southsudan_justiceafrica.org -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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