SPLM/SPLA-IO Press Release In Reponse To Juba’s Wild Propaganda
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By Mabior Garang de Mabior,
Mabior Garang de Mabior accompanying Dr. Riek Machar to his fathers
tomb following Machar's arrival to the capital after two years of
civil war(Photo: Nyamilepedia/file)
Mabior Garang de Mabior accompanying Dr. Riek Machar to his fathers
tomb following Machar’s arrival to the capital after two years of
civil war(Photo: Nyamilepedia/file)
Dec 6, 2016(Nyamilepedia) —— The leadership of the SPLM/SPLA (in
opposition) strongly condemns the continued belligerent propaganda of
the Regime in Juba, who purport to be implementing the Agreement on
the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS); while at the
same time trampling it underfoot, as it were. In regards to this, the
Movement makes the following statement:
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) strongly condemn the negative propaganda of the
regime in Juba, intended to portray a false image to the world that
the SPLM/SPLA(IO) is a terrorist organization.
The Movement Condemns the allegations made by the regime’s
Presidential Spokesman – Ateny Wek Ateny in Radio Tamazuj (06 Dec), in
an article entitled: “Kiir’s govt describes opposition fighters in
Central Equatoria as terrorists”.
(https://radiotamazuj.org/en/article/kiir%E2%80%99s-govt-describes-opposition-fighters-central-equatoria-terrorists);
These are baseless accusations as the government has denied access
to independent investigators to establish the exact nature of the
killing of civilians in Equatoria as reported recently in the various
media houses including an article in Africa News titled: UN accuses
South Sudan’s army of human rights violations.
(http://www.africanews.com/2016/08/05/un-accuses-south-sudan-s-army-of-human-rights-violation/);
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) contention is; that, these attacks on civilians
in Equatoria are in fact part of a government counterinsurgency
program, intended to portray the SPLM/SPLA(IO) as a terrorist
organization; otherwise, why would the government deny human rights
organizations access to investigate the alleged crimes;
That it is government forces killing civilians in Equatoria, was
finally proven when local government officials working for the regime
in Juba, confirmed that the regime’s forces are committing these
atrocities in Central Equatoria; as reported by Radio Tamazuj (17 Nov)
in an article entitled: “Official confirms massacre near Yei”
(https://radiotamazuj.org./en/article/officia-confirms-massacre-near-yei).
ON IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREEMENT
The Presidential Spokesperson – Ateny Wek, also alleged that the
SPLM/SPLA(IO) Forces in Bhar el Gazal and Equatoria had been cantoned
according to the Security Arrangements, going on to say: “There are
small pockets of criminals and terrorists that are killing people in
Central Equatoria. SPLM-IO troops are stationed in Upper Nile State
and other cantonment sites in Bahr al Ghazal.” This allegation assumes
that the small clique of former SPLM/SPLA(IO) who have joined the
regime in Juba are part of the Movement; when it is clear that those
in Juba are part of the regime and not the armed opposition; which is
the other party to the agreement. Those purporting to be SPLM/SPLA(IO)
in Juba have no forces. In this regard the SPLM/SPLA(IO):
Condemns this propaganda, intended to portray an image to the
world that there is the ARCISS which is still valid, the truth is the
Agreement in Juba has collapsed;
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) contention is in line with the various reports
which have been published by the United Nations Security Council –
Panel of Experts (UNSC-PoE) on South Sudan; which, not only reflects
the collapse of the Agreement and the human rights violations
committed by the forces of the regime in Juba; but, also names
President Salva Kiir, his Chief of Staff Paul Malong and the Director
of Internal Security Akol Koor as directing the violence which led to
the collapse of the Agreement. This is clearly shown by the UNSC-PoE
Letter to the Secretary General, subject: “Letter dated 22 January
from the Panel of Experts on South Sudan established pursuant to
Security Council resolution 2206 (2015) addressed to the President of
the Security Council”
(http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_2016_70.pdf);
The various letters by the UNSC PoE, to the President of the
Security Council, have all documented how governments in the region
have colluded with the regime in Juba and have continued to facilitate
procurement of guns and bombs, despite the signing of the Agreement in
August 2015. This has been reported by various media houses including
the prestigious Wall Street Journal; in an article entitled: “Uganda
to Supply South Sudan Weapons”;
It has also come to the attention of the SPLM/SPLA(IO) leadership,
that the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia are also involved in
this facilitation, as demonstrated by the recent letter by the Deputy
Defense Attaché of the Embassy of South Sudan in Addis Ababa, to the
Chief of Staff in Juba; Subject: $55,000 (Fifty-Five Thousand United
State Dollars Only). This letter details payment to be made to
Ethiopia’s Ministry of National Defense for transportation of weapons
that will end up being used to kill citizens of South Sudan. The
letter is available online:
(http://www.nyamile.com/2016/11/30/revealed-south-sudan-govt-bought-lethal-weapons-from-ethiopia/);and
In light of the violent collapse of the Agreement, the closure of
all channels of dialogue and the regimes insistence on finding a
military solution and backed by the Region in this pursuit, the
SPLM/SPLA(IO) reserve the natural right to defend the Movement and the
people of South Sudan from a government that is (with support from the
region) killing its own people; and, from the looming genocide the UN
Special Advisor on Prevention of Genocide – Adam Dieng recently warned
about; and, as reported by the UN News Center (11 Nov) in an article
entitled: “Risk of ‘outright ethnic war’ and genocide in South Sudan,
UN envoy warns”
(http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=55538#.WEa_d3T6jqA).
ON THE WAY FORWARD
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) has been committed to peace since the start of
dialogue in January 2014, and as a matter of policy, continue to be
committed to finding a peaceful resolution to the current civil war.
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) has demonstrated this commitment on several
occasions, including going to Juba under regional pressure, despite
provisions of the ARCISS being circumvented by the guarantors. The
SPLM/SPLA(IO) believes that ‘our sophisticated weapon’ is not guns and
bombs, but our ideas. The idea of the Movement is for peace to return
to the Country through the implementation of the Agreement in good
faith and in this vein, the SPLM/SPLA(IO) is:
Committed to a return to dialogue with the ARCISS as the basis for
this renewed dialogue;
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: Communique of the 56
Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers on the
Situation in South Sudan of 11 July 2016 Nairobi, Kenya;
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: The outcome of the “Visit of
the Chiefs of Defense of IGAD to Juba 14/7/2016”;
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: Communique of the Heads of
State and Government of IGAD Plus on the situation in South Sudan of
16/7/2016, Kigali, Rwanda;
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: Communique of the Second IGAD
Plus Extraordinary Summit on the Situation in the Republic of South
Sudan of 5/8/2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: Communique of AU Peace Security
Council (PSC) 616th Meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 11/08/2016; and
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: UN Security Council Resolution
No.2304 (2016 of 12/08/2016 on South Sudan, New York, USA.
CONCLUSION
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) would like to reiterate to the people of South
Sudan, Africa and the larger International Community, that the
Movement is unequivocally committed to the negotiated settlement as
the fastest and least costly way to bring about an end to the war and
fundamental change in the country. The ARCISS as a negotiated
settlement, to which the warring parties committed and which was
witnessed by the region and the world as guarantors, is the best way
to address the root causes of the conflict that has engulfed the
country in the last three (3) years.
The ARCISS has provisions which will address these root causes among
the most fundamental being: issues to do with the establishment of a
constitution, which is guaranteed in CHAPTER I: TRANSITIONAL
GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN, Article
13, which establishes the National Amendment Committee (NCAC) and even
has the whole of CHAPTER VI: PARAMETERS FOR PERMANENT CONSTITUTION
dedicated to this; it addresses issue relating to the economy in
CHAPTER IV: RESOURCE, ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT; it addresses
issues of justice and accountability in Chapter V. TRANSITIONAL
JUSTICE, ACCOUNTABLITY, RECONCILIATION AND HEALING and the Movement
has gone on record, stating our commitment to the establishment of a
Hybrid Court of Justice. The leadership of the SPLM/SPLA(IO) are
committed to the cause of liberty and justice and as such do not fear
to face justice.
The SPLM/SPLA(IO) calls on the regime in Juba and her allies, to
abandon the futile strategy of isolating the SPLM/SPLA(IO) politically
while they search for a military victory on the ground. This is
wishful thinking and it will never work; the SPLM/SPLA(IO) is a mass
popular Movement which has won the confidence of the majority of the
population of South Sudan, including those trapped under the yoke of
the regime in Juba. The regime in Juba may collude with the region to
isolate the political leadership of the people’s movement, including
kidnapping, illegal deportation and banning (all tactics reminiscent
of Apartheid in Africa); however, these tactics will not bring about
peace, they will only fuel the war.
Signed
CDE MABIOR GARANG MABIOR (CHAIRMAN)
SPLM NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
MOBILE OFFICE
WhatsApp: +254 717 293 583(Mabior Garang)
WhatsApp: +254 705 435 658(Manawa Peter – D. Chairperson of
Information and Public Relations)
WhatsApp: +211 956 433 336 (Puok Both – Director of Information and
Public Relations)
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