LATEST BREAKING NEWS: Lt.General Thomas Cirillo’s Heroically resigns
from Kiir’s “Tribal government:” What’s next?
Feb. 11 Featured, Uncategorized 12 comments
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FEB. 11/2017, SSN;
The best and the most popular top SPLA general, war hero and freedom
fighter, General Thomas Cirillo Swaka has finally decided to quit
today the so-called tribal government of South Sudan led by Salva Kiir
Mayardit. Below is his resignation letter:
To: President Salva Kiir Mayardit,
President of the Republic of South Sudan,
Commander-in-Chief, Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army,
Juba, South Sudan. Dated: 11/02/2017
I, Lt.Gen. Thomas Cirillo Swaka, the Deputy Chief of General Staff for
Logistics, SPLA, hereby tender my resignation as Deputy Chief of
General Staff for Logistics, and from the SPLA.
It has been my honor and privilege to have served the people of South
Sudan during the liberation struggle and during the implementation of
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which led to the conduct of
referendum on self-determination and attainment of independence of
South Sudan. I am proud to have been part of the Liberation struggle
and generally in having served the people of South Sudan in numerous
military and political assignments over the last three decades.
I am resigning from the position of Deputy Chief of Staff for
Logistics and from the SPLA because of the following reasons:
1. I am convinced the violence which erupted in Juba in December 2013
and swiftly spread to several parts of South Sudan, in due course
becoming a devastating war, was planned and orchestrated by design.
This TRIBALLY engineered war resulted in the deaths of thousands of
innocent lives and the displacement of at least two million
people….mainly innocent civilians, women and children currently living
in miserable conditions either as internally displaced (IDPs),
virtually prisoners in the UN camps or as refugees.
In August 2015, after almost 2 years of civil war and suffering of the
people, the warring parties signed a deal, the ARCSS, brokered by
IGAD. Unfortunately, the Government of South Sudan deliberately
orchestrated violations of the peace agreements which led to fighting
in Juba in July 2016, total collapse of the Agreement and resumption
of war in the country.
2. I am dissatisfied and have lost patience with the conduct of the
President and Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), the Chief of General Staff
and other senior officers in the HQS of the SPLA as well as Unit
Commanders. The President and these SPLA officers have systematically
frustrated the implementations of the peace agreements and pursued the
agenda of the JIENG COUNCIL OF ELDERS of ethnic cleansing, forceful
displacement of people from their ancestral lands and ethnic
domination.
I can no longer continue to be part of the ongoing destruction of our
beloved country by the same army.
3. The SPLA is supposed to be transformed and professionalized into a
national, non-partisan army as stipulated, however, President Kiir and
his Dinka leadership clique have tactically and systematically
transformed the SPLA into a partisan and tribal army. It’s a militia
loyal only to its tribal leadership of Pres. Salva Kiir and Chief of
General Staff, Paul Malong Awan. The SPLA has lost respect of the
South Sudanese people and even the International community. Worst of
all, it has shattered the dreams, hopes and aspirations of the people,
and it has taken the lead or participated in the systemic killing of
the people, rape of women and burning of villages.
4. Pres. Kiir and Jieng Council of Elders (JCE), which is the real
Cabinet of the Government, failed to recognize the sacrifices and
struggle of other nationalities and they even go to the extent of
denying the contributions of other nationalities during the liberation
struggle. The President and his tribal JCE have concentrated on
entrenching Dinka ethnic domination, turning other organized forces
and the SPLA into brutal tribal forces, terrorizing and intimidating
their opponents.
5. To implement the above policies, the President and his clique
systematically recruited Dinka in all security sectors and units,
paying particular attention to promoting and appointing Dinkas from
sections hailing specifically from Bahr el Ghazel region, the home
area of the president and Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Paul Malong Awan.
Most of these recruits are promoted to officer ranks and made
commanders of most SPLA units. The same for the Police, Prisons, Fire
Brigade, Military and National Intelligence, CID and Customs, all
commanded by Dinkas. By design, other nationalist revolutionaries who
fought the liberation war have been humiliated, demoralized and
effectively demobilized from the service.
6. Mathiang Anyor and Dut ko-beng tribal militias who have taken over
the SPLA have become an occupation force in some parts of the country,
consciously in pursuit of a policy of ethnic targeting and a campaign
of systematic rape, killing, mistreating, humiliating and torturing
civilians. All these done in a culture of impunity. Mathiang Anyor
have deliberately applied a policy of scorched earth by burning whole
villages and grabbing land, especially in Equatoria, Chollo land in
Upper Nile and the Western Bahr el Ghazel. For instance, during
December 2013 and July 2016 violence, these tribal forces, including
President Kiir’s own Tiger Division, brazenly went on the rampage
killing, rape, torture and looting systematically in an unprecedented
manner.
7. The continuous insecurity happening right now across the country is
caused by the SPLA militia and other ethnically organized forces and
security organs. They are the ones killing people in the capital,
Juba, and other towns in the name of ‘Unknown Gunmen.’ In fact, these
are ‘known gunmen.’ This is why many South Sudanese are fleeing to
become internally displaced or refugees. The President and the Dinka
political leadership only came out and condemned these kinds of
atrocities when Juba-Yei road incident took place in October because
the victims were from the Dinka ethnic group.
8. The SPLA militias and other security organs are looting government
assets and hijacking government vehicles and taking those stolen
properties to their states to use or sell, there is no remedy for the
aggrieved.
9. Innocent civilians, especially Non-Dinkas, are being arbitrary
arrested, detained and killed by the security organs all over the
country. Those detained are subjected to torture and humiliation in
what is called ‘Safe Houses.” In Jebel Luri, where the President’s
special residence is built, and in Gorum military area controlled by
Tiger Division of Kiir and the Mathiang Anyor militia, many innocent
detainees are dying in these “prisons” falsely accused of either
expressing opposing views or supporting rebels.
10. Until this time that I am submitting my resignation, many years
have elapsed without holding official meeting of Command of the Army,
especially after General Paul Malong took over command of the SPLA.
There is total collapse of the chain of command; the Commander in
Chief (C-in-C) and the Chief of Staff mostly meet in their own
residencies with close and trusted officers who are their tribesmen
(tribal commanders).
These officers are labelled as “Loyal Officers.”
*** Strangely, included in these meetings are some members of the
Jieng Council of Elders, (perhaps as ‘non-uniformed officers’-
essentially tribesmen directing or advising the army).
*** All the powers in the army are confined to the Chief of General
Staff who uses them to build and consolidate the military strength of
“SPLA militia” for implementing the “Dinka Agenda” of subjugating,
humiliating or destroying any of the other tribes who dare to stand in
their way.
*** The small number of SPLA soldiers are deliberately neglected,
without deployment, unarmed, even during emergencies.
11. Since 2005, after CPA was signed, most SPLA from non-Dinka (mainly
from Equatoria Region) are deliberately deployed out of Equatoria to
Bahr el Ghazel and Upper Nile regions.
*** As a policy, they have been kept out of Equatoria since the
signing of the CPA in 2005, and even denied leave or permission to
visit their families.
*** Those who have been in the Eastern Sudan from during the
liberation war and were subsequently deployed to Upper Nile, Abyei and
Bahr el Ghazel areas after the war, are still in those places up to
this moment.
*** They have lost contact with their families, children and parents.
Many have lost their lives in those wars after the CPA, during the
wars with Sudan, Gen. George Athor’s rebellion, the Cobra wars of
David Yau yau and the 2013 by the split within SPLM and the fight over
power.
*** Upto this moment, these dear sons of our nation who offered their
lives for the liberation and freedom of our people are being treated
in an inhuman way just for the sake of massaging the egos of a small
clique of people pursuing a futile agenda of tribal hegemony.
*** On the other hand, SPLA soldiers from the Dinka ethnic group have
been strategically deployed and posted in non-Dinka areas to support
the policy of land occupation and enforcing the agenda of forceful
DINKANIZATION and domination of the country.
12. This discrimination and crimes against humanity are committed not
only on non-Dinkas alone but also visited on the Dinkas who are
opposed to the policy of discrimination on ethnic bases and
destruction of the country. Such Dinkas are regarded as enemies as
well.
*** The policy of ethnic domination and subjugation being pursued
openly by the President and his close associates has made Dinkas to be
painted with the same brush by the other communities/nationalities,
without making distinction between the good Dinkas and the bad ones.
*** As a result, the Dinka community has come to be hated by their own
brothers and sisters from other communities. Pursuit of this
wrong-headed policy has also destroyed the fabric of South Sudan
society.
13. All this time we have been talking to and persuading the C-in-C
and members of the Army Command hailing from the Dinka ethnic group,
especially those who are known to be members of Dinka ruling clique,
to refrain from this tribally oriented policy that cannot promote
nationalism and unity, and which can only destroy the country to no
avail.
*** All these efforts went in vain as they have fallen on deaf ears.
Therefore, it has become important at this crucial moment of our
history not to continue working under the leadership of President
Salva Kiir that is intentionally subjecting the people of South Sudan
to unprecedented and unacceptable cycles of violence and human
suffering.
*** This type of inhuman treatment and the human agony it entails has
never happened before, even during the time when Khartoum was ruling
South Sudan.
14. IN LIGHT OF THE ABOVE AND IN CONCLUSION, YOUR EXCELLENCY, I WOULD
LIKE TO TELL YOU FRANKLY AND IN HONESTY THAT IN MY VIEW,
*****YOU HAVE DISGRACED YOURSELF AND THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC.
*****YOU HAVE DISGRACED THE DINKA PEOPLE AND MADE THEM TO BE HATED BY
THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS FROM OTHER NATIONALITIES,
*****AND ABOVE ALL, YOU HAVE BECOME A DISGRACE TO OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE
YOU HAVE CONSCIOUSLY, WILLFULLY, PERSISTENTLY, DEFYING ALL SENSIBLE
ADVICE, AND BY DESIGN, FAILED THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH SUDAN.
Given the above reasons that are by no means exhaustive, I hereby
resign from the position of Deputy Chief of General Staff for
Logistics, and from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
Signed……………….
Lt. Gen. Thomas Cirillo Swaka,
Deputy Chief of General Staff for Logistics, SPLA.
cc: Minister of Defense
cc: Minister of National Security
cc: SPLA Chief of General Staff
cc: Deputies of Chief of General Staff
cc: SPLA Inspector General
cc: Director of National Security
cc: Directors in the G/HQS
cc: Sectors/Division Commanders
cc: Specialized Units Commanders
cc: Gallant Women and Men of the Historical SPLA
cc: The Public
E_N_D
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12 Comments
False Millionnaire
February 11, 2017 at 10:11 pm
Is the declaration à product of his own personal conviction or
mouthed out for him by a manipulateur?
What had blinded him ever since the day Garang died that it’s now
he has become aware of Kiir as a,”disgraced” failed leader?
But he is still welcome to join the ranks of
other,”disgraced”,failed leaders like Kiir in the opposition.
And what do they do?
Lavishing on MTN hunting to take speedy steps on the road to hell
in the false hope of suing for heaven.
Reply
KK
February 13, 2017 at 9:17 am
False M,
I do not see the reason of condemning General lamenting about
Garang’s death Blah Blah.
If you encode the words well and I quote ….many years have
elapsed without holding official meeting of Command of the Army,
especially after General Paul Malong took over command of the SPLA.
There is total collapse of the chain of command” end of quote.
Its obvious that where there are not routinely structured
meetings, gossips, fear and suspicion takes command. How can one find
a platform to voice his grievance? let alone being labeled rebel if
one does so. I can bet, if Thomas resigned here in Juba, he would be
killed or detained at least.
Talking about Garang: As human, he did have his weakness some
of us know including favoritism as well. if Garang was alive, perhaps
the worst would have happened between Dinka Bor and Dinka Bahr El
Ghazal, besides mortals are not to live for ever
Though its too early to speculate on the motives of the Gen.
One can be sure that his defection adds credit to the opposition, the
world “may” see the SPLA in another angle or even get convinced that
the rebels have a point.
Kir needs to do his homework and speedy work out a formula for
real peace lest innocent women and children will continue to suffer
under his watch and that is the shame.
Reply
Lokosang
February 11, 2017 at 10:38 pm
That is commander Thomas Cirillo that I personally know. He is
truly a revolutionary and visionary warrior that South Sudan and Sudan
has ever known. There is limitation for every thing. I profoundly
believed that commander Thomas has reached a boiling point that he can
no longer tolerate as he mentioned above. It is the same reason that
some of us become critiques of SPLM/A because it has become a tribal
organization. I believe that the resignation will turn into a
nightmare to those of Salva Kiir.
Time has come for all of us to unite to dismantle that tribal
organisation in South Sudan.
Reply
Hardball
February 12, 2017 at 2:01 am
As long as the killing of innocent Dinka travelers continues on
Juba_Nimule road and Yei_Juba roads; it will take more than just
Thomas Cirillo Swaka resignation!
Reply
Mading
February 12, 2017 at 2:26 am
Within government, high rank and top officials are doing big
disorder by drive a nation in wrong direction, miss leading the public
and later blame government? Who is government? President?
Reply
Abel Magok
February 12, 2017 at 6:24 pm
Gen. Thomas Cirillo Swaka, was perceived as patriot spent the best
part of his age in struggle until South Sudan achieved its
independence the people have been longing for in about 50 years
struggle. I have read twice his resignation letter before decided to
write this piece.
In principle, resignation is the best political protest a true
leader could resort to but Gen. Thomas Cirillo’s letter does not
really give me such an impression of a true leader or even score
political points he means to, rather he appeared deceptive Gen. we
still do not know the motives of his resignation until this time, what
he will do next or the things he was doing in his position as Deputy
Chief of general staff for Logistic SPLA.
Yes our country is going in wrong direction and really need
nationalist leader who do not embrace tribalism and Gen. Thomas
Cirillo resignation would have been perceive genuinely if he wasn’t
used such tribal rhetoric in his letter of resignation. The General
does not distinguish Dinka in government and other millions of Dinka
who do not know what is going on there in government he was serving
in. All are suffering in South Sudan, and we have been reading news on
the Internet people left their homes in Bahr El Ghazal region to
Darfur searching for food.
I think Southerners are still remembering very well an Equatoria
Military Governor Peter Cirillo, in early 1980s, during Kokoro time.
Governor Peter Cirillo, the elder brother of Thomas Cirillo. was
the one orchestrated Kokoro then and spearheaded it. He was indeed
courageous in admitted his mistakes publically in Khartoum, 1990s by
saying he regrets for the people died in Kokoro, and wish if he awake
them from death. In such words, Peter Cirillo washed away what he have
done in Kokoro, and the news of his younger brother Thomas Cirillo
then joined the SPLA added more and Peter Cirillo in Khartoum, that
time was seen South Sudan nationalist leader.
The resignation letter written by Gen. Thomas Cirillo, and cited
tribal rhetoric as reasons for his exit from government look very much
like his elder brother actions in 1980s. Is it a wrong connection and
we can consider Thomas Cirillo different from his elder brother
Governor Peter Cirillo? of course not, science considered some fatal
genetic diseases run in the family. I am eager to know the next step
from the General who is currently outside the country.
Reply
info@southsudannation
February 13, 2017 at 2:52 pm
The Cirillo Family of Heroes
Reply to Abel Magok,
With due respect, since you are a close follower of this
website, I would like to correct you on some historical distortions,
concoctions and misinformation in your comment.
1- The champion of Kokora then was President James Tambura,
among many others, including politicians from the Shilluks, Nuers,
Bari, but not General Peter Cirilo.
2- General Peter Cirilo became the first governor of Equatoria
region after Arab Sudanese president Jaafar Niemery implemented the
Kokora (division) of South Sudan in 1983, on his own merits of
popularity and qualifications.
3- General Peter Cirillo DID NOT ORCHESTRATE THE KOKORA. The
champions of Kokora were those of late President James Tambura, late
Mr. Eliaba Surur, late Dr. Samson Kwaje and many others still alive
that I cannot mention their names for their own safety.
4- As someone closely connected with that movement and time, I
and many like me, have never heard of your alleged so-called
confession or regret that you allegedly attributed to General Peter
Cirillo that was made in Khartoum. This is a concoction generated for
some people’s satisfaction.
5. General Thomas Cirilo explicitly and candidly enumerated
(read his letter again) all the problems that are now afflicting the
political dynamics in the country under the regime of Kiir and the
jieng council of elders (whatever it means?) True elders always strive
hard to bring harmony in a family or clan so that peace and harmony
prevail among brothers and sisters in a family. That’s not what these
evil and satanic JCE are doing!
6. Finally, just for your personal satisfaction, those two
sons of Mr. Cirillo Swaka (a hard-working and prosperous Bari elder
who was able to educate his children by his own labor), are heroes on
their own merits. Elder Cirillo, their father, was a pioneer
businessman who had one of the biggest kraal (muraa) of cows just
across the Juba bridge supplying milk and meat to Juba Town in the
1950’s and 60’s. He also employed many destitute Dinka to take care of
his cows then. (There was a big flood in the 50’s that drove many
Dinka from Bor and Aliab to Juba as displaced refugees).
Incidentally, the two, General Peter and General Thomas are
generations apart. The eldest General Peter Cirillo bravely and
heroically fought the Anya Nya war from the beginning as a truly
dedicated freedom fighter. He is a contemporary of those of
ex-presidents Abel Alier and General Joseph Lagu. General Thomas
Cirillo, however, is of a later and younger generation, was also
imbued with the same nationalistic spirit and hence followed his elder
brother, Peter, whereby he greatly and heroically contributed in the
new liberation war under Dr. John Garang’s SPLM/A. I wonder if you can
imagine a similar family in your own community. Fortunately, there is
nothing like your so-called “fatal genetic disease” running in that
highly respected Bari family. That’s an acclaimed family of heroes.
Please, let’s all work together to see that the current
developments are mitigated and resolved amicably as brothers and
sisters in this accursed and condemned nation call the South Sudan.
Reply
arabbmoi
February 12, 2017 at 6:52 pm
Please Isaac Mamur Mete be humble to follow our brother Lieutenant
general Swaka sooner than later. please find your own venue to do so.
I know your one of our hero. Jeing had put you in prison for no
apparent reason at all. We need you to keep yourself in good safe
place in prior of this revelation that Thomas stated above. You those
angry Jeing tribal gangs are always vengeful. They do not consider you
one of their own, you know more than we do. Thanks you Thomas.
Reply
Peacemaker
February 13, 2017 at 8:23 am
Gen. Thomas did the right thing. His resignation letter tells us
more about the reasons why he quit and no one has the right to
question him. After all is there any army left to serve?
Reply
Roberto Kosongo
February 13, 2017 at 8:28 am
Dear Thomas Cirillo,
You have made the right decision. Kiir and his Evil Jieng Council
of Elders are extremely tribal. They have low self-esteem. They never
accepted who they are. They think with power and dominance of others
they can become like other communities. They believe in power and they
will never relinquish it voluntarily. So this is not a political issue
any more. It is a matter of survival and we as Equatorian and other
communities in South Sudan must do whatever it takes to survive. No
one in this earth has the right to deny us life.
Roberto Ksosongo ( Bana Equatoria )
Reply
Thon
February 13, 2017 at 11:52 am
Thomas Cirilo rebelled long time ago. The question is : who is
next among Bilpham generals? The fifth column dominated the army top
positions for long. Thomas is no different from Oyai, Hoth Mai, Mac
Paul, Peter Gadet, James Koang, and Johnson Oliny. I expect more of
the generals in Bilpham to join the rebels and then come back as
ministers.
Reply
Thon
February 13, 2017 at 11:55 am
I mean Thomas is no different from the rest of generals who
rebelled and killed the army soldiers they once led. What a shame????
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