Message to US delegation who are expected to visit Juba this week

By Lt. General Wesley Welebe Samson

Your Excellences,

Feb 21, 2017(Nyamilepedia) ——- as you know very well, the 2013 crises which started in Juba resulted to loss of many lives and destruction of properties in Greater Equatoria, Greater Upper Nile ad some parts of Bahr-El- Ghazal. However, the recent crises which occurred in Juba for the second time, beginning from July 7,2016 and continuous till today, is largely concentrated in Greater Equatoria, with intention of killing our Chairman and Commander In Chief Dr. Riek Machar and all his followers, resulting to loss of many lives, destruction of lives and properties.

Your Excellences, People in Juba and other parts of South Sudan are still living in fear of their lives since our Chairman and his forces were forced out of Juba till today as the war is still going on in Western, Central and Eastern Equatoria, with particular focus on Greater Mundri, Yei, Lanya, Nimule and Juba-Nimule road, Kajokeji among other areas. War is also going on in Upper Nile and some parts of Bahr-el-Ghazal. As a result, the humanitarian situation in many parts of Greater Equatoria and Upper Nile is getting worse every day.

As I am writing to you today, many people in Greater Equatoria and Upper Nile have been displaced and many more are being displaced every day. Women, children and elderly persons are sleeping in the bushes without food, shelter, clothing and medicine. There is urgent need for humanitarian assistance to save the lives of our people but as usual, government denies quick access to these needy areas for humanitarian workers. More South Sudanese have been forced to take refuge in the neighboring countries of Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, DRC and Sudan unwillingly. Your Excellences, as you visit Juba, I would like to make the following recommendations to you for your quick action to resolve the current crises and bring lasting peace in South Sudan:-

Recommendations for urgent action to bring lasting peace in South Sudan.

1. Immediate deployment of Regional Protection Force to Juba and other contested towns in South Sudan.
2. Facilitate immediate reinstatement and return of the legitimate First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar back to Juba to participate in the implementation of the peace agreement.
3. Encourage SPLA/M IG, SPLM Leaders and other parties who are signatories to the peace agreement to recommit themselves to immediate ceasefire and speedy implementation of the signed Peace Agreement, as soon as the regional force is deployed in Juba, beginning with:-
4. Total demilitarization of Juba
5. Deployment of Joint Integrated police to Juba town as per the signed peace agreement.
6. Stopping operationalization of the thirty two States and forming a committee to look into this matter as per the IGAD Communiqué as a matter of urgency.
7. Establishment of cantonment sites for all IO forces in Equatoria and other parts of South Sudan and provision of all needed logistics for them.
8. Reconstitution of the parliament with full participation of all parties who are signatories to the peace agreement and allowing the Equatorians to exercise their democratic rights to choose a new Speaker of their choice without fear, manipulation and intimidation as stipulated in the signed peace agreement.
9. Reconstitution/establishment all institutions of governance as stipulated in the signed Peace Agreement
10. Immediate starting of all reform process in all institutions of governance with new implementation deadlines
11. Removal of all military from all roadblocks and check points in the Country and replacing them with police, so as to allow speedy and timely delivery of humanitarian serves to our need suffering people, facilitate free movement of goods and people in and out of the country.
12. Lifting of the state of emergency and allowing people who are leaving the country to go without unnecessary security investigation and clearance.
13. Releasing of all individuals who are now arrested, detained and accused of having connections with SPLA/M IO and order the security forces to stop further arrest, detention, intimidation, torture and killing of civilians or looting their properties.
14. All those who have lost their properties be compensated as soon as possible, so that they can rebuild themselves and start new lives as stipulated in the signed peace agreement.
15. Support and work together with United Nations Mission in South Sudan, so as to effectively implement the Mission mandate and Security Council Resolutions intended to bring lasting peace in the Republic of South Sudan.
16. Stick to the full implementation of the signed peace agreement to the letter, as it is the only solution to end the current conflict in our Country.
17. Organize an urgent meeting with IGAD Plus, JMEC, and all partners to come up with a new program of action with clear road map, timelines and deadlines. This meeting will also enable the parties in dispute to resume peace talks, revisit certain sections of the agreement, as deadline for some activities have passed without implementation.

I hope, these recommendations will contribute positively to effectively implement the signed peace agreement upon re-instatement and return to Juba as the Legitimate First Vice President for the Republic of South Sudan. Remember, there will be no lasting peace in South Sudan without full participation of SPLA/M IO under the able leadership of Dr. Riek Machar.

Best regards

Lt. General Wesley Welebe Samson

Deputy Chief of Staff for Training

SPLA/M IO

February 21, 2017

Email: welebesamson@yahoo.com