November 1st 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s First Vice President designate and SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon on Wednesday gave a historic speech during peace celebrations organized by the South Sudan government in Juba.
During his speech, Machar called for the end to the ongoing civil war and urged the citizens to own the signed peace agreement as well as also urging political leaders from South Sudan’s political divide to forget differences.
The Nyamilepedia brings you the full text of the speech given by the SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon in Juba as follow.
Statement on the Occasion of Peace Celebrations in Juba 31st October 2018
Presented by: Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon Chairman and Commander in Chief SPLM/SPLA (IO).
• H E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, the host of this historical event.
• H E. Yoweri K. Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda
• H E. Omar Hassan Ahmed el Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan.
• HE. Ismail Omar Gueleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti.
• HE. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya.
• HE. Mohammed Abdulehi Mohammed, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia
• HE. Sahle Work Zewde, President of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
• HE. Mostafa Kamal Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt
• HE. 1st Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan.
• HE. Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan.
• Rt. Hon. Speaker of Transitional National Legislature
• Hon. Chief Justice of the Republic of South Sudan
• HE. David Shearer, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Sudan and
South Sudan.
• HE. Amb. Prof. Joram M Biswaro, Representative of the African Union.
• HE. Dr. Mahboub Maalim, IGAD Representative
• Distinguished guests,
• Ladies and gentlemen
• My fellow compatriots
I am honored and elated to stand before you here, in Juba, after the tragic ordeal of July 2016, which led to the collapse of ARCSS and resumption of civil war in the country. We have come to celebrate the peace agreement, with you the people of South Sudan, the agreement which President Salva Kiir Mayardit and I together with other opposition parties signed on 12 September 2018. Although there is nothing that compels us in this Agreement to come here at this time before the end of the pre-Transitional period, however, we have come to underline and demonstrate our commitment and political will to implement the agreement in letter and spirit. We have come to build your confidence on the agreement and to seek your support for its implementation. We are also taking this opportunity of this celebration to disseminate the agreement.
My delegation is composed of political and military leaders of SPLM/SPLA (IO) and our traditional leaders (chiefs) who tirelessly shepherd our refugees in Sudan. Allow me to introduce them: Following the collapse of ARCSS, SPLM/SPLA(IO) has been calling for a political process to settle the crisis. In this regards, we welcomed the IGAD’s decision of July 2017 to revitalize the ARCSS. I immediately constituted our peace delegation to engage in the High Level Revitalization Forum Process, despite my unjust incarceration in South Africa. We, therefore, thank and sincerely appreciate the role of IGAD and its commitment to bring Peace and end the suffering of the people of South Sudan.
I would like to thank in person H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, for taking the courageous decision of extracting me from the incarceration to engage in face to face meeting with President Salva Kiir Mayardit in order to end the impulse in the process.
We also thank the IGAD Heads of State and Government for delegating and mandating President el Bashir to continue the face to face meetings and mediation and to take the lead in the process on behalf of IGAD, which led to the signing of Khartoum Peace Declaration and subsequent agreements.
We appreciate the wisdom of President Uhuru Kenyatta for recognizing the need to continue the momentum that was gained in Khartoum; therefore, allowing President el Bashir to continue with the process.
We thank President Omer el Bashir for doing the most difficult task of persuading the parties to reach compromises in the midst of great suspicion and skepticism amongst regional and international actors and despite the trust deficit amongst them. Khartoum has become a hub for peacemaking.
Your Excellency, you have once again proven the skeptics wrong as you did in the question of the right of self determination and independence of South Sudan. Many did not believe you would accept the outcome of the referendum and that you would be the first to recognize the Independence of South Sudan. We share the vision of “rather two independent peaceful Sudanese States then a war torn one Sudan”. I want to thank your competent mediation team led by your abled Foreign Minister, Dr. Dirdeiry Mohammed Ahmed for their hard work and tremendous efforts to pull former warring parties together to cross the finishing line of peace.
I want to thank HE. President Yoweri K. Musveni, for his unwavering commitment in supporting the peace process. He was always on call to assist to break the deadlock, for example the eight- hour marathon meeting in the State House, Entebbe where a number of compromises where reached.
We thank Presidents of Republic of Djibouti and Somalia for their active participation in the process of peace in South Sudan.
We also thank H.E. President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda, the Chairman of African Union and H.E. Moussa Faki Mohamed, the Chairperson of African Union Commission who remained sized in search for peace in South Sudan.
We thank the Secretary General of the United Nations, the members of UN Security Council, and the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of UN to Sudan and South Sudan.
We thank Troika (Norway, UK and US), European Union (EU), IGAD-Partners Forum, China and C5 (Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa) led by South Africa for their support.
We thank Amb. Dr. Ismail Wais, IGAD Special Envoy for peace in South Sudan and his team for exerting efforts in the peace process.
We thank all South Sudanese civil society organizations both inside and outside, particularly women, youth and faith based organizations.
It is important to note that the signed revitalized agreement is to end the suffering of the people of South Sudan so that they can live in peace and harmony, reconcile and heal the wounds inflicted upon them during this traumatic war. We call on our people to support this peace agreement as it will reform the State and its institutions.
1) The agreement stipulates the establishment of unified national army, national security, national police, prison, fire-brigade and wildlife reflective of the diversity of the people of South Sudan devoid of any tribal domination.
2) The economic sector institutions reform aimed at an effective and efficient resource management, speedy economic recovery and eliminating corruption.
3) Judicial sector reform will be undertaken.
4) Devolution of powers and resources to all levels of the government to effect federal system of governance in the country.
5) This Agreement enshrines democracy and multi-party system in the country.
6) This Agreement establishes institutions of transitional justice namely Hybrid Court, the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, and The Authority for Compensation and Reparation. In this regard, we call upon the AU to expedite the establishment of Hybrid Court for South Sudan.
7) The agreement establishes institutions for repatriation, resettlement and rehabilitation of
our citizen who are displaced internally and externally.
8)The agreement stipulates that the permanent constitution making process shall be people driven and this constitution shall guide us to free and fair elections.
Fellow compatriots, in short this is what the agreement says.
Furthermore, the IGAD Heads of State and Government who are celebrating with us today, have pledged to guarantee this peace agreement and to contribute troops to the Regional Protection Force to keep the peace in our country. We want to thank them again for this commitment. We, the people of South Sudan should not only thank them but reward them with medals and prizes since we cannot award them any Nobel Peace Prizes.
We thank President Omer el Bashir again for honoring President Kiir and I with medals. As for my part, I would like to assure my brother President Bashir that I will do my best to live up to the honor and work for peace in both South Sudan and Sudan.
I would like to thank my President Salva Kiir for organizing this august celebration and for inviting me and other colleagues in the opposition to participate in this historical event. It is indeed a milestone in confidence building. However, your Excellency, I reiterate my appeal to you to take further steps in the course of creating a conducive environment for peace namely:
1) Release the remaining political prisoners, detainees and abductees;
2) Lift the state of emergency so that our people can move freely, assemble freely; and so that roads and rivers transport and telecommunication can reopen and operate freely all over the country;
3) Unban the activities of opposition political parties, freedom of press and media so that a member of SPLM/SPLA(IO) can say in this freedom square VIVA SPLM/IO VIVA, and those whose passports have been withdrawn can travel proudly with their passports again.
4) Form joint peace dissemination and implementation committees.
In conclusion, we call upon the people of South Sudan to own and protect this Agreement.
God bless you all, God bless South Sudan
VIVA South Sudan VIVA.
