GRECOR Press: Plan of Domination of South Sudan by One Ethnic Group.

GRECOR Public Statement, July 10, 2014

July 10, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — Any observer of the Dinka government in Juba will know that what is unfolding is an orchestrated plan of domination of South Sudan by one ethnic group. As South Sudanese everywhere remember the fallen, we own it to ourselves to start asking the tough questions if we are to survive as a state. It is unpatriotic to know better and look the other way instead of initiating dialogue to correct mistakes and build consensuses for better future. History tell us South Sudanese patience was push to the limits with the Cairo declaration granting Sudan independent with no regard to South Sudanese concerns. The new government in Khartoum came up with policy to start dismantling South Sudan institutions that were regarded as threat to the central government. The same way like Salva Kiir start disarming Equatorians and prohibiting some from traveling even to the peace processing in Addis Ababa.

The Equatoria Corps based in Torit took a stand against Khartoum at a time when we lack military capabilities to stand up against Sudan and it change course of history. It is not the weapon that wins battles, it is rather the person behind the weapon. The Corps disobeyed an order to be transfer to North Sudan. The movement to disregard the order from Khartoum was lead by Sergeant Banyaluka Yatta who was shot dead by a Northern officer as the plot unravels. As the news travel, Equatorian from every village were sharpening their arrows and those close to the border were taking their possessions such as sheep and goats to Congo to trade for weapons. The Anya anya 1 war has begun. It was August 18, 1955. Those were the old good days, the days when Equatorian reign supreme. Equatorian were in   battlefields with or without weapons waiting to take the weapons from the enemy or fallen comrade. Those days are coming as sons and daughters of Equatoria are answering the call to liberate themselves from oppressive regime in Juba that is despises by everyone.

The lesson learned from that era is that the Equatorian didn’t come out of Anya Nya 1 war calling themselves liberators and everyone should bow down to them. In fact the leadership of the new autonomous authority earned by the war was given to Abel Alier It is the leadership of Abel Alier that created the atmosphere of Kokora in South Sudan. Now we have Salva Kirr who brought the Republic of South Sudan to its knees through management, corruption, tribalism, nepotism elitism and incompetence. Maybe the survival of our nation lay not in leadership of domination but consensus. Better yet, South Sudanese might be better of selecting a leader from a small humble ethnic group with no ability to inflict revenge pain and the suffering for South Sudanese. This is not to say that all Dinka people are incapable of creating inclusive government in the interest of South Sudan but history beg to differ and survival of our nation is on the line.

The question that is worth asking is how come the leader of the Equatoria Corp rebellion not known to young South Sudanese? If Sergeant Yatta’s sacrifice for South Sudan do not qualify him as a national hero, South Sudanese deserved to know a criteria for such determination? My sense is that rewriting of history has been in the making since 2005 up to present in South Sudan. Priest Saturnino Lohure, Aggrey Jadden and Samuel Gutou to mention few who are now forgotten when the Juba government make reference to founding fathers? Call it a selective memories but it was designed to justify one ethnic domination of South Sudan and this ladies and gentlemen has to be brought to an end before peace come to South Sudan. Dinka people might be living in seven states in South Sudan but that is because they cannot stand living by themselves as the other ethnic groups but not an indication of large population. I have yet to see any study to breakdown population of South Sudan by ethnicity.

We Equatorians cannot always settled to second in commend. Sergeant Yatta dead ignited Equatorian resulting in Anya-nya 1 movement giving birth to Anya-nya 11 and then SPLM. This new phenomenon in Equatoria of hopelessness is foreign and must be shaded off from our skin before it infiltrated our blood stream and become part of our DNA. Like cancer it will have a devastating effect on Equatoria and South Sudan as a whole. As governor Konga famous quote goes no one will sit on my head nor on Equatoria. Equatoria has to lead the restructuring of South Sudan institutions that were built on tribalism if peace returned to South Sudan. Equatorian’s reluctant to assumed leadership role and be critical to Salva Kiir regime had contributed to the culture of immunity in South Sudan.

Dr John Garang was a fearless leader who sacrifices his life for the cause of the nation but that nation was Sudan not South Sudan. Dr John Garang challenge South Sudanese who wanted South Sudan to be an independent country as short sided. He once said, for those Southerners who are calling for self-determination for South Sudan join the movement and when you reach the border with North Sudan stop and the rest of us will proceed until we liberated Sudan. Knowing what we know, how did Dr. John Garang ended up as the founding father of South Sudan is what baffled many of us. His sacrifice cannot be denied but how was it different from any other South Sudanese who died fighting for free and independent South Sudan. Dr John Garang did not started the war and has never articulated a case for independent South Sudan. I challenge anyone with such a document to release it to public domain so that South Sudanese can examine it for themselves.

Peace in South Sudan will only come when we South Sudanese are honest to ourselves and willing to debate issues of national importance openly and honestly opening the door for reconciliation and nationhood. What has been discuss in close doors need to be discuss in open to initiate a national dialogue so that our heroes are all honored and no South Sudanese can cry foul because the process is understood and seen as fair. No South Sudanese ought to feel out of place in their own homeland not now, not ever, not on our watch.

Lado Lodoka

GRECOR South Sudan

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Write to us at grecor.equatoria@gmail.com

GRECOR advocates for rights and freedoms based governance of the Sovereign Federal Republic of South Sudan; imbued with the principles and doctrines of Constitutionalism; The rule of law; Equality; Democracy; Meritocracy; Accountability; Transparency; and positive foreign policy guided by the respect of all species of International Law for cordial regional and international relations.