By Capt Girma Apaya
SPLM/A- IO spokesperson,
Mundri, Western Equatoria State.
Oct 23, 2016(Nyamilepedia) ——– I hasten to raise a point of concern to the self-styled president of South Sudan, Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir, on hid fallacious and ill-conceived diatribe aired live on a supposedly national television on the 19th October 2016 when he fumed at the Freedom Hall in Juba, claiming that it was his ethnic Dinka tribe that fought and liberated South Sudan from the hegemony of Sudanese of Arab origin, during the 1983-2005 civil war in Sudan.
To begin with, I wish to ask President Kiir: Where were the following senior Equatorian commanders who fought during the war of liberation of South Sudan during the 21-year civil war such as James Wani Igga, Thomas Swaka, Augustin Jadalla, Alfred Lado Gore, Abraham Wani Yoane, Late Scopas Juma, Late Scopas Taban, Late Elikana Tiger, Late Gibson Friday, Late Martin Kajivura, Late Watson Ezekiel, Late Samuel Abujohn, Late Mama Naome Marona, Late Luka Bakosoro, Late Scopas Loboro Kenyi, General Obuto Mamur Mete, Edward Friday, Wesley Welebe, Ismail Ezeria, Edward Magot, Wilson Mamur, Wilson Api, Martin Kenyi among many other junior officers?
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How about the forces of Infijar, Shakoosh, Zalzal I and II, Gbatala, Cobra, Mukshasha, Gbudwe I and II, among others, which were commanded and comprised purely of Equatorians? How does the president fail to recognize the struggle and blood of the Nuba, the Blue Nile people, many other Equatorians, Shuluk (Chollo), Murle, and Nuer soldiers who died as heroes of SPLA during the war of liberation? Were all the efforts and lives of these non-Dinka martyrs less precious that they could just be discounted and ignored so easily? And never forget the First Sudan Civil War and the Second Civil War had their origin from Equatoria and the Nuerland, respectively. Unfortunately, when the time comes to share the bread, Salva Kiir unshamefully came out to claim that it is the Dinka that liberated the country. Which country?
The President must understand that other South Sudan tribes are disappointed with such hate speech and declaration of war against non-Dinka/Jieng, particularly against Equatorians and the Nuers. It is foolhardy to claim that one tribe can thumb its chest that it is the sole liberator of South Sudan, as claimed by President Kiir in his doomed speech during the celebration of the registration of his faction of SPLM into a political party.
Now, to all members of the non-Jieng tribes in South Sudan who are currently serving under Kiir’s regime; you should now realise that whatever efforts you may exert, they will never be genuinely appreciated by President Kiir and his ilk, in the same way as the efforts of those who claim to be Point of Correction to Mr. President Salva Kiir that it is Dinka that who fought and liberate South Sudan as per his speech on 19/10/2016 at Freedom Hall in Juba.
If asked, where are the efforts of the following Equatorians during the liberation of South Sudan. James Wani Igga, Thomas Cirilo, Augustino Jadala, Alfred Lado Gore, Abraham Wani Youan, Late. Scopes Juma, Late.Scopas Taba, Late. Elikana Tiger, Late. Gibson Friday, Late. Martin Kajivora, Late. Mama, Noimi Arona, Late. Watts Ezekiel, Late. Samuel Abujohn, Late. Luka Bakasoro, late. Scopas Loboro, Obote Mamur Mate, Edward Friday, Wesley Welebe, Ismail Ezeria, Edward Magot, Wilson Mamur, Wilson Api among other junior officers.
How about the forces of, Infijar, Sakus, Zalzal I and II, Mbutala, Cobra, Muk sasa, OTB 8. Gbudu I&II among others. Why does the president failed to recognise the effort of Nuba and Blue Nile people and many other Equatorians, Shuluks, Murle, Nuer who died as heroes of SPLA during the war of liberation, are all their efforts, being marginalized and sideline?
The President must understand that, other South Sudan tribes are disappointed with such hate speech and declaration of war against non dinkas particularly Equatorians and Nuers. There is no way one tribe can claim to be the liberators of South Sudan as claimed by the President himself in his speech during the celebration of the registration of SPLM Party.
Now to all other tribes in South Sudan who are currently serving under Kiir’s regime, know that whatever efforts you may make, it will never be recognized by President Kiir or his tribal advisors in the same way as the efforts of those fallen and living heroes and heroines were sidelined and never taken seriously by the President himself.
Our Equatorians and other non-Dinka tribes in the government of Kiir, should unite now and prepare to resist the dry season offensive declared by President Kiir against those who have picked up arms against his dictatorial rule. If President Salva Kiir can make such bold and faceless statement, nullifying the thousands of the non-Jieng heroes and heroines who fell in the liberation struggle, were wounded or are currently veterans, who sacrificed many years of their lives in the bush fighting alongside their Jieng comrades, how do you think you matter?!
Our Equatorians and other non-Dinka/Jieng tribes in the government of Kiir should unite now and prepare to resist the dry season offensive declared by President Kiir against them. You cannot pretend to be in such a system, claiming you cannot make it out to fight for your people.
Therefore, I advise all our Equatorian people to stand up and face the realities. For those who can’t make it to the field, you better find a way to resist from within or stand to be slaughtered in cool blood, as the war against you has already been declared at the highest level of the present government by Lt-General Salva Kiir Mayardit. Remember he declared that he is ready to relocate to Yei to direct the fight of any rebels against his administration! Please don’t take this grave warning lightly. Kiir did it to the Nuer in 2013 when he challenged his Jieng Youth in his home states of Warrap and Northern Bahr el Ghazal whether they would tolerate the power in their own hands (the Presidency occupied by Kiir himself).
The cat is now out of the bag! President Kiir and his cohorts have plenty of blood of innocent South Sudanese in his hands! He is unrepentant and can do it. It requires no intelligent brains to interpret his vicious intentions. Saying that he will relocate to Yei to command his Jieng-dominant army, is a way of challenging his ethnic Jieng commanders to go out there and avenge the killing of Jieng on Equatorians soil. Remember that the stereotype in Jieng circles is that Equatorians are cowards. Therefore, to see a Jieng dying at the hand of an Equatorian must be quite an alarm. Much as I condemn the vengeful killings of innocent Jieng civilians on Equatorian roads, I must also condemn Kiir’s incitement of acts of violence by his tribesmen, by declaring that he would otherwise move to Yei to direct the fight himself!
In conclusion, I wish to deplore the silence by international leaders with regards to such declaration of war on a section of the South Sudanese people. The quoted statement by President Kiir is classified as war crime and premeditation of genocide, in the same way that the former president of Rwanda Juvenal Habyarimana did when he incited his Hutu people to massacre Tutsi people with impunity. In the same vain, I implore the international community to declare the regime in Juba a rouge regime, a negative force, anti peace and terroristic.
Girima Apaya is a citizen of South Sudan. He can be reached at gmmoru@gmail.com.Â
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2 comments
It’s crystal clear that president Kiir is thinking like tribal chief. He relies on JCE, ignoring his advisors.
Kiir’s speech is an intimmitdation to and must resisted, fought and defeated by all means. How long it will takes, we must be determind. We must not allow him come to Yei