SPLM/SPLA-IO Press Release In Reponse To Juba’s Wild Propaganda

By Mabior Garang de Mabior,

Dec 6, 2016(Nyamilepedia) —— The leadership of the SPLM/SPLA (in opposition) strongly condemns the continued belligerent propaganda of the Regime in Juba, who purport to be implementing the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS); while at the same time trampling it underfoot, as it were. In regards to this, the Movement makes the following statement:

• The SPLM/SPLA(IO) strongly condemn the negative propaganda of the regime in Juba, intended to portray a false image to the world that the SPLM/SPLA(IO) is a terrorist organization.

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• The Movement Condemns the allegations made by the regime’s Presidential Spokesman – Ateny Wek Ateny in Radio Tamazuj (06 Dec), in an article entitled: “Kiir’s govt describes opposition fighters in Central Equatoria as terrorists”. (https://radiotamazuj.org/en/article/kiir%E2%80%99s-govt-describes-opposition-fighters-central-equatoria-terrorists);

• These are baseless accusations as the government has denied access to independent investigators to establish the exact nature of the killing of civilians in Equatoria as reported recently in the various media houses including an article in Africa News titled: UN accuses South Sudan’s army of human rights violations. (http://www.africanews.com/2016/08/05/un-accuses-south-sudan-s-army-of-human-rights-violation/);

• The SPLM/SPLA(IO) contention is; that, these attacks on civilians in Equatoria are in fact part of a government counterinsurgency program, intended to portray the SPLM/SPLA(IO) as a terrorist organization; otherwise, why would the government deny human rights organizations access to investigate the alleged crimes;

• That it is government forces killing civilians in Equatoria, was finally proven when local government officials working for the regime in Juba, confirmed that the regime’s forces are committing these atrocities in Central Equatoria; as reported by Radio Tamazuj (17 Nov) in an article entitled: “Official confirms massacre near Yei” (https://radiotamazuj.org./en/article/officia-confirms-massacre-near-yei).

ON IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREEMENT

The Presidential Spokesperson – Ateny Wek, also alleged that the SPLM/SPLA(IO) Forces in Bhar el Gazal and Equatoria had been cantoned according to the Security Arrangements, going on to say: “There are small pockets of criminals and terrorists that are killing people in Central Equatoria. SPLM-IO troops are stationed in Upper Nile State and other cantonment sites in Bahr al Ghazal.” This allegation assumes that the small clique of former SPLM/SPLA(IO) who have joined the regime in Juba are part of the Movement; when it is clear that those in Juba are part of the regime and not the armed opposition; which is the other party to the agreement. Those purporting to be SPLM/SPLA(IO) in Juba have no forces. In this regard the SPLM/SPLA(IO):

• Condemns this propaganda, intended to portray an image to the world that there is the ARCISS which is still valid, the truth is the Agreement in Juba has collapsed;

• The SPLM/SPLA(IO) contention is in line with the various reports which have been published by the United Nations Security Council – Panel of Experts (UNSC-PoE) on South Sudan; which, not only reflects the collapse of the Agreement and the human rights violations committed by the forces of the regime in Juba; but, also names President Salva Kiir, his Chief of Staff Paul Malong and the Director of Internal Security Akol Koor as directing the violence which led to the collapse of the Agreement. This is clearly shown by the UNSC-PoE Letter to the Secretary General, subject: “Letter dated 22 January from the Panel of Experts on South Sudan established pursuant to Security Council resolution 2206 (2015) addressed to the President of the Security Council” (http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_2016_70.pdf);

• The various letters by the UNSC PoE, to the President of the Security Council, have all documented how governments in the region have colluded with the regime in Juba and have continued to facilitate procurement of guns and bombs, despite the signing of the Agreement in August 2015. This has been reported by various media houses including the prestigious Wall Street Journal; in an article entitled: “Uganda to Supply South Sudan Weapons”;

• It has also come to the attention of the SPLM/SPLA(IO) leadership, that the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia are also involved in this facilitation, as demonstrated by the recent letter by the Deputy Defense Attaché of the Embassy of South Sudan in Addis Ababa, to the Chief of Staff in Juba; Subject: $55,000 (Fifty-Five Thousand United State Dollars Only). This letter details payment to be made to Ethiopia’s Ministry of National Defense for transportation of weapons that will end up being used to kill citizens of South Sudan. The letter is available online: (http://www.nyamile.com/2016/11/30/revealed-south-sudan-govt-bought-lethal-weapons-from-ethiopia/);and

• In light of the violent collapse of the Agreement, the closure of all channels of dialogue and the regimes insistence on finding a military solution and backed by the Region in this pursuit, the SPLM/SPLA(IO) reserve the natural right to defend the Movement and the people of South Sudan from a government that is (with support from the region) killing its own people; and, from the looming genocide the UN Special Advisor on Prevention of Genocide – Adam Dieng recently warned about; and, as reported by the UN News Center (11 Nov) in an article entitled: “Risk of ‘outright ethnic war’ and genocide in South Sudan, UN envoy warns” (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=55538#.WEa_d3T6jqA).

ON THE WAY FORWARD 

The SPLM/SPLA(IO) has been committed to peace since the start of dialogue in January 2014, and as a matter of policy, continue to be committed to finding a peaceful resolution to the current civil war. The SPLM/SPLA(IO) has demonstrated this commitment on several occasions, including going to Juba under regional pressure, despite provisions of the ARCISS being circumvented by the guarantors. The SPLM/SPLA(IO) believes that ‘our sophisticated weapon’ is not guns and bombs, but our ideas. The idea of the Movement is for peace to return to the Country through the implementation of the Agreement in good faith and in this vein, the SPLM/SPLA(IO) is:

• Committed to a return to dialogue with the ARCISS as the basis for this renewed dialogue;

• The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: Communique of the 56 Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers on the Situation in South Sudan of 11 July 2016 Nairobi, Kenya;

• The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: The outcome of the “Visit of the Chiefs of Defense of IGAD to Juba 14/7/2016”;

• The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: Communique of the Heads of State and Government of IGAD Plus on the situation in South Sudan of 16/7/2016, Kigali, Rwanda;

• The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: Communique of the Second IGAD Plus Extraordinary Summit on the Situation in the Republic of South Sudan of 5/8/2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;

• The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: Communique of AU Peace Security Council (PSC) 616^th Meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 11/08/2016; and

• The SPLM/SPLA(IO) is committed to: UN Security Council Resolution No.2304 (2016 of 12/08/2016 on South Sudan, New York, USA.

CONCLUSION

The SPLM/SPLA(IO) would like to reiterate to the people of South Sudan, Africa and the larger International Community, that the Movement is unequivocally committed to the negotiated settlement as the fastest and least costly way to bring about an end to the war and fundamental change in the country. The ARCISS as a negotiated settlement, to which the warring parties committed and which was witnessed by the region and the world as guarantors, is the best way to address the root causes of the conflict that has engulfed the country in the last three (3) years.

The ARCISS has provisions which will address these root causes among the most fundamental being: issues to do with the establishment of a constitution, which is guaranteed in CHAPTER I: TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN, Article 13, which establishes the National Amendment Committee (NCAC) and even has the whole of CHAPTER VI: PARAMETERS FOR PERMANENT CONSTITUTION dedicated to this; it addresses issue relating to the economy in CHAPTER IV: RESOURCE, ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT; it addresses issues of justice and accountability in Chapter V. TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE, ACCOUNTABLITY, RECONCILIATION AND HEALING and the Movement has gone on record, stating our commitment to the establishment of a Hybrid Court of Justice. The leadership of the SPLM/SPLA(IO) are committed to the cause of liberty and justice and as such do not fear to face justice.

The SPLM/SPLA(IO) calls on the regime in Juba and her allies, to abandon the futile strategy of isolating the SPLM/SPLA(IO) politically while they search for a military victory on the ground. This is wishful thinking and it will never work; the SPLM/SPLA(IO) is a mass popular Movement which has won the confidence of the majority of the population of South Sudan, including those trapped under the yoke of the regime in Juba. The regime in Juba may collude with the region to isolate the political leadership of the people’s movement, including kidnapping, illegal deportation and banning (all tactics reminiscent of Apartheid in Africa); however, these tactics will not bring about peace, they will only fuel the war.

Signed

CDE MABIOR GARANG MABIOR (CHAIRMAN)

SPLM NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

MOBILE OFFICE

WhatsApp: +254 717 293 583(Mabior Garang)

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