Face to Face – South Sudan president must step down – Dr. Riek

April 10, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — The leader of the armed opposition, Dr Riek Machar, the former vice president of South Sudan, in an interview with the press TV, has maintained his call for democratization of the country.  Before the conflict, over 15 members of the top leadership of SPLM, from diverse ethnic backgrounds call for democratization of the SPLM party. These members decried “dictatorial tendencies” in their press conference held on 6 December. Most of them were arrested between 16 – 18 December and 5 of them are still under arrest.

To allow democratization of the country, Dr. Riek calls for resignation of his former boss, president Salva Kiir Mayardiit, to pave way for a new framework or constitution that will allow restructuring of the state. Parts of the report, record near verbatim are highlighted in quotes.

Begin the report:

Face to Face – South Sudan president must step down – part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OFOxHd4x_4#t=310

The mission of the SPLA/M in opposition:

“We’ll resist until the government in Juba comes to term with the fact that it did something wrong. Our mission is to restructure the state to a South Sudanese state” Machar stated, and continued that “we’ll restructure it so that it becomes a democratic state. For the state to be structured, we need a new framework or constitution”

“We need to see that there is democracy in place, [where] parties work freely and we should be able to agree on the nature of the state we want to create” he further emphasized.

Asked about the present of Ugandan army, Machar replied that “on our side, we have the right to fight Uganda, because it’s occupying our country”.

Regionalization of the conflict.

Machar believes that the South Sudanese conflict should be solved internally, in order to allow the South Sudanese to create the state they aspire to see, not the state that the regional partners want to create. He differs with his former boss on the military involvement of the regional forces.

“we are surprised why one of our neighbors decides to interfere, with their own forces and putting their forces in danger in this conflict” Machar said.

“we want them [our neighbors] to give us a chance to create a state we want, not a state others[neighbors] want to create for us” he stresed.

“In the peace talks, Uganda wanted to be an observer while its forces are fighting against us, because they [Uganda] want to interfere with the structure we want to create”. Machar on Ugandans involvement.

He further accused the government of Salva Kiir for violating the ceasefire by not releasing the political detainees and not asking president Museveni to withdraw its forces.

“The second violation is that the second document of the deal was not implemented” referring to the release of the political detainees.

“Four are, instead being tried, on false charges. The reason they are being tried is because Salva Kiir says they were involved in a coup.” Machar asserted.

“Recently the chief of military intelligence [Mac Paul] said there is no coup. Now, if the chief of the military intelligence says there is no coup, why continue trying those people[detainees]?” he asked.

IGAD’s Deterrence and Protection Forces (DPF):

Machar believes that the DPF would add no substance to solve the conflict.

“I reacted to it, I rejected it the first day and condemned the decision. IGAD cannot send a force to guard our own installations” Machar stated.

“By all mean, no deterrence force to South Sudan. Why do they want to have another force in South Sudan? There is already UN force. You can visit the UN force in the town nearby” He pointed out.

“Ethiopia has a force in Abyei, Kenyans have a force in the UNMISS. the Rwandans are also there. Why would they have another force, separate, when they already have a force here in South Sudan?” Machar asked.

“And if they want protection to the monitors, then they can only increase their components in the UN force and then their components can provide the necessary protection for their monitors but not to be deployed in the oil fields, it means they are interfering militarily in the conflict in South Sudan” He continued.

“The oil is being used by the government to buy arms to kill us and to perpetuate corruption in the country” he emphasized.

Salva must step down:

“A president who commits massacres in his own capital, what do you think he is doing in the regions, and in the rural buy isotretinoin online areas, if he becomes very bold to commit ethnic cleansing in his own city, in the watch of the internation community? What do you think he is doing outside where no international community is watching? he must be doing worst” he reiterated.

“He has lost credibility. His mandate, after all is coming to an end” referring to 2015

“He does not respect the election that brought him to power, he does not respect the constitution that brought him to power. He lives in contradiction” Machar said.

“When he wants to use his legitimacy, he says he is elected. But when he doesn’t want the rules, he breaches the South Sudanese’s constitution and act against it.” He noted.

“So that South Sudan can be restructured, [into] a state that will be democratic state, a state that would be prosperous, a state where there would be freedom and dignity of people and justice can be brought about.” he continued

“This cannot be brought about under Salva Kiir and therefore the best option is for him to resign.” he concludes.

Military Solution:

“If it was not because of Museveni, we would have been in Juba. We were close to it, but then,we did not prepare for the fact that Ugandan forces would come in” he acknowledged.

“That made us to restructure our strategy of how to conduct this campaign. This is dry season. Dry season is always bad for the insurgents but we captured Bor twice, we captured Malakal twice and Bentiu once. These are states capitals.” he credited his forces.

“If we have the capability of doing that, then what would prevent us from going to Juba, even with the present of Museveni guys in South Sudan.” referring to UPDF.

“We will go to Juba if peace talk do not materialize”Machar concludes.

Leading South Sudan

When asked, “you want to be the president of South Sudan, are you the visionary leader that would take South Sudan to the place you want South Sudan to be?” Press TV journalist asked Machar.

“I told Salva Kiir that his time is up. By 2015, he would have 10 years. In my mind, there would be no president who would exceed 10 years as president. Two terms, or else the country would be plunged into dictatorship.” he responded.

“Salva Kiir plans to create dictatorship in South Sudan. We are resisting the dictatorship. You see. We would not let that happen.” he continued.

“We want a democratic nation, a nation which enjoy freedom, a nation which respects the dignity of its people, a nation [in] which justice can prevails, a nation that can be prosperous.” he once more emphasized.

“We have a lot of resources in this place. That is why Uganda invaded us.” he reiterated.

“We have nearly 100, 000 Ugandans working as traders in our villages, the same, good number of Kenyans, good number of Ethiopians.” referring to civil population of the neighboring states in South Sudan.

“More or less, we were an oil booming country, which is being destroyed by Salva Kiir and his friends. We could use these resources to turn this country into an economic giant, and even a financial center for this central African region.” he stressed.

Machar also shows willingness to lead,however, for only one term and gives others a chance saying “hopefully, first time and the rests follow”.

Machar’s message:

“My message is, we want to create a democratic nation where people, every South Sudanese and any inhabitants of this nation, will enjoy  their freedom. Their dignity will be respected. Justice will prevail and a prosperous, happy nation” he emphasized.

“Having an interim government needs the restructuring of the state.  Because it is not just the government, it is the nature of the state that Salva Kiir is sitting on. It is the constitution, it is the freedom, the party, the multi-partism, it is living outside fear, living in a situation where you feel no reason to fear.” Machar continued.

“If we agree on the root causes of the conflict. Then people can now think how can we implement this[interim government]. So it is not the interim government, per se. It is after agreeing, how to restructure the state. How the people will be involved in this process. After that you form an interim government.” Machar’s last remark.

Face to Face – South Sudan president must step down – part 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sjjDoZFcQk

Courtesy of Press TV News Videos.

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