South Sudan Trust News Media

28/08/2024

Honoring the Nasir Declaration's Adoption on August 28, 1991

11/07/2021

15/04/2019

24/06/2018

Very Very Very heartbreaking to Lou Nuer Community In General and also to resting of South Sudanese in general.
This’s truly a shock news. It is heartbreak Lou Nuer Community to short time for powerful man passed on of Major. Gen. Koang Rambang Chol the Governor great state and Lou Nuer areas.
Governor in the SPLM/A -IO controlled areas.
Let my heart condolence goes to his family members, friends, comrades and People's Movement SPLMIO family.
Great General KRC will be really remember forever

20/06/2018

Breaking news over all South Sudanese supporting came very strongly to welcome man peace and love his country with his bottom heart came to restore peace in South Sudan forever
From bentiu # (lich state) to Pangak # (phow state) and pick up from Nasir # (Sobat state) and started again from Bieh state (Lou nuer) # end up in Eastern nuer (Adar state) the nuer nation shows their happiness for peace and stability in South Sudan and the celebration for the arrival of their leader kick off, let the freedom ring from South to North, from Western world to Eastern part of the world.

20/06/2018

Thousands of people welcome Dr. Machar, he said I love my country and my people
God bless South Sudanese

02/01/2018

South Sudan Trust News Media

26/02/2017

Photos from South Sudan Trust News Media's post

26/02/2017

BREAKING NEWS:
confirmed report from our dynamic sources in Pulchuol, Rupmakier, Motot and Nyakhor
Our combined forces of SPLA-IO and white Army has concluded humiliation of terrorist regime's soldiers in term of human and materials.
SPLA-IO have captured more military equipment and armours from the enemy sides
we go
A, 6 fake commissioners were capturing alive including Chuol Die
B, 1 BM- 32
C, 8 Toyota pick up
D, 4 Wutlit in good condition two destroyed
E, 7 captains captured alive
SPLA- IO VIVAAAA
FREEDOM FIGHTERS VIVAAAAA

26/02/2017

Press release
By Col.William Gatjiath Deng
Spokesperson for SPLA-IO

At around 10am South Sudan Time yesterday Saturday February 25, 2017, the brutal and ruthless Juba soldiers moved out of the centre of Yaui and attacked the gallant SPLA-IO forces in and around the area. While one of the intentions of this Juba regime aggression was to attack, raid, loot and burn down the surrounding villages, the other was to gain territory. I

n response to this aggression, the gallant SPLA-IO forces under the command of Lt General Wang Chiok Koryom of SPLA-IO Sector Three (3) engaged the Juba regime soldiers just as they were leaving Yuai and pursued them towards Wariwar to the west Yuai.

At the time of this press, the gallant SPLA-IO forces have so far counted some fifty thirty (53) bodies of dead and rotting Juba regime soldiers, including members of the Sudanese rebels, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and SPLM-North (SPLM-N). The gallant SPLA-IO forces also captured in good conditions two (2) Military Land Cruisers mounted with (BM-12) and (14) 4 Barrels, in addition to a good number of light machine guns.

The remaining and disintegrating Juba regime soldiers are now being surrounded in smaller and isolated units, as Bilpam HQRS mourns the corroding defeat in despair and frustration. It should be recalled that the Juba regime is still trying its best in provoking a regional war. While the Juba regime has succeed in luring Egyptian air force into bombing SPLA-IO positions in Jongolie, Unity and Upper Nile States, the same regime is asking Ethiopia to counter Egyptian influence in South Sudan. The SPLA-IO would like to remind Egypt and Ethiopia that the Juba regime is not for any good for the region.

03/09/2016

Dr.Machar and General Duol

25/12/2015

Good enjoy

15/11/2015

The Democratic Politics & Anti-Tribalism.
Our Personal Commitment
We need to ask ourselves, what must we do because we are Freedom Fighting and what must we cease doing because of our believing? Our answers to these questions are not easily discovered, nor are the task of ordering o our live to express our answer painless. The ordination question provides only a two parts guide for our behavior. We are asked to love our neighbors and to work for the reconciliation of the world. Federalism is a right called for South Sudanese. Democratic Government would all our communities could ourselves. We serve with intelligence when we study the Democratic system, because the issues before us we would become we informed about Anti-Tribalism matters requiring our attention. When we act on the basis of uninformed opinion, great harm can be done to the peaceful Democratic Politics. Although we couldn’t have all the answer r, we are responsible to read careful, study, and engage in conversation with those who know more or have more personal experience with particular issues than we. Every politics have to speaking out to be a good interpreter of the worldwide work of our Democratic or Denomination.
Thank
ThiayLiahKuony

14/11/2015

KILLER GOT HIMSELF FEARING ",
Kiir says he fears SPLM will turn against him after peace

JUBA (14 Nov.)
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir says he fears that his own party will turn against him after exiled opposition politicians return to government as a part of a recently signed peace deal, suggesting they will use money and influence to 'buy' members of the party in order to oust him.

Opposition factions SPLM-IO and SPLM-G10 are slated to return to Juba and take part in a transitional government together with Kiir. Politicians belonging to these groups had tried to oust Kiir through intra-party processes in December 2013 prior to the outbreak of the civil war and the split in the ruling party SPLM.

“If they find you unorganized... you will all be bought,” Kiir said Friday. He was speaking at SPLM House in Juba at the swearing-in of Jemma Nunu Kumba as the SPLM deputy secretary-general and acting secretary-general.

The president expressed mixed views on the peace deal that he signed in August. He hinted that some members of his government should expect to give up their positions when he appoints rebel officials in accordance with the deal, but he also expressed doubts about the long-term viability of the peace pact.

“This peace agreement which we have signed it is – in between. Either it will have to be implemented, which we have started, or it will be dismantled by other people who do not want it to be implemented.”

“So for us, the SPLM sitting here in front of me, we are for the implementation of this agreement. Even if it means tomorrow that when those who are fighting us come in and they are to be given positions in the government and you are told to get up from your chair and it is given to those who have been fighting us for the sake of our country you will have to get up and allow somebody,” said Kiir.

He went on to say that the return of his political opponents to Juba could bring dangers to the party and would potentially lead to another split.

“We will receive them and we will then sit in the same offices and then we will implement the agreement. But if they find you unorganized the way I think that you are now unorganized, you will all be bought,” Kiir told the party leaders gathered at SPLM House. “You will be bought and you will be the ones fighting us, the few that will not accept any bribery will be fighting our members here. That will be very shameful.”

“Some people may ask me, 'Where will they get money to buy us?' They have the money. They have the money they took from us here and they have their friends who will give them the money,” he added.

“The information I have about this peace agreement is that our brothers are told by their own friends to keep destabilizing South Sudan permanently so that South Sudanese do not see development,” he said.

'People are saying that these hard-headed people must go'

Earlier in his speech, Kiir also spoke of his fears that foreign powers want to remove him from office, saying he fears a secret agenda of “regime change.” Kiir urged his audience, a gathering of top SPLM leaders, to be cautious about friendship with foreign nations.

“Now, you have seen, the outside world has ganged up against us, they want to bury South Sudan alive, simply because the government of South Sudan do not accept to be manipulated, to be threatened so that it gives its sovereignty out to the other people,” said the president.

“So people are saying that these hard-headed people must go. And that regime-change policy has not died. You be careful. The people who were preaching this policy of regime-change can come to you today with nice words that they are our friends. Anyway, accept that friendship but with cautions.”

“There is nobody who can come say we will do this. South Sudan is our country. We liberated it. And we will remain in it as the ruling party called SPLM.”

LISTEN: Kiir speaks of fears of 'regime change' by foreign powers, further division in SPLM

14/11/2015

My Process Discovery
My own personal journey of discovery started on when I a boy. While family and I were somewhat in PANYANG on the farm, I was even more PANYANG because I was shy, and I had a speech impediment. Unable to pronounce ‘’r’s”, I remember lying awake at night, alone I the dark, practicing my pronunciation. Not being able to say some words, especially my own name, made me somewhat withdrawn at school. Although I always had friends, I enjoyed spending time alone and found myself drawn to the natural wonders of the world around me.
Thank
ThiayLiahKuony

07/09/2015

Breaking news!!!

",,President Kiir detained an army Generals in Juba, more than 5 SPLA generals were arrested by Presidential guards unit Tiger.

Meanwhile: Paul Malong Awan have prepared his own army division within Juba,
According to national securities sources in Blue house who release the secrets, once again they said there's big coup going on in juba formed by those enemy of peace.

31/01/2015

"",,IGAD leaders mediating South Sudan conflict in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia(Photo: file)

January 30, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — On Thursday, 29th of January, 2015, heads of state and government of the African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), served the warring parties in South Sudan with a principle agreement document. The text drafted by IGAD leaders on the sideline of the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa “dictates” a solution for formation of a transitional government of national unity by imposing a leadership structure and personalities as well as proportionate power-sharing arrangements.

The take-it-or-leave-it document has provided key artificial arrangements and warned the South Sudanese warring parties of consequential action should there be non-full compliance.

In summary, the document has endorsed the incumbent President, General Salva Kiir Mayardit, to lead the transitional government, deputized by first vice president and vice president. This is in reiteration of the body’s long held decision that General Kiir is an elected president, although his legitimacy term ends in May or July this year, whether it is derived from the last April 2010 elections before independence or July 2011 constitutional legitimacy after independence.

In this it is to be noted that IGAD has imposed on the parties a leadership structure which this time round should be of presidential system, throwing out other ideas and proposals which suggested it should be a parliamentary executive leadership structure composed of President and Prime Minister, or with deputies to the Prime minister, and Council of Ministers.

The regional leaders now dictate that while the first vice president should be a nominee from the SPLM/SPLA led by Dr Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, the vice president should be the incumbent, James Wani Igga.

The IGAD leaders went further to pledge that the speaker of the parliament should come from Greater Equatoria region.

IGAD has also imposed a power-sharing ratio, giving General Kiir’s government a lion share of 60% at all levels of government, SPLM/SPLA 30%, and other political parties and former detainees, 10%.

It has rejected the idea to dissolve and reconstitute membership of the legislative assembly and only agreed for an additional 68 new members to be appointed in accordance with the proposed sharing ratio, topping up to 400 lawmakers from the current membership of 332.

Further, IGAD has pre-empted how succession of executive leadership should be handled in South Sudan at least during the would-be transitional period under the proposed government of national unity. In this, IGAD has contradicted the traditional leadership hierarchy in the presidential system and also shunned application of seniority in the SPLM party’s would-be leadership.

These are some of the observations in the latest round of what has become an IGAD-led, not IGAD-mediated talks in Addis Ababa.

A question that comes to mind is what does IGAD want to achieve in this dictated and prioritized irrelevant arrangement?

To me, the answer is a mere pursuit of a short-lived credit….

I say it is about pursuit of a short-lived credit because it seems the regional bloc is not guided by the importance of reaching a lasting peace in South Sudan. It is rather urged by the desire to say it has made the warring parties to sign an agreement on leadership structure and power-sharing arrangements, in case the parties agree, despite lack of important proceeding resolutions on the underlying fundamentals that are key to a lasting resolution of the conflict.

This dictated document has unveiled a grave weakness and lack of seriousness in the mediation efforts and strategies IGAD employs in trying to resolve the 15 December 2013 crisis and uproot it from the roots.

Many would have thought that IGAD should be building on the intra-SPLM agreement on reunification in Arusha. In Arusha the parties agreed to reunify their ranks and file by first revoking General Kiir’s decision which dismissed party leaders.

This should have been followed by further dialogue on introduction and implementation of reforms and the fate of top leadership within the party while IGAD in Addis Ababa imitates the consensus reached in Arusha in resolving other non-party contentious issues.

The Arusha accord provided an opportunity for IGAD to address the root causes of the conflict which would inform and educate the mediation body about the genesis of the crisis and guide it towards resolutions and achievement of a lasting peace in South Sudan.

By now imposing that General Kiir shall be the president of transitional government in an attempt to provide him with a leeway to escape from the Arusha process, and by also pre-empting that the incumbent vice president Igga shall succeed Kiir, in case, IGAD has devastated the gains from the reunification initiative and dragged the peace process back to square one.

The regional bloc has set a precedence of intransigence in the SPLM reunification process on the part of the government.

Arusha agreement was supposed to be a healthy model for the Addis Ababa peace process because it addressed the root causes and committed the parties to resolving them through that roadmap.

The long held belief in IGAD’s failure or difficulty to mediate and resolve the conflict mainly emanates from its reluctance to recognize the importance of addressing the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan.

IGAD has been on impossible mission to quick-fix the problem by seeking to dress the surface of the infected deep wound with bandage rather than first diagnosing and treating the wound.

The regional body has been unfortunately responding to the impact of the conflict and urgent need to give it a temporary solution rather than addressing and resolving it based on its root causes.

IGAD leaders should generate an enthusiasm to study reasons why political conflicts within South Sudan always occur and recur within the SPLM for the past 32 years. This will provide them with a clue and understanding on how the current conflict came about and can be addressed thoroughly so as to avoid future recurrence.

For the results to be sustainable, the mediation effort should address the root causes of the conflict!

It is in the understanding of the root causes that a solution towards a lasting peace and stability in South Sudan can be achieved and sustained.

IGAD should instead press on the parties to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement. It should also persuade its member state, Uganda, and make it withdraw its troops from the war in implementation of the agreement.

The regional body can now prevent violence from escalating and focus on addressing the root causes in order to come up with the best remedy. The mediation should, of course facilitate and advise, but allow the parties to negotiate a lasting solution and not dictate a short-lived solution.

To utter threats of action against both parties collectively irrespective of who did what or how the crisis came about will not help the situation. The fact that IGAD attempts to push president Salva Kiir down the throats of his victims, rewarding him to continue as the leader, is a wrong strategy that will likely face resistance.

However, if IGAD wants to test imposition of solution on the parties as an experiment in the region, this should be based on an informed wise decision by taking into account the genesis of the conflict. People of South Sudan would expect IGAD leaders to be courageous enough to thoroughly address the root causes and call spade a spade.

This is also to say if democratization of politics and introduction of various reforms matter in the SPLM party and in the institutions of government – to bring about a lasting peace and unity of the people in the country and to usher in development – then a competent visionary leadership that will realize these fundamentals equally matters.

Finally, making responsible leaders to account for the genocide or committed war crimes and crimes against humanity is an important element in achieving justice and reconciliation.

Thus, it is important for IGAD to advise AU to make public the report of the Commission of Inquiry on the atrocities committed in this conflict.

Information on the magnitude and extent to which the damages have been done will further guide the warring parties in tackling the issues on compensation and reparation of the victims, which are yet to be resolved under the IGAD mediation.

Hence, putting the cart before the horse is a recipe for another disaster to recur, which is a disservice to the ever suffering people of South Sudan.

IGAD, address the root causes of the 15 December crisis…

The author is a Spokesperson in the Office of the Chairman, SPLM/SPLA. He can be reached

29/01/2015

Killer President Kiiris currently in a very critical health deterioration with blood reportedly flowing out of his mouth and nose. This unexpected illness happened to r. Kirr while meeting Dr. Machar during the ongoing peace negotiation in Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

According to sources in Addis Ababa, Kirr was taken to hospital and the Doctor realized that Mr. President is partly paralyzed.

Please revisit this site for more on that exactly tomorrow.

10/12/2014

Concentration of powers in the hands of the President, at the eve of the independence in July 2011, the CPA based democratic constitutions were thrown out and replaced with another concentrated powers in the hands of the President namely “the Transitional Constitutional of South Sudan, 2011;”. The President abused these powers and ruled by issuing decrees contravening the very constitution. He dismissed elected governors at will, etc.
Insecurity and ethnicized conflicts ubiquitous throughout South Sudan but more particularly in Jonglei, Upper Nile, Warrap, Lakes, Western Equatoria and finally in Western Bahr el Ghazal where in December 8, 2012 the police massacred unarmed demonstrators;
Poor Economic Planning Implementation – the government did little to stimulate the economy by implementing the planned programmes and its absolute dependence on oil revenues led to the neglect of other sectors of the economy particularly agriculture which is the mainstay of majority of South Sudanese. As a result South Sudan became a net importer of food commodities from the neighboring countries;
Corruption in government – the practice of nepotism in ditching of inordinately overvalued government contract to relatives and people hailing from particular areas and to those who gave bribes was a major source of corruption. The Dura saga epitomizes the corruption in government;
Tribalism or ethnicization of government – President Salva Kiir appointments whether in government, civil service or in the party do not reflect the ethnic diversity of South Sudan but tilted in favor of particular states.
SPLM dysfunction – instead of leading and directing the government, the government directs and leads the SPLM Party. Government decisions in the executive and legislature are not party decisions. This prompted grassroots verdict that the SPLM leaders have abandoned the SPLM vision and direction.
Regional and international isolation – the GRSS pursued an ineffective foreign policy which resulted to isolation of the country from friends. South Sudan is unable to stamp its presence in the IGAD, African Union and other regional or international bodies.
President Salva Kiir instead of opening up debate on these issues decided to stifle the discourse. In November 2013, he surprised every body by declaring that the party institutions and structures have been dissolved automatically except his office on the pretext that the convention was not held on time. Consequently, he resorted to issuing presidential decrees which culminated to launching the military campaign on December 15, 2013. The objective of the military action was to stifle democracy and to eliminate his opponents in the part, and to institute a totalitarian regime. This act has now plunged South Sudan into a civil war.

It is unfortunate that President Kiir involved foreign troops in the war to fight on his side. The Ugandan Air Force has bombed our civil population in villages using internationally outlawed cluster bombs. The UPDF is still occupying South Sudan. Also on the side of the government, the Darfuri and the SPLM-North rebels groups are in active combat operations against our forces. President Kiir has regionalized the civil war. He has also trained, armed and turned ethnic communities against each other. He is definitely striving to erode the social capital that bounded together our people for centuries.

Within the week of the rapture of violence in Juba, the IGAD region intervened to bring peace to South Sudan by offering its mediation. Despite the fact that the Nairobi Communique of the IGAD Heads of State and Government dated December 27, 2013 reflected an implicit support for Kiir’s coup narrative by endorsing Ugandan military intervention in what was essentially an internal matter, we accepted the IGAD mediation. We sent a high-powered delegation to Addis Ababa under the leadership of Cde Taban Deng G*i. For the last eleven months, we have witnessed a lot of difficulties in the IGAD peace process, however, the talks have now reached a stage which prompted the convening of this conference. Before I proceed I want to congratulate our negotiating team under stewardship of General Taban Deng G*i for their tireless efforts that made us reach to this stage.

The 28th Extraordinary IGAD summit convened on November 6, 2014 focused only on the structure and functions of the leadership of the would be Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) but also made undiscussed resolutions that were carried in a statement on November 9 to the effect that “the IGAD region shall, without reference to the warring Parties, take necessary measures, if need be, to directly intervene in South Sudan to protect lives and restore peace and stability,” should the parties fail to reach an agreement.

10/12/2014

":1). The SPLM/SPLA calls for the institution of federal system of governance in which the states and the local governments shall be devolved more political, judicial and economic powers. We have renamed our country the Federal Republic of South Sudan and immediately establish 21 states based on the former districts during the colonial period instead of ten states;

2). The SPLM/SPLA shall implement Security Reforms affecting the Armed Forces, the National Security, the Police, the Correctional Services, the Civil Defence Services and the Wild Life Services in terms of their philosophy, mandate, mission and objectives to reflect the ethnic diversity of South Sudan in terms of the officer corps, men and women in them;

3). Undertake radical reforms in the judiciary and the justice administration system that will make the courts and dispensation of justice fair and accessible to the citizens;

4). Administrative reforms at the local levels to dovetail the traditional institutions of governance with the state governance institutions for peace and harmony in society;

5). Institute reforms in the political parties system to render them national rather that ethnic or regional in character. The SPLM/SPLA stands against politicization of ethnicity or ethnicization of politics as means or ladder to power and wealth;

6). Reform the civil service by depoliticizing and professionalizing it. The civil service is the backbone of the state. Recruitment, appointments and mobility within it shall be on basis of merits, experience and qualification;

7). Promote economic growth by investing the petrodollars in agriculture to stimulate the surplus potential in mechanized crop production, modernize animal husbandry to transform the enormous livestock from cultural to economic wealth. Introduce modern methods of fisheries and aquaculture in the rivers and wetlands. Organize and develop forestry and related economic activities including protection of Wildlife and other fauna for tourism and recreation;

8). Build modern physical infrastructure in cities, towns and villages. Construct inter- and intra-state highways, feeder roads, railways, high tension power transmission grids, fibre optics lines and microwave lines for telecommunication linking the different parts of the country and regionally;

9). Construct dams and hydroelectric power generation in addition to exploit the solar and wind energy to generate electricity for speedy industrialization of South Sudan and;

10). Encourage private sector as well as private public partnership to drive the development of South Sudan.

In conclusion, this is our party’s political programme for transformation and modernization of our society.

10/12/2014

Dr. Riek Machar Teny opens the conference in search of sustainable peace and good governance in South Sudan’s Pagak(Photo: Nyamilepedia)

December 10, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — South Sudan and its people are at a precarious crossroads between being and not being. The gains our people scored throughout the six decades of relentless struggle against the oppressive regimes are now at dire risk. There are people plotting to rob us of our independence and sovereignty. We must resist this attempt.

To prevent this from happening and in order for us to save our people and country, we must seriously look for ways to achieve peace. We must be ready to exercise magnanimity[i.e. generosity]. We must forgive atrocities committed against us and likewise ask forgiveness from those we have harmed.
We are holding this conference when we are about to mark the first anniversary of the Juba genocide carried out by President Salva Kiir against his people killing over 20,000 innocent lives of Nuer people in less than a week. The massacres against Nuer in Juba triggered the present civil war, which Kiir feigned as a coup against the state. Our people and the whole world know there was no coup. It all started as a political dispute within the SPLM Governance.

It escalated into a political crisis because Kiir refused to discuss the reforms needed to democratize the system. It is my belief that we must rise above this genocidal act for us to be able to unite our people, recreate the social capital and for us to create a peaceful, multi ethnic, prosperous and democratic federal state of which all of us will be proud of.

The SPLM political dysfunction started with Kiir’s assumption of SPLM leadership in 2005. This situation obtained and endured, however, Salva Kiir while knowing that things were not going right, would not allow his colleagues to intervene to rectify that situation. Over the eight years of working together, President Salva Kiir thwarted our efforts to correct things on suspicion that we wanted to supplant him. This attitude of not recognizing and accepting his failure while at the same preventing others to function where he failed is at the core of the current situation in South Sudan. I have characterized this failure in seven areas namely:

Concentration of powers in the hands of the President, at the eve of the independence in July 2011, the CPA based democratic constitutions were thrown out and replaced with another concentrated powers in the hands of the President namely “the Transitional Constitutional of South Sudan, 2011;”. The President abused these powers and ruled by issuing decrees contravening the very constitution. He dismissed elected governors at will, etc.
Insecurity and ethnicized conflicts ubiquitous throughout South Sudan but more particularly in Jonglei, Upper Nile, Warrap, Lakes, Western Equatoria and finally in Western Bahr el Ghazal where in December 8, 2012 the police massacred unarmed demonstrators;
Poor Economic Planning Implementation – the government did little to stimulate the economy by implementing the planned programmes and its absolute dependence on oil revenues led to the neglect of other sectors of the economy particularly agriculture which is the mainstay of majority of South Sudanese. As a result South Sudan became a net importer of food commodities from the neighboring countries;
Corruption in government – the practice of nepotism in ditching of inordinately overvalued government contract to relatives and people hailing from particular areas and to those who gave bribes was a major source of corruption. The Dura saga epitomizes the corruption in government;
Tribalism or ethnicization of government – President Salva Kiir appointments whether in government, civil service or in the party do not reflect the ethnic diversity of South Sudan but tilted in favor of particular states.
SPLM dysfunction – instead of leading and directing the government, the government directs and leads the SPLM Party. Government decisions in the executive and legislature are not party decisions. This prompted grassroots verdict that the SPLM leaders have abandoned the SPLM vision and direction.
Regional and international isolation – the GRSS pursued an ineffective foreign policy which resulted to isolation of the country from friends. South Sudan is unable to stamp its presence in the IGAD, African Union and other regional or international bodies.
President Salva Kiir instead of opening up debate on these issues decided to stifle the discourse. In November 2013, he surprised every body by declaring that the party institutions and structures have been dissolved automatically except his office on the pretext that the convention was not held on time. Consequently, he resorted to issuing presidential decrees which culminated to launching the military campaign on December 15, 2013. The objective of the military action was to stifle democracy and to eliminate his opponents in the part, and to institute a totalitarian regime. This act has now plunged South Sudan into a civil war.

It is unfortunate that President Kiir involved foreign troops in the war to fight on his side. The Ugandan Air Force has bombed our civil population in villages using internationally outlawed cluster bombs. The UPDF is still occupying South Sudan. Also on the side of the government, the Darfuri and the SPLM-North rebels groups are in active combat operations against our forces. President Kiir has regionalized the civil war. He has also trained, armed and turned ethnic communities against each other. He is definitely striving to erode the social capital that bounded together our people for centuries.

Within the week of the rapture of violence in Juba, the IGAD region intervened to bring peace to South Sudan by offering its mediation. Despite the fact that the Nairobi Communique of the IGAD Heads of State and Government dated December 27, 2013 reflected an implicit support for Kiir’s coup narrative by endorsing Ugandan military intervention in what was essentially an internal matter, we accepted the IGAD mediation. We sent a high-powered delegation to Addis Ababa under the leadership of Cde Taban Deng G*i. For the last eleven months, we have witnessed a lot of difficulties in the IGAD peace process, however, the talks have now reached a stage which prompted the convening of this conference. Before I proceed I want to congratulate our negotiating team under stewardship of General Taban Deng G*i for their tireless efforts that made us reach to this stage.

The 28th Extraordinary IGAD summit convened on November 6, 2014 focused only on the structure and functions of the leadership of the would be Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) but also made undiscussed resolutions that were carried in a statement on November 9 to the effect that “the IGAD region shall, without reference to the warring Parties, take necessary measures, if need be, to directly intervene in South Sudan to protect lives and restore peace and stability,” should the parties fail to reach an agreement.

This is a dangerous trend that we must resist. We cherish our hard won independence and sovereignty. We vow to defend it!

In that Summit, we maintain that any peace agreement must tie the two principals with the responsibility of implementation of the would be peace agreement so that the reforms required to address the underlying root causes of the conflict are undertaken during the transition period. We also accepted that the President shall chair the Council of Ministers against dropping the position of the Vice President, which could be a complicating factor in the relations between the President and the Prime Minister in as far as state protocol is concerned.

We objected to the proposal of creating positions of two deputies to the Prime Minister because we believe it is a deliberate attempt to destabilize the TGoNU and to prevent it from concentrating on the reform agenda. We also objected to the retention of the position of the vice President for the same reasons. As you well know, we stand for inclusivity, and as such we think that other stakeholders can and shall participate in the TGoNU as ministers without necessarily enjoying special status. I wish to remind you that the CPA and its implementation modality did not give the other political forces in the country any special status equating them with the NCP or the SPLM. You will discuss these matters in this conference as IGAD Peace Talks outcomes are the first topic in our deliberations.

The SPLA-IO Generals who resist Salva Kiir's government, postting for a picture at Pagak Conference, South Sudan ...
The SPLA-IO Generals who resist Salva Kiir’s government, postting for a picture at Pagak Conference, South Sudan …

At this juncture, I want to reiterate that we in the SPLM/SPLA, the resistance movement, are for a just peace. However, just peace comes consequent to addressing the root causes of the conflict. The root causes lie in the governance system as I stated above. You know that concentration of powers in the hands of one person – the leader – created personified, rather than, institutionalized power resulting to bad governance and in actual fact it reflects lack of internal democracy in the ruling party. This leads to building a cult of personality, consequently creating frictions and conflict in the system. The SPLM had experienced several splits because of this practice. In brief, allow me to enumerate these splits so that we learn and guide against repetitions of such practices..

The first conflict occurred in 1983 just at the inception of the SPLM. The resolution of that conflict led to reunification of the SPLM/SPLA with Anya-nya II in 1987. However, this reunification left the SPLM intact without changes to accommodate the new reality. It was just a return to the fold. This generated contradictions leading to the Nasir Declaration of August 1991 on the Right of Self Determination for the people of South Sudan, and another split within the SPLM/SPLA. The reunification of the SPLM/SPLA in 2002 still did not address the structural reorganization of the SPLM/SPLA. It generated the Yei crisis in 2004. The Rumbek conference was called to resolve what appeared to be personal differences between Dr. Garang and Salva Kiir Mayardit but did not address the structural causes of the contradiction.

President Salva Kiir has refused to learn from these experiences instead he has now instituted a security system to buttress his fascist rule. The Republic of South Sudan has now become a police state characterized by disappearances and assassination of dissenting voices and emasculated state institutions.

We, in the SPLM/SPLA, constitute an armed and political resistance to South Sudan sliding into anarchy and total failure. In this respect, our political programme shall entail the following:

1). The SPLM/SPLA calls for the institution of federal system of governance in which the states and the local governments shall be devolved more political, judicial and economic powers. We have renamed our country the Federal Republic of South Sudan and immediately establish 21 states based on the former districts during the colonial period instead of ten states;

2). The SPLM/SPLA shall implement Security Reforms affecting the Armed Forces, the National Security, the Police, the Correctional Services, the Civil Defence Services and the Wild Life Services in terms of their philosophy, mandate, mission and objectives to reflect the ethnic diversity of South Sudan in terms of the officer corps, men and women in them;

3). Undertake radical reforms in the judiciary and the justice administration system that will make the courts and dispensation of justice fair and accessible to the citizens;

4). Administrative reforms at the local levels to dovetail the traditional institutions of governance with the state governance institutions for peace and harmony in society;

5). Institute reforms in the political parties system to render them national rather that ethnic or regional in character. The SPLM/SPLA stands against politicization of ethnicity or ethnicization of politics as means or ladder to power and wealth;

6). Reform the civil service by depoliticizing and professionalizing it. The civil service is the backbone of the state. Recruitment, appointments and mobility within it shall be on basis of merits, experience and qualification;

7). Promote economic growth by investing the petrodollars in agriculture to stimulate the surplus potential in mechanized crop production, modernize animal husbandry to transform the enormous livestock from cultural to economic wealth. Introduce modern methods of fisheries and aquaculture in the rivers and wetlands. Organize and develop forestry and related economic activities including protection of Wildlife and other fauna for tourism and recreation;

8). Build modern physical infrastructure in cities, towns and villages. Construct inter- and intra-state highways, feeder roads, railways, high tension power transmission grids, fibre optics lines and microwave lines for telecommunication linking the different parts of the country and regionally;

9). Construct dams and hydroelectric power generation in addition to exploit the solar and wind energy to generate electricity for speedy industrialization of South Sudan and;

10). Encourage private sector as well as private public partnership to drive the development of South Sudan.

In conclusion, this is our party’s political programme for transformation and modernization of our society