Thursday, September 15, 2011. Your Opinions and Comments Always Count
and Impact Everywhere
PRESS RELEASE
THE GREATER BOR COMMUNITY OF THE UNITED STATES
(GBC – USA)
To: Greater Bor Citizens, South Sudanese Public, and the
World Community
From: Governmental Affairs Committee commissioned by the
GBC-USA President
Re: Reflection on Interim Period, Recent Cabinet
Appointments and Way Forward in South Sudan
Dear all citizens of Greater Bor, South Sudanese Public, and the World
community:
ENCOURAGED by the great yearning of our people to live in peace and
security in our free homeland;
MINDFUL of the sacred promise we have to our martyrs who gave the
ultimate sacrifice for us to be free and independent as a nation;
RECALLING the original founding principles and timeless creed of the
SPLM to commit itself to ridding the society of all sorts of
bourgeoisie, corruption and misrule based on ethno regional
sectarianism;
BELIEVING that in an independent South Sudan, every community deserves
to be accorded the same decent treatment from all levers of power;
CONGNIZANT of the fact that not all ethnic communities have
representation in this cabinet/government;
RECOGNIZING the indispensable role youth play as stewards of our society;
PROUD of our Juba-based Greater Bor Youth leadership for breaking the
silence on all the abuses directed at our community over the last 6
years of President Kiir administration; and
HUMBLED by the fact that three of our dear sons: Justice Michael
Makuei Lueth; Uncle Atem Yaak Atem; Dr. Majak D’Agoot, and all sons
and daughter(s) of Jonglei State who were appointed to the president’s
cabinet, we, the Governmental Affairs Committee duly authorized by the
overall leadership of Greater Bor Community in USA, would also like to
add our voice to the national discourse as follows:
1. Introduction
First, we would like to congratulate and thank the people of Greater
Bor, and all South Sudanese for all the sacrifice and perseverance
which finally paid off with the independence of our country. We also
congratulate President Salva Kiir Mayardit on forming the first
government of our Republic and wish him the best in future endeavors.
At the outset, we want to acknowledge the fact that the President has
constitutional rights to nominate whoever he wishes to serve our
country even if all of the 29 ministers were to come from his own clan
of Awan Chan. The fundamental issue is whether or not these ministers
will carry out their solemn duties to equally deliver services to all
South Sudanese and we will get to it later on in the paper.
On August 27, one day after the announcement of the first ever
cabinet of South Sudan, the Juba-based youth association of Greater
Bor, under Juma Arok Maketh, released to the news media a letter
indicating their disappointment with the cabinet appointments. In it,
they expressed frustrations and even demanded that the appointed
officials who hail from Greater Bor decline those job offers. The
letter quickly became fodder for some South Sudanese who are quick on
dismissing everything---an all too-common practice in our politics by
those who are big on writing or speaking rhetoric than substances. It
is our best hope that in a free and independent South Sudan, people
will not be talking over each other any longer; instead they will
start to embrace every capacity for understanding each other’s point
of view, unlike in the past. It is what the youth tried to provide
here. They engaged in free expression in a matter that gives life to
truth and honesty. For some to mistake their statements for simple cry
for power or as faulting the President is missing the big picture
about what the people of Bor community have endured over the last 6
years. So we are here to say out loud and clear to all South Sudanese
and the world community that, while the position paper of various
groups or members of Greater Bor Youth did not go far enough, their
call was not without substance. We think their frustrations and
dissatisfactions must not be dismissed that quickly. If anything, that
must serve to elevate our national discourse. As a matter of fact,
their statements have every legitimacy given how this administration
has over the last 6 years failed many constituencies except a few who
have secured the President’s unquestioned loyalty, and we will explain
why. The thrust of our paper will show the systematic removal or
dismissal of selfless sons and daughters of Greater Bor Community from
the army and government—a policy that has been at work over the last 6
years. So without further ado, we acknowledge all the frustrations of
the youth and we support them by sharing in their frustrations, but we
have reached a different conclusion. We say so because we think it is
not the solution to ask our officials to walk away from the
government. We would be the last community to leave the government if
every community were to, regardless of whether we got positions or
not. In that regard, we wholeheartedly congratulate Justice Michael
Makuei Lueth, Uncle Atem Yaak Atem, and Dr. Majak D’Agoot on their
recent appointments and strongly urge them to take up their positions
in the current administration.
2. Bearing witness to virtues of history: What Greater Bor
contributed to the struggle and what has become of its people during
the Interim Period to present?
To all the natives of Greater Bor back home, we recognize it was with
dignity and grace that you have kept silent in the face of mounting
forces that have been at work all this time, forces that have been
trying to diminish our standing. We are so humbled and grateful to you
for the dignified way you have always handled yourselves in the face
of those challenges and adversities. But we know we have something
more hopeful to look forward to, now that our nation has achieved her
independence. Let us go back to re-imaging our unshakable spirit—that
common and enduring heritage (past and present) that has always
allowed us to rise and fall as one people—the thread that has always
bound us from Cueei-Keer to Cueei-Thon. We know our community, like
many others, has always been on the right side of history. We are a
people of history and walking away won’t rhyme with that concept of
history. We simply cannot walk away from the government. It is simply
not something that anyone can recommend at this pivotal moment in our
history. It will kill hopes and prospects of shared sacrifice since
every community will be expected to contribute to the state building
experiment in one way or another.
To the youth, political and traditional leadership of Greater Bor back
home, this is our request to you: stay calm and contemplate on our
path. Get your act together and unite your ranks by embracing each
other. Go back to preaching the basics and start educating our
children about our past. Our forefathers and fathers, on whose
shoulders we all stand, used to stick together no matter what faced
them. They used to listen to each other and collaboratively deliberate
on addressing existential threats facing their communities. Learn from
the unshakeable spirit and wisdom of our legendary paramount chiefs
who ruled our land from Cueei-Keer to Cueei-Thon. It is our timeless
tradition, replete with their rare ‘pearls of wisdom’ and many tales
of harmony, which allowed Greater Bor to overcome odds and thrive. It
is what inspired and allowed the great generation that includes many
of our current leaders to join with fellow South Sudanese to fight for
the cause of freedom. It is why in 1991 and 2005, when our nation was
at the depth of despair, that many of our leaders, including former
First Lady Madam Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, counseled calm and urged
us to hope and look ahead to the future. So looking backward, looking
forward, we would like our children to live out that tradition by
learning, drawing and benefiting from the vast wells of heritage.
i. Take time to reflect on all the significant
contributions by Greater Bor to the cause of freedom
a. Greater Bor Contributions to the founding of our Movement,
SPLM/A (1983 – late 1980’s) included:
i. Courageous and visionary leadership of Dr. John Garang de
Mabior and many other Bor commanders who, along with other South
Sudanese, helped found the SPLM/A and stuck with it through thick and
thin until victory was achieved;
ii. First hosting and feeding of the first mutinied forces
especially 104, 105 battalions and their commanders, including our
wounded hero Kerubino Kwanyin Bol, in the rural Bor villages from
Cueei-Thon to Cueei-Keer -- is an endearing legacy;
iii. Serving as a reliable and dependable conduit for recruits
and graduated SPLA patriots back and forth between Ethiopia and New
Sudan;
iv. Providing logistical support including feeding of recruits
and graduated SPLA forces engaging the government and/or moving back
and forth between Ethiopia and New Sudan;
v. And providing security for all patriots (both recruits and
graduated SPLA soldiers) who were passing through Bor area back and
forth between Ethiopia and New Sudan; not a single recruit or
graduated SPLA soldier was lost in the hands of Greater Bor citizen
while crossing all areas of Bor South, Twic East and Duk counties.
b. Greater Bor Contributions to the cause of freedom (1983 -
Independence included: Manpower and human resources with complete
dedication to service for the entire period of liberation--- this has
given South Sudan a true self in the eyes of the International
Community today). Like other South Sudanese, these men and women in
uniform served honorably in the SPLM/A until victory was achieved.
c. Sacrifices made by Greater Bor Citizens (1983 - Independence) included:
i. Countless lives lost during the liberation struggle: it is
not uncommon to hear of entire families shut down because all have
perished in the service or through war related famines and diseases;
ii. Property lost due to war: all South Sudanese are aware of
the fact that Bor was laid waste by the so-called Nasir Declaration
during 1991 resulting in Bor Massacre and nothing was left once all
was said and done;
iii. Displacements of our people within and beyond the borders of
South Sudan;
iv. And many others, just to mention a few.
All of these contributions which include the ultimate sacrifice by our
own martyrs will be in vain if you walk away from the Government, even
considering how badly you have been treated in the past 6 years. We
have to support President Kiir Administration and do our best for the
development of this nascent state.
Nevertheless, we get the frustrations from you and from other South
Sudanese communities who are excluded from then Government of South
Sudan and now recently formed Government of the Republic of South
Sudan. No question, President Kiir has failed you and other South
Sudanese during the interim period and we worry that he has not
learned any lesson from his past failures. We get it and here is why
we know you have been let down by Kiir administration.
ii. What the people of Greater Bor faced during the
interim period to present
In this section, we bring you the reasons why we said the youth were
justified in complaining about the recent cabinet appointments. During
the last 6 years the people of Greater Bor maintained what almost
amounts to a patriotic code of silence in the face of many disturbing
signs of abuse foisted on them by Kiir administration. In all the
instances, they never complained or whined because it is in their
genes not to rush to conclusion. For some nefarious intentions or
reasons, they did not get a single explanation although they were owed
many explanations. They did not complain, because (1), it was the most
appropriate thing to do, and (2), first priority for every South Sudan
was to see implementation of CPA and keep NCP in check.
Then the systematic policy of removing those from Bor began. First it
started with the removal of Jok Riak from the SPLA Tanks Unit,
followed by Malual Majok from the Directorate of Military
Intelligence. And the weird thing about their removal: there were no
wrongdoing charges against them, and their replacements came from
President Kiir’s village. Second, there was the forced retirement of
17 generals from the police and prison service, with many of their
counterparts left to serve. Some of those 17 generals from Bor who
were removed included: (1) Lt.Gen. Makuei Deng Majuc (Inspector
General of the South Sudan police). (2) Lt. Gen. Wal Athieu Madol
(Undersecretary in the Ministry of Interior). (3) Lt. Gen. Kuol Ajak
Deng (Director for Administration, South Sudan Prisons Service). (4)
Lt. Gen. Mathiang Aluong (Director for Administration, South Sudan
Police). (5) Lt. Gen. Machar Akau Machar (South Sudan Spokesperson).
(6) Lt.Gen. John Diing Deng (Jonglei State Prison chief). (7) Lt. Gen.
Reuben Garang Yuol (Director for Training, South Sudan Prisons).
Third, came the mysterious incident of December 2008 in which the
President asked Governor Kuol Manyang of Jonglei State to be Minister
for SPLA and Veteran Affairs (Defense), only to result in an overnight
veto that switched the appointment to Nhial Deng Nhial. Fourth was the
recent sweep of 2011 in which the then Central Bank Governor, Mr.
Elijah Malok Aleng was disrespectfully sacked from his governorship of
the Central Bank of South Sudan and replaced by his deputy, Kornellio
Koryom, from Warrap State. And the fifth was the relieving of Dr.
Majak D’Agoot from National Security.
We have to wonder if there is a pension system in place for those
coercively/forcefully retired public servants and their dependents to
fall back on since they haven’t saved for their retirements during
their course of service for liberation struggle. We hope there is
safety cushion for them and their dependents but we just do not know
how they are now pushing on with their lives these days.
At any rate, these are painful matters but we have to hold steadfast
because when our people joined the movement, they were sacrificing for
larger purpose and so in that case we have to remain supportive of the
current government until next elections. We must acknowledge though
that we are not the only community in this pain. Some communities,
like ours, are facing the worst brunt of underrepresentation.
3. Frustrations by other South Sudanese Communities over lack of
inclusiveness in Kiir administration
We must say, although sadly, that one thing that has continued to ail
us in South Sudan is the notion that numerical advantage must trump
everything. The fact that we continue to perpetuate the
overrepresentation of Dinkas and the Nuers in the government is not a
good sign for sustainable politics and for smaller communities, as
well. It is imperative to mention the glaring examples of
inconsistencies of many smaller communities within or outside of
bigger ethnic groups which suffer from non representation in the
current administration. If this is the case then Aliab, Ciech,
Je/Kachepo, Jur el Bel, Anyuak for example need government supported
programs. Among other isolated and marginalized communities within
Dinka ethnic group are Aweil (Malual Gier-nyang), Twic Mayardit and
among others in Nuer ethnic group are Maiwut, Nasir and Ulang, among
many others. The overrepresentation of parts of Warrap in all key
functions (Presidency, Supreme Court, Central Bank, Foreign Affairs)
of the Government is NOT a good sign for other states and does not
reflect well on the Presidency. It is damaging, to say the least. We
feel for those in Northern Bar el Ghazal (those of Aweil) and Unity
State and all other non presented South Sudanese communities. One
wonders what happened to then Deputy SPLM/A Chairman Kiir of 2004 who
singled out at the meeting in Rumbek the people of Bar El Ghazal as
having suffered greatly. Are those in Northern Bar El Ghazal not part
of the people who suffered as well?
When it is all said and done, we do know that the government positions
are too few for every single South Sudanese community to have their
own sons and daughters appointed to serve. But the litmus test has
been and it will continue to be about whether or not the services are
equally provided to all South Sudanese communities.
4. Evaluation of the entire Government (then GoSS and current
administration)
We can note with some authority that our government/SPLM Party has
lost its way. During the past 6 years of the peace implementation, all
levels of GoSS became characterized by incompetence and corruption.
And we fear those vices may as well continue to bedevil our nascent
state if nothing drastic is done to quickly address the hopeless state
of affairs. The Movement that started out on strong footing and ended
the war with much of its popular revolutionary appeal intact somehow
has abandoned its founding principles of fairness, justice and
equality. Back in the day a soldier or a commander would even prefer
to trade places with a dying child or youth who did not have water or
food to eat. In the days after war, we have seen a change of hearts
and minds and many of our leaders are living lavishly at the expense
of our suffering population. Over these few years some ministers were
busy building mansions in neighboring countries or in some far away
foreign lands. This is not the kind of image we need to build South
Sudan on. As citizens of the Greater Bor, we categorically condemn it.
An SPLA soldier is currently treated like a second class citizen with
a stingy pay that is either delayed or diverted. The streets of Juba
and other South Sudan towns became overcrowded with children begging
for food, something we have never heard of in our culture even during
the war. The Movement that used to pride itself on enforcing the laws
of man quickly became the Party that rewarded crimes and bad behavior
after bad behavior. Case in point: people turned guns on fellow South
Sudanese and joined the enemy only to come back to higher positions in
the government of South Sudan. The great appeal of SPLM began to take
on a sorry state with some getting branded as Garang Boys and Kiir
Boys. Some of the bad legacies are as follows:
a. Questionable handling of appointments and vetting of
government officials which left people wondering about who sits down
with the president to pick his team members
The appointments and vetting of government officials appeared to be
skewed toward Warrap State but that is fine with us as long as the
President is constitutionally permitted to pick the members of his
team in whatever way he wants. But we cannot stop asking ourselves
these questions: Who sat down with the President when he was
deliberating on picking the members of his team? Who recommended the
recycling of some of the same corrupt officials that worked very hard
to satisfy their personal interests at the expense of South Sudanese?
If they haven’t for the last 6 years, are these same ministers going
to deliver services to all South Sudanese now especially with the
number of the most vulnerable citizens among us increasing on a daily
basis? The reason why we ask these questions is if those who advise
the President have the greater public good at hearts, a good number of
former ministers who have tainted records would have been sent home
but it seems that power consolidation at the expense of South Sudan
development appears to be the driving force behind the President’s
decisions on who to fire and who to reappoint to serve in his
government. This is a tragedy that must be corrected now rather than
later, for we cannot afford failure but to develop this nascent state
into a prosperous one.
b. Corruption in the GoSS [the case of missing grain, and 2
billion in US dollars siphoned off to foreign accounts; and 13
ministers named by an international watchdog as having played a role
in this];
Not even the President himself can deny the fact that some of his key
government positions are filled by unethical public servants who
aren’t ashamed of betraying the orphans, widows and innocent civilians
in Juba and all South Sudan ten states while they are busy building
mansions in foreign capitals for their own families. The question
becomes: is the president sincere in his call for zero tolerance on
corruption? And the answer seems to be: not so sure. In order for the
president to come clean on the question of corruption, he has to make
the names of the 13 former (or reappointed) ministers who have been
accused of having siphoned off public funds to foreign accounts
public. Unfortunately, it is not going to happen at least in the
foreseeable future. At the moment the issue of Arthur Akuien Chol and
the lost millions of dollars is not resolved or less investigated and
so is the case of Kuol Athian Mawien who masterminded the biggest
scandal in South Sudan History: issuing $2 billion contracts to
fictitious traders to produce maize that didn’t exist and he is still
at large today. In addition to the fact that the national wealth ended
up in few people’s pockets, this scandal calls the credibility of
contract bidding process into questions. Assuming then Minister Kuol
Athian Mawien was scammed, what will the world community think of a
government that cannot even distinguish between credible businessmen
from phony ones? In any case, the president needs to show substance on
fighting corruption rather than talking rhetoric devoid of tangible
punitive actions on culprits.
c. Autocracy in this Government
This government is now deemed by many as the government controlled by
a handful few from Warrap State who misadvise the President to focus
on consolidating the power to the detriment of everything else. There
is nothing less autocratic than a government run by frequent issuance
of decrees by the President. It is not uncommon these days for the
President to issue a decree relieving individuals deemed less
trustworthy from their duties and appointing their replacements. And
by the way, there is a single destination for a nation in which there
is no term limit on president’s tenure in the office; a nation in
which a president is empowered to appoint and fire elected government
officials: AUTOCRACY. One does not need a rocket scientist to deem
President Kiir administration as more autocratic since he is empowered
to veto the will of the people as he is entitled to fire their elected
representatives with or without any cause as he so wishes by just
issuing a decree. The constitution must clarify when and how the
President must issue decrees in his capacity as the chief executive
officer of this nation.
d. Empowered executive and weakened legislature and judiciary
There is no question, the three branches of the South Sudan
government: the legislature, executive, and judiciary are not
independent of each other as the executive seems to have veto powers
over all the decisions to the detriment of the other two branches. The
constitution needs to set up a system of checks and balances to help
ensure that no one branch can be more powerful than the other. Each
branch has powers that it can wield to keep the other branches in
check. If the system of checks and balances were in place, the
executive would have arranged to have all the President’s cabinet and
judicial appointees scrutinized and confirmed by the legislature. It
did not happen when the cabinet members were presented to the
legislature as no confirmation hearings were held and there was no
pushback from the legislature to have the administration produce the
names of the 13 corrupt former ministers to be sure that they weren’t
reappointed to serve in the new government. Nobody knows who these
people are and it is even suspected that some (if not all of them) may
have been reappointed to serve in this post independent President Kiir
Administration. Under the constitutional democracy, the national
assembly has the right to examine and check the track records of all
the appointees before they can assume their positions in the executive
and judiciary, but because of the repressive attitude from our current
executive branch, the cabinet and judicial appointees [let alone the
Central Bank Governor and Supreme Court Chief Justice appointees],
were not presented to the legislature for scrutiny and confirmation
hearings as the President was allowed to have his way with his
appointees. The democratic ideals which we all fought for have never
been given a chance to take hold in South Sudan. The South Sudan
National Assembly ought to be an independent entity that has powers to
reject corrupt nominees and endorse whoever they deem qualified and
reputable to serve South Sudan’s national interests. We want our
nation to survive/thrive in the midst of these challenges and as of
now an effective governance is way out of reach if we do not have
strong legislature and judiciary to keep executive excesses in check.
e. Failure to deliver services to all South Sudanese
If one sits down today and asks for evidence of what has been
accomplished in the past 6 years with petro dollars, one won’t show
anything other than presidential palace, government office buildings,
and mansions for government officials in South Sudan towns and foreign
lands. Is that the development our martyrs shed so much blood for? Of
course, not! It is a shame and a betrayal on our nation to see that
South Sudanese are more hopeless now than they were during war time
and this is because they have seen how self-centered and corrupt the
public servants who were thought to be fighting for larger public good
have become. This begs a question of whether or not we will expect to
see something different this time and the answer, we are afraid, is a
clear no as some (if not all) of the same corrupt officials who failed
South Sudanese in the defunct GoSS are now asked again to serve in
this administration.
f. Insecurity across South Sudan, among others
Insecurity is causing an immense instability in the Republic of South
Sudan, and we should not underestimate these problems that are brewing
and growing bigger and bigger day by day. Thousands have died from
tribal conflicts since 2006.The government must protect its citizens
even if it fails to provide all other services, and it is very
unfortunate that many people have died so far from preventable tribal
skirmishes and unlawful cattle rustlings. The Government must make the
protection of its citizens the top priority above everything else
because people need to feel safe first before they can do anything
else. Insecurity also leads to the loss of freedom, for example the
killings that recently occurred, at Duk, Wernyol, Fangak, Pibor, Uror
and other places in Jonglei State not only led to the loss of innocent
lives but also a loss of freedom for individuals who cannot lead their
normal life under constant state of fear. It would have been easily
prevented by the South Sudan Government had the President and his team
made insecurity issue a top priority. We know all the communities in
Jonglei State must embrace the co-existence to live with each other in
peace but the government has the solemn responsibility to rein in on
those who resort to violence. On the same token, the Warrap, Lakes,
and Unity states must champion true peace, coexistent and
reconciliations, and this will have a ripple effect on all ten states.
Having fully discussed what has transpired since the founding of our
Movement, SPLM/A, all the way to the independence of South Sudan, one
would understand where we and the rest of South Sudanese stand moving
forward:
· Categorically, we are not aligning ourselves with anybody
but are fully supporting President Kiir administration.
· South Sudanese votes are not in anybody’s pocket come next
elections. They have the right to vote for the candidates they believe
will listen to them as citizens of South Sudan; be transparent; and
lead South Sudan to prosperity.
· Nevertheless, the President and his cliques can rest assured
they are not entitled to running the nation for life.
5. Conclusion
In closing, the thrust of our position paper on the interim period and
the recent cabinet appointments is clear: we are against the
systematic removals/dismissals of Greater Bor Community members from
the army and civil service. As for the recent cabinet appointments, we
strongly urge our appointed sons to take up their positions (Minister
of Parliamentary Affairs, Deputy Minister of Defense and Deputy
Minister of Information and Broadcasting), and discharge those
assignments with professionalism and to the best of their abilities.
We expect every son and daughter of Greater Bor who is given any job
whether it is cleaning streets or working in an office to do that job
to the best of his or her ability.
To you, Mr. President, the challenge is on you. Because the question
that will be asked 20, or 50 years from now will be: “did your first
cabinet/government represent the demise or the future of SPLM Party,
and that of the people of South Sudan?” There are only two ways to
ensure either one. Whether to continue following the same mediocre
path of the last 6 years or steer clear and develop robust policies
that will ensure our nation’s survival. Because the SPLM is becoming
weak in the eyes of many, it has become easy for opposition parties
that have no prior accomplishments or track records to decry what did
or did not happen. But if the SPLM, the Party of Dr. Garang, were to
adopt its former revolutionary zeal and institute ‘taking the towns to
people’ as its governing philosophy, there is no reason why it cannot
effectively serve the interests of the great people of South Sudan for
many years to come. It is entirely up to you, Mr. President, how you
want to pitch to your new cabinet the very fact that the dreams and
hopes of the people are in their hands. Because this much is very
clear: precious blood was spilled for us to gain this freedom and
someone had better take good care of orphans, children, widows, women,
widowers, elderly, youth and the most vulnerable among us.
Mr. President, make sure all our 10 states get all the help they need
in terms of resources to provide services to our people. We feel those
who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our homeland have been betrayed
when government officials continue to show no care for the innocent
citizens who have nothing to fall back on, or even worst, soldiers who
are not getting enough salaries or benefits. If officials are busy
buying expensive cars and houses, what kind of reward can we give as a
nation to those who have died for our freedom? That is the enduring
question that will continue to haunt your administration.
To all our fellow youths who are disaffected across South Sudan, be
reminded that you are the conscience and stewards of this very young
nation. Our fervent plea to you is this: Let us be the generation that
saves South Sudan from the wraths of tribalism, where leaders and
communities, large and small, are constantly set against one another.
A nation does not belong to those in power but to the common men and
women in the villages who wake up every morning working hard for their
children to inherit a better country than they found it. Let us not
wait for all leaders to come and empower us to help our people and
communities. Start wherever you are to help children and the elderly
in whatever small way you can. Such a small measure inspires hope.
Plus, you know it takes sustained activism to bring about social
change. If the entire youth fraternity works in our communities by
sharing all the ideas for increasing opportunities and reducing
poverty, our nation and the way of life can surely change. Youth
unemployment is a stain on our nation’s character and we must push the
government to address that. Our SPLA commanders used to talk proudly
about the youth as the future of our nation. Now, it is a different
story. It is like tomorrow is some distant future that keeps on
disappearing. Let the youth be regarded as part of the accountability
system that challenges the government to live up to the expectations
of all South Sudanese. The youth need to remind the government that
leadership by example is one that must show moral courage whenever
confronted with a dose of healthy criticism. We, citizens of this
great nation legitimately voiced our frustrations and fully supported
President Kiir administration to chart a course that will save our
country’s soul.
Finally, we are thankful to the United Nations for giving us, the
people of the Republic of South Sudan, the swift recognition on the
world stage and particularly to the nations of Eastern Africa, and to
people of Norway, United Kingdom and the United States for standing
with us during our dark and bright days. We ask you to stand behind
our current government because the people of South Sudan need you now
more than ever. We need your help in areas of political and economic
policies because we are creating a nation at the most precarious
period of global economic meltdown.
PREPARED AND SIGNED BY:
Governmental Affairs Committee of GBC-USA
Akol Aguek Ngong, Chairman (Executive Appointee);
[email protected]
Gabrial Pager Ajang, Member (Twic East); [email protected]
Ayuel Leek Deng, Member (Duk); [email protected]
Agok Manyang Agok, Member (Bor South); [email protected]
Deng Makuach Jok, Member (Bor South); [email protected]
Mayak Machar Mabior, Member (Duk); [email protected]
REVIEWED AND CONFIRMED BY:
Executive and Oversight Committee
Abraham Deng Lueth, President, GBC – USA; [email protected]
Chiengkuach Mabil Majok, Vice President, GBC – USA; [email protected]
James Maluak Malou, General Secretary, GBC – USA; [email protected]
Board of Trustees
Reuben Guguei Panchol, Chairman, GBC-USA; [email protected]
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