GRASSROOT EFFORT TO PROMOTE NATIONAL DIALOGUE IN YEI RIVER STATE - SOUTH SUDAN

RESOLUTIONS DRAWN FOLLOWING A DIALOGUE MEETING

Between

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LUJULO, MOROBO, OTOGO AND YEI REPRESENTING THE GOVERNMENT OF YEI RIVER STATE

And

THE OPPOSITION LEADERS OF LUJULO, MOROBO, OTOGO AND YEI COUNTIES WHO HAVE TAKEN ARMS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH SUDAN

Mediated and funded by the Evangelical Presbyterian church in partnership with its USA partner known as His Voice Global

SIGNED AT KAMPALA, UGANDA MARCH 6th, 2017

PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT OF YEI RIVER STATE

BACKGROUND

Following the speech of His Excellency the President of the Republic of South Sudan on December 14, 2016 announcing the commencement of National Dialogue and being deeply concerned about the continued hostile activities at the shared boarders of Uganda and DR Congo;

and the suffering of the people of greater Morobo and greater Yei, Yei River State and South Sudan at large, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of South Sudan invited the Commissioners of Lujulo, Otogo, Morobo and the Host Yei River through the Office of the Governor of Yei River State plus the Kakwa elders from Uganda who are the Host to the South Sudanese Refugees in Uganda for a dialogue with the opposition leaders who have taken arms against the Government of South Sudan.

The dialogue is mediated and funded by the Evangelical Presbyterian church of South Sudan based in Yei River County in partnership with His Voice Global of USA on March 4th – 6th 2017 at Kampala, Uganda.

INTRODUCTION

After experiencing pain and suffering, destruction and bloodshed that turned communities in South Sudan against each other and South Sudanese against South Sudanese, the sons and daughters of Yei River State gathered to once again confront their responsibility.

They pledge to immediately underscore all efforts made to continuously call for cessation of hostilities and start dialogue between warring parties and ensure that justice and accountability is served.

They further pledge to restore the shared love and most importantly, the precious gift of the shared boarders and the restoration of the dignity of each respective country in the community of nations.

The dialogue will proceed within the framework of the following provisions and decisions:

I. CHURCH MESSAGE OF MEDIATION

1. The church will be committed to its call of preaching forgiveness, reconciliation and love in the name of Jesus Christ and ready to mobilize resources through its partner (His Voice Global in the USA) and other well wishers across the world.

Hebrews 2:17;

Ephesians 4:2 be patient and accept each other with love. (

Meaning:

tolerate and reconcile to one another in love);

Isaiah 41:10, 11 is our strength in Christ Jesus.

2. The church will be headed by Bishop Elias Taban the Head of Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) or any other person he delegates from the church.

3. His Voice Global USA will be headed by Dr. Vernon Burger the President of His Voice Global or any other person he delegates.

4. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church and its partner will begin its Humanitarian services in Greater Morobo and Yei and reach across South Sudan where services are needed.

5. The Church will want to work hand in hand with the relevant Government Authorities in the locality of operations.

6. Final approval of the acceptance of any armed opposition group is the responsibility of the government of the Republic of South Sudan.

7. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church and His Voice Global will ensure that proper documented acceptance is given by the government of South Sudan for security and protection of any group leading to further benefits.

II. POSITION OF THE KAKWA ELDERS OF KOBOKO, UGANDA

1. The elders from Uganda strives with guidance of the almighty God to maintain peace, love for one another and reconciliation for events that has hurt others in the neighboring Countries of DR Congo, South Sudan and Uganda.

2. Encourage peace in South Sudan to come through dialogue and reconciliation and should be inclusive regardless of tribe, ethnicity and religion;

3. Request equity in all aspects of life:

provision of health centers, schools, clean water, dams for kettle keepers, roads for taking produce from rural areas to urban markets;

4. Request leaders of the three countries to control and have strong punitive measures for the soldiers who committed atrocities:

raping, looting and soliciting bribery for no offers done.

5. Urges the international law of Human Rights to be equally applied for all citizens sharing the common boarder and each countries Human Rights be applied without any discrimination

6. Further urges the respective Governments to administer true justice, show mercy and compassion to one another so that peace and reconciliation is truly achieved and good governance and development for the entire South Sudan is realized without plotting evil against each other

III. POSITION OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF YEI RIVER STATE

1. Moboro County Commissioner, Hon.

Richard Remo Soro is convinced of the urgent need for peace and reconciliation in the County and the Country at large.

Hon.

Remo added that he calls for peace and he stands for peace.

2. Hon.

Richard Remo believes that peace is needed to execute the compromised peace agreement that enables the participation of all warring parties

3. Hon.

Remo called those who have taken arms against the Government to accept peace because Anya - Nya I was fought but didn’t achieve their motive with a bullet but rather through dialogue.

Similarly, Anya – Nya II was fought for 21 years and didn’t achieve their objective with bullet but rather CPA was achieved in 2005 through dialogue and its subsequent referendum of 2011.

4. Hon.

Richard Remo reminded the warring parties that the time to cool the anger has arrived and urged the warring parties to express their anger or grievances so that solution to the problems is sort.

5. Yei River County Commissioner, Hon.

Denis LaSuba Paul said he is committed to finding durable solutions to the conflict through dialogue and affirms that all disputes must be settled by dialogue, negotiations and other peaceful and legal means;

6. Hon.

Denis calls for unity so as to realize the vision where communities of South Sudan agree to live and coexist in peace and harmony as per the Yei Community Forum for Dialogue and Peace communiqué that was championed by Hon.

Jacob Aligo Lo – Ladu, the area MP for Yei River County

7. Hon.

Denis expressed Government’s readiness to achieve peace but cautioned that patience is running out because the rebellion is causing suffering and misery to our people and the Government cannot continue to watch the suffering of its people without pushing for accountability.

Hence, urged the opposition leaders to accept the dialogue and bring the rebellion to an end.

8. Hon.

Martin Izzy Simon, Commissioner of Lujulo County affirms that uprooting criminal activities is necessary for security, peace, stability, reconciliation and reconstruction.

9. Commissioner Izzy, further affirm that all private or public properties that were illegally confiscated, robbed, stolen or seized such as plots must be returned to their rightful owners through legal procedures;

10. Hon.

Izzy encouraged the participants and particularly the opposition group to be patient while seeking for redress of their grievances;

urged them to ask forgiveness of one another and open a new era for a new beginning

11. Otogo Commissioner Anthony Ande Wani urged the elders from the triangle regions of DR Congo, West Nile in Uganda and Yei River State of South Sudan to continue the dialogue engagement with the armed groups of Yei River State;

12. Commissioner Ande further affirm the need to urgently and immediately accelerate the supply and operation of relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation programs in Greater Yei and Morobo in particular;

13. With respect to the Assembling Area, the Commissioners all agreed that there shall be an Assembling Point to be identified by all parties of the dialogue:

Kendilla Primary School and Iraga prisons’ farm were proposed.

Kendilla Primary School which is five miles Morobo – Kajo Keji Road was seconded by the opposition leaders.

IV. POSITION OF THE OPPOSITION LEADERS OF LUJULO, MOROBO, OTOGO AND YEI COUNTIES WHO HAVE TAKEN ARMS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF YEI RIVER STATE IN PARTICULAR AND SOUTH SUDAN AT LARGE

1. GRIEVANCIES EXPRESSED:

(a) According to Col John Data, the ruling party (leadership) is bias and promotes nepotism, tribalism and inequality

(b) Lack of promotion of Equatorian sons and daughters who joined the SPLA since late 80’s and yet their colleagues from other regions enjoy higher ranks.

(c) Unfair treatment of Equatorians in the army and or regular forces is highly carried and practiced by the ruling party.

For instance, a dinka army officer could cross to Uganda and spent 2 to 3 days and upon return, no consequences for the act but when it is an Equatorian, the punishment is severe.

(d) Land grabbing by Dinka in Equatoria region created anger

(e) Use of force by the SPLA army for personal gain and the use of the phrase “we liberated Equatoria”

(f) Young ladies who are in schools are taken and married by force and when parents try to intervene, they are jailed, threatened to abide or face death consequences.

Typical example was expressed by Data whose sister was married to a dinka army man.

Upon separation, the dinka man took the children and violently requested back the dowry.

The whole village was subjected to return the dowry to the arrogant behavior of the in-law to avoid loss of life.

(g) Arbitrary arrest and killing of innocent people like the pastor of Morobo

(h) No Equatoria senior army personnel in the respective areas or local.

Offices in the area are led by dinka and dinka language is used most of the time in the offices

(i) No equal treatment.

An Equatorian is regarded a second 2nd or 3rd class citizen and or leveled a Ugandan or a Congolese.

(j) Destruction of churches, looting of people’s properties and particularly removal of iron sheets

2. DEMANDS EXPRESSED:

(a) Equality for all citizens of South Sudan

(b) Grabbed land to be returned to rightful owners through legal procedures

(c) Mathiang Anyor army to be re-deployed from the area

(d) 1st Vice President Taban Deng to take his Nuer fighters out of Equatoria

(e) Promotion of unity through fair and balance representation of regions in all government sectors

3. RESOLUTIONS

After discussing their problems and considering all options, the rebels resolved that

(a) Commitment to dialogue and Peace without reservation be given a chance

(b) Immediate cessation of all hostile propaganda against each other and the creation of an atmosphere conducive to dialogue, reconciliation and peace.

(c) Commit themselves to facilitate the free movement of South Sudanese people from Uganda boarder of Kaya to Yei the capital of Yei River State

(d) GPS to be employed in the area of their assembling to assure monitoring of security both nationally and internationally

CONCLUSION:

The three days meeting calls upon the international community as well as the neighboring countries to help provide moral and material support to facilitate the noble effort of the national dialogue declared by the President of the Republic of South Sudan.

The warring parties resolved that:

(a) Acceptance of Dialogue as the means for achieving peace is the only way forward

(b) Kendilla Primary School which is five miles Morobo – Kajo Keji Road to be the assembling point.

(c) A team to be led by Col John Data to visit Yei River State within a week’s time as a gesture of commitment to dialogue and to assure the government of Yei River State that they are for peace.

(d) Through the attendance of this three days historic grassroots meeting, the sons and daughters of Yei River State resolved to put an end to armed conflict and to reconcile all differences through dialogue and peaceful means.

(e) The Commissioners of Yei River State, Opposition leaders who have taken arms against the government of Yei River State and South Sudan at large, the Kakwa elders of Uganda and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) representatives hereby reaffirm their commitment to the message of the President of the Republic of South Sudan on the commencement of national dialogue.

(f) The participants agreed and resolved that never again will Yei River State suffer the tragedy of the recent past.

The participants hailed from greater Yei and Morobo and called for a beginning and a new era of dialogue, peace, healing and rebuilding, so that cooperation and trust is built to overcome the hatred and suspicion that currently exist.

It is this message that the participants resolve to share

and pass on to their children and grandchildren so that together Yei River State can once again emerge and shine.

Names and Signatures of the warring parties, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the elders from Uganda who bared witness

I) The Commissioners of Yei River State

(a) Hon.

Richard Remo Sore, Commissioner of Morobo

(b) Hon.

Denis LaSuba Paul, Commissioner of Yei River County

(c) Hon.

Martin Izzy Simon, Commissioner of Lujulo

(d) Hon.

Anthony Ande Wani, Commissioner of Otogo

II) Equatorians who have rebelled against the Government of Yei River State and South Sudan at large

(a) Colonel John Data Taban

(b) Colonel Justin Guya Losu

(c) Major Baiga Isaac Mokili

(d) Major Ada Aloro Amule

(e) Major Scopas Tabu Taban

(f) Major Wani Jamaes Moro

(g) Major Buga Moses Dada

(h) Captain Dara Peter Lokolo

(i) 2nd Lt Mctre John D

(j) 2nd Lt Bosco Ayume Wani

(k) Private Peter Moses

(l) C.P Charles Mawa Rube

(m) Taban Charles Wani – Field Coordinator

III) The Elders of Koboko, Uganda

(a) Hon.

George Ambe

(b) Amule Muzamil

IV) The Evangelical Presbyterian Church representatives

(a) Bishop Elias Taban

(b) Pastor Michael Alias

(c) Rev. Mama Anngrace Asha Taban