Salav Kiir speech on Garang commemoration
Aug 2, 2006 (JUBA) — Below the text of the speech of Lt Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, Chairman of SPLM, First-Vice President, and President of the government of southern Sudan, on the occasion of commemoration of the first anniversary of the departure of Dr. John Garang de Mabior, former Chairman and Commander-in-chief of SPLM/SPLA, First Vice-President of the Republic and President of the government of southern Sudan in juba, on 30 July 2006.
The ceremony was attended by Magid George, Egyptian minister of the Environment and Envoy of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Amama Mbabazi, Minister of Security and Secretary General of NRM and head of the Ugandan delegation, Donald Payne, member of US Congress and leader of the US Delegation, Jan Pronk, special envoy of the UN Secretary General, AU special envoy Baba Gana Kingibe, members of the diplomatic corps in Khartoum and , representatives of UN agencies and non – governmental organizations.
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Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On this day a year ago, the people of Southern Sudan experienced the greatest tragedy in their history as a political community. It was on this day that we lost Dr. Garang de Mabior Atem, the man who had led us for 22 years in our struggle for liberty, justice and human dignity.
By commemorating this saddest of events, the SPLM and the Government of Southern Sudan do not only want to immortalize the memory of this great leader and martyr but also aim to remind our people about the teachings, ideals and legacy of Dr. John Garang de Mabior.
Since the inception of our armed struggle in May 1983, Dr. John Garang had been at the helm of our Movement, steering it through hitherto unchartered waters with wisdom, tact and a hallmark single-mindedness.
Dr. John Garang de Mabior was a thinker, philosopher, scholar, politician, economist and an outstanding military strategist. As a thinker and politician, he conceived the idea of a New Sudan in which
all will be equal without losing any aspects of their individual or group peculiarities normally associated with religion or culture. He developed through sheer conviction and perseverance a political agenda which won considerable support across the Sudanese political, religious, ethnic and cultural landscape. By his unique gifts of eloquence, oratory and persuasiveness, Dr. John Garang de Mabior broke through barriers between the North and South that had never even been dented before.
He galvanized nearly all the marginalized people of the Sudan in all corners of our huge country into embracing these ideals. He successfully articulated the fact that it is quite feasible to create a New Sudan which would be truly united without any of its citizens having to experience any of the age-old prejudices predicated on superiority or inferiority complexes. There could be no better demonstration of the popularity of that vision than the tumultuous welcome accorded to Dr. John Garang de Mabior when he set foot in Khartoum on 8th July 2005 after more than 22 years. For most observers that reception amounted to a plebiscite on the SPLM’s political agenda
While he was compelled to try to bring about this vision by waging war against the state, Dr. John Garang never lost sight of the fact that the objective of the Movement was to change and improve the situation of the Sudanese person. It therefore became a cornerstone principle in the war philosophy of the SPLA that the purpose of any battle was not to kill the enemy soldier but rather to render him incapable of doing harm to the SPLA fighter. This explains why the SPLA was able to take and keep thousands of prisoners of war despite the very difficult logistical conditions under which they operated. It is also the same reason why the SPLA sent out warnings and advised civilians in garrison towns to leave those towns before their forces attacked them. Thus as a military strategist, Commander John Garang de Mabior introduced a new moral standard to which a guerilla army could adhere without necessarily putting itself at a disadvantage. For 22 years the SPLA conducted its war effort like a conventional army and accordingly reaped numerous benefits. I believe no one here would doubt the wisdom of that strategy, given the track record of the SPLA and its reputable image among the Sudanese people as well as in the international community.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Whereas the SPLM/SPLA has numerous achievements about which it could brag, it has nevertheless gone through countless trials and tribulations manifested in internal schisms, internecine fighting and continual factionalism. But, thanks to the visionary leadership of Dr. John Garang de Mabior, the Movement managed to weather all these storms and arrive at its objective. Garang’s success lay in his ability to persuade his colleagues in the leadership of the Movement and the masses of our people to continue to pursue, despite the odds, the objectives of the Movement through the course of action that had been collectively charted and adopted. His strength lay in his consistency and loyalty to the cause. He never compromised our Movement at any one time, but instead had the magnanimity to forgive and welcome back to the Movement those who had stabbed it in the back.
As we commemorate our late hero, we cannot but reflect on the single most important achievement of the SPLM/SPLA. This is the Comprehensive Peace Agreement which brought the war to an end and set our country as a whole on the path of national healing, reconstruction and stability.
The CPA is not just a political agreement between two erstwhile antagonists; it is a charter of peace and reconciliation. It is a testimony to our ability as Sudanese to recognize what is right and commit ourselves to respect it. It is an admission by both sides to the conflict that all our differences can be resolved amicably if we adhere to the principles of natural justice and equity. It means a rejection of the temptation to resort to violence in pursuit of certain demands. It reflects our political maturity and realism. It is an attestation that we appreciate what some of our immediate neighbours and the larger international community have done to stop the killing and carnage in our country.
The CPA is therefore our baby and we are called upon to nurture and sustain it. I call upon the entire membership and masses of the SPLM/SPLA to do everything in their power to protect the CPA from the enemies of peace and stability. This requires both vigilance and a high degree of self-discipline. I urge all our people to refrain from using aggressive language whether in formal political discourses or normal day-to-day social interactions. It serves no purpose to be unpleasant where you could be civil and accommodating. For it is more useful to win over an antagonist through objective dialoguing rather than silencing him with bellicose utterances. But while we refrain from aggressing or disconcerting those we presume to differ with us politically, we must not succumb to intimidation from whatever quarter either.
We must not lose sight of our cardinal objective, which is to exercise our right of self-determination come the year 2011. At that time we will have to choose between only two alternatives: either to remain as part of a united New Sudan governed on the basis of the current political arrangement or opt out of unity and become an independent state.
We must realize that either option calls for a high degree of solidarity and unity of purpose, otherwise whatever we will resolve to do could be easily undermined either by the enemies of unity or secession. Our unity is crucial and must be accorded priority. The SPLM leadership at all levels of our government and in every state must promote such policies as will ensure that our people appreciate the fact that our unity is of paramount importance.
I therefore call upon all our people to rally around the banner of our Movement, the SPLM/SPLA, and forge the kind of unity that will withstand and frustrate the machinations of our enemies.
We must, however, know that the most dangerous enemies are homegrown and operate as insiders.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The tragic loss of the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/SPLA was the first and most challenging test for our Movement. I am proud to say that the SPLM/SPLA passed this test to the pleasant surprise of our friends and to the utter consternation of our enemies and ill-wishers.
The way the SPLM/SPLA leadership handled and managed the process of succession surprised even some of the staunchest believers in the SPLM/SPLA. The Leadership Council promptly met to select Garang’s successor. That honour – and I could say burden-fell on me, having been the next in line of the SPLM/A leadership. The SPLM
leaders in Khartoum exerted enormous efforts to calm down our people and stop the rioting and destruction of property by agitated citizens. The SPLA command everywhere in the South controlled the situation. But the greatest credit must be accorded the widow of our late hero, Madam Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior. For it was her courageous and nationalistic appeal for calm that helped the authorities everywhere to restore order and calm. We all owe her many thanks.
The implementation of the CPA is generally on course. The withdrawal of troops to locations mutually agreed upon is proceeding fairly well. The Government of National Unity, in which the SPLM is the second coalition partner, is showing a reasonable degree of cohesion. The Bank of Southern Sudan (BOSS) was recently formally opened in Juba with the participation of the Governor of the Central Bank of Sudan and his top aides. The level of cooperation that has characterized the relations between these two institutions could be considered exemplary. It is our hope that this spirit be reflected in all our institutional operations.
But there are glaring provisions that have not yet been translated into action, not so much as a result of negligence but rather because of a deliberate decision by our partner not to implement them. The most outstanding of these is the report of the Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC). The SPLM will continue to put pressure on the National Congress Party to recognize the said report and allow all the activities attendant on it to be carried out, specially the drawing of those boundaries and appointment of such institutions as the Executive Council which would administer the Area. The other important provision relates to the North-South boundary as it stood on January 1, 1956.
The SPLM is fully committed to the CPA and is determined to implement it in letter and spirit. We believe that it is to the advantage of both parties and, indeed, the whole nation, to implement the CPA promptly and in good faith.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Nine months have gone since the formation of the Government of Southern Sudan. Most of this time has been taken up by the formulation of blueprints of policies and plans of action by the various ministries. These plans are now being implemented. The establishment of our civil service is going to be completed next week. It will after that be up to our civil servants and professionals to translate our policies into action.
Security in Southern Sudan has been a major concern of our Government. Apart from several incidents caused by the LRA in various parts of greater Equatoria, we must admit that the majority of incidents involving breach of security have been perpetrated by our own citizens. Gangs of marauding bandits and self-styled militias have waged intermittent attacks on moving vehicles on country-side roads and raided villages in various parts of the South. There have also been ethnic and clan clashes in which many citizens lost their lives.
However, I am happy to affirm that such incidents are now on the decline. Our security and law enforcement agencies have dealt and continue to deal with the situation. Your government will do everything in its power to protect the lives and property of our citizens and guest residents.
The Government of Southern Sudan is also engaged in a peace initiative to resolve the conflict between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Movement/Army. The process is well underway. My deputy, Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, could not be here with us this afternoon because he has had to go into the bush to try to meet LRA
leader Joseph Kony in connection with these peace talks. If our efforts succeed in this regard, we will have done a good service to ourselves, to the people of Uganda, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, our immediate region and the entire humanity.
But for our people to enjoy full security and peace, we must first of all realize that the proliferation of firearms in Southern Sudan will always constitute a threat as citizens will always be tempted to resort to firearms even in simple altercations where they had traditionally used sticks or at worst white arms. It is therefore incumbent upon all of us to persuade our citizens to cooperate with the Government in implementing its decision to disarm the civil population. I call upon our legislators at all levels of our governments to take the lead in this campaign.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On an occasion like this where we are commemorating the passing of the man who mobilized the marginalized communities in all parts of the Sudan to stand up for their rights, it is befitting for me to mention our stand on the conflicts that continue to rage in other parts of our country. On Darfur the SPLM position is that the NCP and Government of National Unity should engage the armed movements that rejected the Abuja peace agreement which it reached with the SLM wing of Mini Arkoi Minnawi. We believe that a negotiated settlement can be achieved if both parties commit themselves to the principles of fairness and justice. Our position on the issue of UN peace keeping forces getting involved in Darfur is that this is in place. If the current forces of the African Union are unable to protect the civil population of Darfur then there is need to take other measures.
We see no reason why UN forces cannot enter Darfur since they are already present in Southern Sudan, Southern Kordofan and Southern Blue Nile, and have not been seen to compromise our national sovereignty. On the conflict in Eastern Sudan, the SPLM fully supports the peace process now being moderated by Eritrea. The people of Southern Sudan will never be able to fully enjoy peace in their part of the country as long as their compatriots elsewhere continue to live under war conditions.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our late Chairman died with five of his immediate aides. These were the personnel who assisted Commander Dr. John Garang de Mabior to carry out the enormous amount of work that he was renowned for. It is quite understandable that in the wake of a tragedy of this magnitude, the focus of attention would be totally on the leader. Nevertheless, we in the SPLM/SPLA mourn them dearly. I have the honour and duty to cite the names of the five comrades as follows: Lt. Colonel Amat Malual, Lt. Colonel Juma Mayen, Lt. Colonel Ali Mayen, 1st Lt. Obogi Amanya and 1st Lt. Deng Kuany. These fallen heroes had been exemplary officers who served ,our Movement with loyalty and distinction. May God keep their souls in peace and bless their loved ones.
Dear Compatriots, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to take this opportunity to pay condolences to Madam Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior on the death of one of her brothers-in-law which occurred recently here in Juba. May I assure you Madam Rebecca that the people of the Sudan and not only Southern Sudanese, took note of your courage and stateswomanship that you demonstrated upon the passing of your very dear husband and partner for life. If it had not been for your stand at that crucial moment in our national life, more innocent Sudanese citizens would have died. You did us proud and we look forward to see more of those admirable attributes as you play your part in the leadership of the SPLM. In the name of all our people I salute you and your children. We pray to Almighty God to give you health and to pour his blessings on you and your children.
May the memory of our leader, brother and comrade-in-arms, John Garang de Mabior Atem, remain for ever a source of inspiration for our people.
May God bless you all and Godspeed for all our foreign guests as well as our compatriots who will be returning to their various destinations.
Thank you all.
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A Video of the late Dr John Garang dancing with, Kofi Annan and Ali Osman Taha during the celebration of his swearing-in, as Sudan’s first vice president, in Khartoum, Saturday July 9, 2005.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x9DUEfotWA
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