Juba chosen to be the venue for declaration of South Sudan independence
February 21, 2011 (JUBA) – The interim capital of the emerging independent state of South Sudan, has been chosen as the venue for declaration and celebrations of independence of the region in July this year.
Following the overwhelming vote for secession by the people of South Sudan from the rest of Sudan in January, the region is preparing to launch its full independence by 9 July in accordance with the provisions of the 2005 peace deal.
Juba has hosted the headquarters of various regional governments and administrations since the British colonial era. The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) has recently decided to relocate the capital to another other location in South Sudan, preferably to an uninhabited, forested territory called Ramciel in Lakes state.
During its first meeting on Monday, chaired by the region’s vice president – Riek Machar, the high level committee charged with the responsibility of organising the celebrations resolved that Juba shall be the venue for declaration of independence.
All the ten states will organise their respective celebrations and will be supported financially by the GoSS in order to make their celebrations a success. SDG1,000,000 (US$380,000) was earmarked for each of the ten states.
The committee’s terms of reference also include preparing the budget for the ceremony and inviting foreign dignitaries that will attend the celebrations.
(ST)
superior Junibi
Juba chosen to be the venue for declaration of South Sudan independence
Athor rebellion as South Sudan opposition parties backbone:
South Sudan newborn democratic system was put to test last April when this nation held one of her first and very crucial election. Those of us who had never had a chance to choose their leaders did it for the first time and as a result, we were overwhelmingly excited. But we didn’t know we were getting cheated. Most citizens smelled hope and future as they prepared for the main event, secession vote. Unfortunately hope sometimes never stands when forces behind it have different agendas and or are devoted to personal interests other than national visions. The contents in this article contain facts that were obtained from legitimate South Sudan sources and author’s opinion. I am going to focus on why Athor rebelled? What did SPLM do to back fire his rebellion? Should South Sudan citizens support George Athor as their voice to change SPLM corrupt, undemocratic, and injustice system/practices?
SPLM Tickets (Monkey Business)
Last April election when well to well-wishers, but in reality was an outright mess. Most of these citizens pay little or no attention to how the SPLM so called Electoral Committee divided the movement and the citizens who gave all they had to protect this country. SPLM started to give endorsement or the SPLM tickets to few, before candidates had the opportunity to convince South Sudan citizens what they can do for them.
Basically they elected candidates by giving them SPLM tickets before South Sudan citizens voted. All the current governors such as Taban Deng Gai Vs Angelina Teny, Kuol Manyang vs George Athor, and Malong Awan vs Dau Aturjong to mention few, were initially elected by the SPLM before we can cast our votes. So our votes didn’t even matter at the time even if we voted for Athor, Angelina, or Dau. So there were two elections, one by SPLM and second by us (citizens) just to show the international community that they let us voted. The current governors within all the ten Southern States were the anointed one!!!! This messy and tricky business came about as a fear factor from SPLM thinking they will loose most loyal SPLM candidates to opposition parties whom they didn’t trust. It was designed to block SPLM-DC candidates whom they expect might run for higher government positions. It turned out most of these candidates including George Athor were SPLM loyalist, most of whom protected the movement from birth. Ironically, they were playing with a double edged sword and they are about to cut their own throats with it. Isn’t South Sudan for all of us?? Does our government have to trust certain citizens and not others when they all did what was expected for them? We fought the NCP for this exact political treatment and God forbid it happened in South Sudan and SPLM did it!!!!!!!
Let me provoke my readers. Put yourself in DAU, ATHOR, and ANGELINA’s shoes and ask yourself if that was you, what would you do??? I know some of you will say they will not rebelled, but let me tell you this fact my friends, freedom or change are not free!!!!!! Freedom or change took Dr Garang and SPLA heroes’ lives, Dr. Martin Luther king, and many more. George Athor might be on the right track. No sound minded Southern citizens could agree April 2010 election was a legitimate system South Sudan should install and use later in 2014 election. Some of you who are reading this piece will run for political offices later and I am sure you won’t want to face the same treatment. So, somebody got to correct this system and George Athor did the right thing.
Politic gone wild
Let’s focus by initially starting to provoke your thoughts on Angelina’s case. To those who don’t know who Angelina is; she is a wife of Dr. Riek, a number two man in South Sudan and in SPLM party. Normally as citizens we know when one of us runs the country; we expect him and his wife united, determined and committed to the party and the country at large. But in South Sudan it’s not like we thought it would hold. Angelina Teny, Dr Riek’s wife could not even get SPLM Ticket or endorsement in April Election from a party where her husband is a number two man in commend, till she had no choice but to ran as an independent candidate!!!!! The above mentioned example should by now have you thinking and raise more questions about who really is running SPLM then?? Are number one man (Salva) and the number two man (Riek) working together to safeguard our new born nation???
SPLM and its electoral committee divided up its own members by appointing those they like and create a term for those they didn’t want as independent candidates. This plan was very tactical since they knew our population is not so far gone when it come to understanding politic. SPLM calculated that our uneducated citizens/voters will automatically assume independent candidates as none SPLM loyalists or traitors (Anyagats) coming from a character deformed SPLM-DC party of Dr. Lam Akol. Citizens took it exactly as SPLM expected and only informed few vote for independent candidates. In addition to that, they ridged the result to fully secure the anointed candidates. Their prediction combined with dirty hands made them won by 99.9%. I have never seen a country where human candidate can win with 100% if dirty hands were not counting the votes. This duress action was motivated by power hungriness. SPLM Elites have a very naïve thinking about Southern citizens that, we are the dumb majority and they are the smarter few who can manipulated us and lie to us so they can stay in power till they die.
Some thugs within the SPLM party who are conspiracy theorists use SPLM powers to carry on their personal hate. Gier Chuang Aluong is a good example in this situation. This thug had carried out several stage executions of innocent citizens in Panyido, in Ethiopia. He was just in the came hunting for food and shooting people he don’t like in front of these kids so called Lost Boys while Goerge Athor was fighting the Arabs. That was a mere child abuse, and a crime against humanity. Now, he still has the same mentality and wants to use his personal hate against Gen Athor by using SPLM forces.
Solution
Well George Athor is proving them wrong. He will be known in our independent South Sudan history as a first person to challenge SPLM corrupt and undemocratic system. He will be known as the voice of opposition and a father of multi-party system in South Sudan. South Sudan should not have one tribal SPLM party who is run by one man and his gangs. I argue all the Jonglei people, NUER, DINKA BOR, DINKA NGOK, MURLE, and ANYUAK to support General George Athor as a father of all the opposition parties. Let’s put tribalism aside, and let’s look at this opportunity as a future change for our kids and yours. Governor Kuol Manyang is a close relative to me, but I am not going to chose family over South Sudan future. I am not arguing anyone to use force to support Gen Athor, but to rally for peaceful settlement and joined his new born to be political party. Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile States could be categorically the best states to have overwhelming support for new South Sudan Democratic party. These States are very diverse and contain larger population. SPLM party need someone to force them provide services to the people or else get voted out of offices come 2014 by SSDP candidates.
George Athor needs to cease hostilities and joint the government of South Sudan but not the SPLM. South Sudan Democratic party (SSDP) His new political party will act as the main largers opposition party to SPLM .It will be supported by DINKA NGOK, NUER, DINKA BOR, MURLE and many Southern citizens who have a democratic will. Those who belief in a full participation of all the Southern citizens should joint hand for peaceful settlement of Gen. George Athor rebellion. All the opposition parties should joint Athor’s up coming SOUTH SUDAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY (SSDP). By doing so, Southern citizens who want to run against SPLM candidates will have hope and run as SSDP candidates. They will never be send away as independent candidates. They will debate with SPLM candidates till citizens pick them.
Long live Democratic change with in South Sudan
Author lives in USA and
Jeti
Juba chosen to be the venue for declaration of South Sudan independence
The declaration of South Sudan independence should not be hosted by Juba but by Mading-Bor with the historical revolution of 1983 that resulted into CPA which brought independence of South Sudan. We don’t need jealous people who don’t want Mading-Bor to raise the flag of our newly to be born nation on July 9th this year. Mading-Bor is the right place to host the declaration of South Sudan as the world’s newest nation. Stop jealousy and take it to Mading-Bor.
HONEY
Juba chosen to be the venue for declaration of South Sudan independence
Mading Bor would have been the best choice due to the history and sacrifices they have made for the country. Juba is still good and all that matter is that our country has achieved its struggle
Aleu
Juba chosen to be the venue for declaration of South Sudan independence
Whatever town, the ROSS have chosen for its declaration will be perfect. There are a little things ROSS and GOSS need to do before the beginning of celebration and announcement to the air on July9.2011.
1.ROSS must organizing its GOSS Army and put them in high security alert while, the celerbration of New nation Southern Sudan is under way to begin.
2. protection of Foreigners who will be welcome to celebrated young nation together and the Southern Sudanese citizens must be the first aganda in the minds of all GOSS officials.
3. Citizens also must be told to keep their eyes on others things such as the insight danger to be aware and for themselves also they need to relax a little a bit because the cause of heart could be happiness and sadness.
4. ROSS and all others parties who love Southern Sudan nation to do good things must together informing all citizens about the important of being a nation,forgiveness at this important time and peace to one another.
5. The formers VP of Old Sudanese who are now a Southern Sudanese members in ROSS must be told not to feel sad when they hear many songs of the SPLA struggle being put on the air. Why should I have to mention this important point is because the SPLA Songs were telling our Southern Sudanese politicians who were working with Sudan ruler government that, they were supporting wrong side at the wrong time in the wrong place and they should not be up sad when they hear Joseph Lagu, Able Alieer and Agou Deng.
6. All Songs of all SPLA from the beginning to the last must be display in all towns in Southern Sudan and South Blue Nile State. I saw only few at youtube website but they are not enough. All Southern Sudan leaders if possible they should first take moment and praying to special those SPLA brothers who lost their lives in the name of movement including the late Dr. John Garang de Mabior, Kerubino Kuanyin Bol, William Nyuon Bany, Nyichuak who dies early in Eastern Equatoria.
7. Time for Southern Sudan president and his VP to give appreciation and most thanks to AU,IGAD,Kenya,South Africa, the former president of Ethiopia, Uganda president, European nations, Japanes for donation, North Sudan for accepted what they signed, U.S. For their commitment to make effort on the peace process,former U.S. President George W.Bush for acknowlegement the worst civil war in the Sudan, Colin Powell for being one of the most leader to make that peace agreement happen and two Rices for continuing supporting peace process I mean the list of people who we should be given thanks and appreciation would go on like that.
Liberator
Juba chosen to be the venue for declaration of South Sudan independence
Dear readers:
Torit where the first bullet was fired on the eve of Sudan
ndependence from Britain back in 1955, would have been the
appropriate venue for declaration of our independence.
Padiet Deng Alony
Juba chosen to be the venue for declaration of South Sudan independence
Buma the first area captured by SPLA/M wuold have been the best place for the declaration.
Atem Tuor
Juba chosen to be the venue for declaration of South Sudan independence
“Garang, the son of my mother, have you come? Take over the command from here. Chagai Atem, my work is finished: give me something to drink and lets celebrate the start of the Revolution.” Maj. Kerubin Kuanyin Bol, May 13, 1983, Bor, Arop P. 51 (2006).
Should our Founding Father (Dr. Garang) would have not been buried in Juba, then Bor Town would have been the most appropriate venune for the Declaration of Independence.
James Atem Tuor is a former Vice President of The Bay Area Southern Sudanese Community Association and current General Secretary of Hope With Sudan, a non-profit organization based in San Jose, California. On the World Wide Web: hopewithsudan.org