SSDF hails resignation of South Sudan minister Nhial Deng Nhial

May 20, 2006 — The resignation of the Minister for international cooperation and development of the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) is a heroic decision ever taken by a South Sudanese. It is now true that Nhial Deng Nhial inherited 80% of the genes of South Sudan leader, William Deng Nhial.

The South Sudan Democratic Forum fully supports the reasons he raised for his resignation. First of all, it is undeniable that President Salva Kiir has neglected his Ministry. No budget has been allocated to his Ministry since the formation of the GoSS. Secondly, it is also true that President Kiir’s administration has been violating Ministerial protocols. When President Kiir donated money to Kenya a couple of months ago, a cheque was delivered by Justine Yac Arop instead of Nhial Deng Nhial, who was the Minister for International Cooperation and Development. It was an insult to Nhial Deng Nhial for a Minister of Cabinet Affairs to be the one handing the cheque to Kenya leaving him in Juba.

Thirdly, Hon. Nhial Deng Nhial was not part of the delegation of the GoSS that went to Uganda for the inauguration of President Museveni. President Kiir took Dr. Lam Akol with him while leaving behind the South Sudan’s Minister of International cooperation. The marginalization of Nhial Deng Nhial by Salva Kiir is something personal which dated back to the days of late Dr. John Garang.

The Democratic Forum also applauds Hon. Nhial Deng for mentioning rampant corruption as one of the reasons for his resignation. President Salva Kiir has rejected the request of South Sudan Democratic Forum to fire the four Ministers he identified as corrupt. The same corrupt lords who received bribes from National Islamic Front (NCP) are still being kept by the President as his friends.

We also condemn the Gogrial Kitchen Cabinet for antagonizing Madam Rebecca Nyandeng Mabior. It is mind-boggling that some South Sudanese considered the mother of South Sudan liberation as “enemy” because she is promoting South Sudan’s cause. When Madam Nyandeng met President Bush a couple of months ago, she was successful to get a promise from the most powerful man in the world that “the U.S. would go to war to protect South Sudanese from anybody who wants to attack them including the enemies of the CPA in the region”. Even late Dr. Garang never met President Bush in the Oval Office. However, Madam Nyandeng was successful to deliver the South Sudan problems to President Bush’s desk.

There are corrupt lords who accused Madam Nyandeng as having a group against Kiir because that is the only way to control the mind of President Salva from turning against corruption. In reality, Madam Nyandeng is created as an imaginary enemy by the Gogrial and Aweil’s corrupt lords to keep President Kiir busy so that he would not fight corruption.

The Democratic Forum is calling upon President Kiir to fire the four Ministers he identified as corrupt lords without conditions from South Sudanese. If the President cannot act like a man, it is advisable for him to summit his resignation to the SPLM Party. South Sudanese want a strong leader who will tell Omar Bashir to choose between spending time in jail like Charles Taylor or live in peace by implementing the CPA.

It is objectionable that President Kiir is not capable of defending the CPA from the NIF (NCP). All the protocols of the agreement have been violated without a strong protest from the President. The border between the North and the South has not been demarcated, the amount of oil looted from the South is not known and the SPLA is engaged in a civil war with the White Army of Jonglei State. President Salva Kiir does not care about the problems in the South. If he is not capable to resolve the problems of the South, it is better for him to resign than to be humiliated in front of the international community.

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Gordon Buay, South Sudan Democratic Forum-Canada

Email: [email protected]

Tel. (613)260-9307

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