W. Equatoria people denounce appointment of corrupt new governor
An Open Letter to President Salva Kiir and all Concerned Human Rights Organizations in Sudan Regarding the Ill Advised Appointment of the so Called Governor of Western Equatoria State, Lt. Gen. Samuel Abujohn Kabashi:
The Appealing Human Right and Political Legacy of the Blood Lusting Governor.
– To: Office of the President and Vice President of Sudan
– Office of the President of Southern Sudan.
– All Citizens of New Sudan and Diasporas.
– All SPLM Offices.
DATE: 15/01/2007
1. INTRODUCTION.
1.1. Recently, in September 2006, the citizens of Southern Sudan around the world received with shock and disbelieve, the news of the appointment of Lt. Gen. Samuel Abujohn Kabashi as the Governor for Western Equatoria State (WES) following a decree which was issued by the President of GOSS against the will of the citizens WES. The decree by President Kiir, was supposedly issued by a man who is known to have led a 22-years war against injustice, inequality and the dictatorial attitudes of successive governments in Khartoum.
1.2. The news of this appointment also came at a time when only one year had passed since the time when the newly appointed Governor was officially rejected by the communities of Western Equatoria State during the nomination of 2005 to the various government positions in Sudan. During that period the unwanted Governor (Samuel Abu-John) was officially given a vote of no confidence when he failed to receive a single nomination to any position representing WES in either the Government of National Unity (GoNU) or Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS). In fact the embattled Governor failed to receive a single nomination even in his own constituency of Nzara.
1.3. The authors of this document is among citizens of Western Equatoria State who voluntarily decided to respond to the ill-advised decision given to President Kiir to impose a Governor in WES whose political legacy in Southern Sudan is one of human rights abuses, corruption, rape and brutality. The authors are members of the SPLM and are widely connected to leaders of WES community including SPLA officers, church leaders, women and youth leaders and chiefs who sacrificed their lives in the 22 years of struggle for liberation. Their support and allegiance to the people’s movement is unequivocal but will not condone bad practices by individuals in the SPLA/M Movement even if it’s the Chairman and the Commander in Chief (Lt. Gen Salva Kiir Mayardit). The revolutionary vision and principles of SPLM/A as laid out by our late visionary leader Dr. John Garang De Mabior will remain as the platform of which all SPLM members should follow.
1.4. For those who did not have past knowledge of such events for any reason, it is worth mentioning that the ill advised decision given to President Kiir to impose a hand-picked Governor to run and rule the people of Western Equatoria has been the final episode in a drama that raised the question on the credibility of President Kiir as a leader. Only months before appointment of the New Governor, the President issued yet another decree suspending and arresting the former elected Governor of WES amid false allegations of incitement of tribal conflicts which proved later to be false and a complete fabrication. It is worth mentioning that as a result of the President’s decision to unjustly arrest the former Governor of Western Equatoria State and his pregnant wife subjecting them to inhuman mistreatment, which resulted in the former governor’s wife having a miscarriage, and lost a baby. Nevertheless, the intention of this letter is not to bring to attention the previous event but rather the intention was and remain inter – alia to:
1.5. Alert the GOSS & SPLM/A Leadership about the human rights violations committed systematically by Lt. Gen Samual Abujohn Kabashi against the people of Western Equatoria State in the past and at present.
1.6. Raise awareness of the GOSS & SPLM Leadership about the grievances of the citizens of Western Equatoria State and Greater Equatoria at large especially about the human rights records committed by Samuel Abu John during his 11 years tenure of office as Governor of Greater Equatoria.
1.7. We the citizens of Western Equatorial State, seek justice by requesting the President of GOSS to bring Lt. Gen. Samuel Abu-John Kabashi to book for all his past records of human rights abuse, rape and corruption.
1.8. The citizens of Western Equatoria State propose to the leadership of GOSS & SPLA/M the best way forward for restoration of trust and dignity among the people of Western Equatoria State as well as all the people of Southern at large. The leadership of President Salva Kiir should begin to respect the very Democratic principles, which the sons and daughters of Southern Sudan sought by taking up arms.
1.9. Having said this, the authors now questions the motives of President Kiir from appointing someone who was already rejected by the people one year ago in a Democratic process. President Kiir’s decision defeats the very same vision of the liberation struggle, which lead to the achievement of the CPA. By imposing an unwanted person on the people of WES, President Kiir raises the question if he is serious about the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which is based on the principles of justice, respect for human rights and adherence to the principles of democracy.
1.10. As a matter of fact, the views expressed in this document reflect the views of the overwhelming majority of the citizens of Western Equatoria State who believe and recognize their fundamental human rights such as the right to life, justice and human dignity. The authors of this document challenge the current GOSS Leadership if they have any doubt to try and conduct an immediate election whereby the citizens of WES are given the opportunity to choose their Governor.
2. INCOMPETENT GOVENOR
2.1 It is worth mentioning that despite Lt. Gen Samuel Abujohn’s great starting point in the history of Sudan as the first Southern Sudanese to graduate from the prestigious Sudan military college in 1954, his later life of tyranny, brutality and corruption led him to be rejected by the people of Western Equatoria in particular and of Greater Equatoria and Southern Sudan at large. Find below reasons:
2.2 In terms of Military contribution, after graduation from Sudan military college, the former Sudan Army Officer was assigned to the Southern Command in Juba. From Juba he was sent to Khor-Ramla as platoon commander in which he failed miserably due to his attitude of spending all his time with women and excessive drinking. After that he was sent for military promotional course to Northern Sudan. However, he failed the promotional examination twice which led to his early retirement and compelled him to join the Anya-nya I movement. This was the beginning of his series of failures.
2.3 As a result, Abu-John was one of the few Southern Sudanese army officers who formed the Anya-nya I movement. However, because of his self-centered ambitions, he was known for brutality and mistreatment of his Southern Sudanese colleagues in the movement. One famous tragedy is still vivid in the memories of some of his colleagues when he killed one of his bodyguards and married his beautiful light skinned wife. The bodyguard was killed at Sakure Area, which was an Anya-nya Southern guerilla military base located 16 miles South of Yambio town. Because of these type of wrong deeds, Abu-John lost credibility among all the commissioned and non-commissioned officers of the Anya-nya movement and the entire community.
2.4 In fact, before the Addis Ababa accord, Abu John proved to be incompetent in the Anya-nya 1 army and had caused anarchy, which prompted General Lagu to remove him from his position in the movement. As a result, Abu John went to seek refuge in Uganda until the signing of Addis-ababa peace agreement in 1972. Despite Abujohn’s misbehaviors, some nationalist Southerner officers decided to plead later with General Lagu to re-instate Abu john into the Cease Fire Commission (CFC) on the bases that Abujohn was the most senior Southern Sudanese military officer.
2.5 Following the Addis Ababa accord which brought an end to 17 years of war between Southern and Northern Sudan, Abu-John was placed in charge of re-integration of the Anya-nya fighters into the Sudan Armed forces (national army). He sidelined and retired almost all his Southern colleagues who fought alongside against the rule of tyranny in Khartoum. It was clear that Abu-John wanted to remain the only senior Southern Sudanese officer in the national army. This further tarnished his image and revealed his true identity as a selfish leader who does not work for public welfare.
2.6 Furthermore, Abu-John then a Brigadier was appointed as Minister for Transport and communication in the government of the High Executive Council, but he never did any single development for the people of Equatoria nor the people of his constituency. This still proved that Abu-John was not a man of the people and was unable to work for public welfare. Due to his authoritarian, tyranny and brutal attitude, he lost credibility among the people of Equatoria and consequently shamefully lost his first democratic election in 1979.
2.7 As a matter of fact, during the days of SPLA armed struggle against the Khartoum regime, Abu-John was promoted to the rank of a Commander. In addition, he was appointed Governor of greater Equatoria, which is currently split into Western, Central, and Eastern Equatoria. He held that post for 11 years. The era was characterized by brutality, violence, assassination, looting, raping and others. Misery and suffering was the order of the day among the people of Equatoria. In February 2005 following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) the people of greater Equatoria issued a second vote of no confidence in Commander Samuel Abu-John Kabbashi. Because of his record of failures, the embattled Governor lost nominations to any post including his constituency of Nzara in August 2005. The people of his constituency were further disgusted when he married the long-term concubine of his own son Mathew Dikpioru Samuel Abujohn.
2.8 On July 18th 2005, Lt Gen. Samuel Abujohn was removed from Governorship and appointed advisor to the president of GOSS. President Salva Kiir Mayardit later maintained him as Member of Parliament and Adviser to the President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS). Despite these appointments at the GOSS level, Abu-John continued to fight for the lower position of state Governor of Western Equatoria. Abu-John preferred demotion rather than leaving the seat of state Governor of Western Equatoria State. The fact is, there is nothing that Abu-John can count as an achievement during his 11 years as Governor of Greater Equatoria in addition to his one year term as Federal affairs advisor to the President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) in which he was unable to deliver any service to the People of Southern Sudan but instead was only advocating for anarchy in Western Equatoria State. He again ended up with tainted image among the people of Western Equatoria.
3. RAPE AND SEXUAL PERVERTIONS
3.1 To date, it is well known fact among the communities of Western Equatoria State that in the days of combat between SPLA and Sudan armed forces, Governor Abu-John was involved in the trading of young girls as sex slaves to foreign aid workers in exchange for bottles of whisky and other items. In addition, he was involved in producing pornographic pictures of teenage girls.
3.2 As a matter of fact, it is also well known fact that most female recruits, messengers, cooks and servants who worked in the state HQs were either raped or sexually harassed by the perverted Governor (Samuel Abujohn).
3.3 One example, in 1996, Abu-John himself raped one of his female bodyguards who was the wife of one of his Junior Army officers in HQs. Many of the female bodyguards who are still alive today are ready to testify to these facts. They have endless testimonies of how Abujohn would call them to his room to find him completely naked before forcing them to have sexual intercourses with him.
3.4 A further living example of his sexual misbehaviors is his current young wife who was the concubine of his son and he later turned her into a wife for himself.
4. A BLOOD LUSTING GOVERNOR
4.1 It is worth mentioning the fact that, during the days of war between the SPLA and Khartoum Government, Abu-John assassinated a number of people both military and civilians. There are still living eyewitnesses today. Some of the people that Commander Samuel Abu-John murdered include:
– 4.2 Col. Luka Kpakasiro – killed in Tombura 1998. He falsely blamed the killing on Dinka soldiers, causing anti-Dinka sentiments among the Azande.
– 4.3 Louis Raphael Zamoi – Abujohn conspired and killed him in 1994.
– 4.4 Hon. Edward Daniel Bagidi – then Commissioner of Yambio County assassinated by Abu-john in a clandestine operation in 1994.
– 4.5 An elder called Bakumbasayo – killed by Abu-John in 1999.
– 4.6 Hon. Faustino Ngbangi, was killed by Samuel Abu –John in 1996.
– 4.7 Abu-John attempted assassination of a church leader and a youth activist who is currently living as refugee in Canada. The two are living examples and ready to testify to these facts.
– 4.8 In fact during the struggle, Abu-John often arranged with a notorious thief called Garadu, to break houses and shops in town at night so that the stolen items could be brought to him. When Garadu once kept some stolen properties for himself, Abu-John ordered 2nd Lieutenant Anthony Chec to kill him. Eyewitnesses are alive and ready to testify.
5. AN IRRESPOSIBLE LEADER
5.1 In 1994 a lawless SPLA Officer shot dead eight (8) civilians in Yambio town during broad daylight. The graves of these eight innocent civilians stand in Yambio today for everyone to see. One of the victims of this tragedy was a female who sustained stray-bullet injury and is a living survival of the barbaric killing. The people of Western Equatoria expected Governor Abu-John to bring the culprits of this serious crime to book at least for the sake of justice peace and harmony, but nothing was done, therefore prompting tension and counter-attacks with further loss of lives and anti-Dinka sentiments.
5.2 In 1998, during the governorship of Commander Samuel Abu-John, another group of lawless soldiers ambushed and attacked civilians in Mupoi (Western Equatoria). They looted every thing including seeds for plantation that year. People who were tortured and left for dead were, Peter Tarira, Ustaz Phillip Wapi, the area chief and an elderly man called Joseph Tarira. There was misery, chaos and lust for revenge. This was reported to Governor Abu-John and he never brought the perpetrators of this crime to justice. It sent the feeling that Equatoria had no governor capable of ruling people with wisdom and justice.
5.3 In fact the Chuckudum crises is a living example in which a group of lawless SPLA soldiers under Commander Deng Aguang Ajak, used maximum force to massacre the Didinga tribe and Abu-John who was the Governor of Equatoria then, did nothing to bring the perpetrators to justice. Nothing will set Southern Sudan free except the truth. That is exactly the reason why SPLA took up arms to fight against injustice and now the same freedom fighters turn deaf ears to the call for justice among different Southern nationalities.
5.4 Another fact is the Mundri crisis in which thousands of cattle were taken to the farming area of the Moru people and kept there destroying their farms for 13 years. Abu-John was the governor for Equatoria but he did nothing to bring justice. This led to attack and counter attacks between the Moru Community and the cattle owners in Mundri. A situation that led to hundreds of casualties.
5.5 In 1999 during the era of Governor Abu-John, nine other lawless soldiers raped a woman during Zande traditional dance at Andari in Ezo. They stood armed guard all round as each one of them raped the woman in turn. They threatened to shot dead any one who would attempt to come and rescue the woman. The memory of this incident is as fresh in the minds of the victim, relatives and witnesses as if it only happened few hours ago. The woman is leaving in trauma with badly damaged genitalia until today. She is ready to bear testimony of her ordeal. This was reported to Abu-John and he did not take any action against the perpetrators. This forced the people of Western Equatoria to believe that Abu-John himself was condoning criminal activities against his people and in particular our vulnerable women.
5.6 Least but not last, following his appointment recently in 2006, Abu-John took several battalions of troops to Yambio for his own evil motives of intimidating and killing civilians in cold blood and especially since he knew that the community of WES did not welcome his appointment. This was a show of military power at peacetime.
6. CORUPTION AND MISUSE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES
6.1 During the days of war, the so-called Governor Abu-John used to organize theft into stores and compounds of humanitarian NGOs working in Western Equatoria. His main accomplices were Joseph Bakosoro, Santo Gabriel, Malek Al-Haj (Peter Alemi Aligo) among others, who were breaking into stores and later dividing the stolen properties with him. The specific NGOs, which suffered from, these burglary operations were: World Vision International, Care International and UNICEF. His main implementer of this organized crime is Joseph Bakosoro, former Commissioner of Tambura who was once intercepted at night with a vehicle full of stolen NGOs properties, but was set free the following morning. Abu-John warned that whoever dared to talk about the theft would be assassinated.
6.2 Abujohn was also engaged through what he named the “the Clandestine Network” in illegal excavation of Diamond in Ezo County. His ally Pascal Bandindi was the key architect of the diamond scandal.
6.3 In addition, Abujohn and his allies were involved in trade of human skulls and rare animals to neighboring countries. A living example is the rare species of Chimpazees that he smuggled from Western Equatoria to Europe under the pretext that the animals were being taken for medical veterinary treatment. Abu-john owes the people of Southern Sudan an answer for these corrupt dealings.
6.4 To date, it is a well known fact that Abu-John and his ally Pascal Bandindi (former SPLM Secretary of Agriculture) were involved in illegal and indiscriminate cutting of Teak logs around Yei County for export, causing total environmental degradation in Central and Western Equatoria.
6.5 As a matter of fact, during the 11 years era of Abu-John, he took money from a number of investors selling to them in advance the teak plantations of Western Equatoria (Maridi and Ibba). One Indian tycoon in fact traveled to Ibba to begin cutting the teak and mahogany (wood) and when he was asked who authorized this transaction, he admitted that Abu-John gave him the authority to do so. The local residents chased the Indian away.
6.6 To date, the embattled Governor is still wanted for trial on charges of plundering resources and bribery. One example is the 100 Thousand US dollar given to him for State development after the signing of the CPA.
6.7 The question that needs to be asked is how can such a person who claimed to be an SPLM veteran fail to be nominated by the people of his own state and constituency, unless his record is tainted? If such person was loved by his people then why didn’t the communities in WES turn up in masses to welcome him following his recent appointment? Surely any sound mind can conclude that there is a good reason for this kind of rejection.
7. CONCLUSION
7.1 The revolutionary vision of the SPLA/M remains as articulated by our late visionary leader Dr. John Garang de Mabior and subsequently laid out in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Naivasha (Kenya). The fundamental objectives and guiding principles of this over-arching vision for the post conflict period have been enshrined in the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan (ICSS) and adopted by the newly established Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS). This vision is summarized by the fundamental principles of human rights of the citizens of Southern Sudan and their basic rights (right to life, justice, human dignity and respect).
7.2 By imposing the unwanted Governor (Samuel Abujohn) on the people of Western Equatoria State, it is questionable whether H.E. President Salva Kiir is serious after implementing the CPA. The owners of proof as to whether these accusations are true or mere allegations remains with the GOSS and President as the competent authority which has the institutions capable of administering social economic and political affairs of Southern Sudan and delivering justice to its citizens.
7.3 The imposed Governor of Western Equatoria should be reminded that the people of Western equatorial State will never be intimidated. Gone are the days of the trigger and gun-barrels. Abu-John and his accomplices should understand that he can take thousands of armed soldiers to intimidate the sons and daughters of Western Equatoria, but he will never have the loyalty of the people of Equatoria and West Equatoria in particular. Abujohn and his allies are destined to loose any fair election in Western Equatoria State just as he has already lost twice before.
7.4 The Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan (ICSS) provides for the importance of promoting women rights and the need to combat harmful behaviors, which undermines the dignity, and statues of Southern Sudanese women. President Salva should distance himself from Southerners who violate the rights of southern Sudanese women.
7.5 It is now two years since the signing of the CPA and President Salva Kiir should start dealing with the corrupt cronies of GOSS. President Kiir’s appointment of serial killers, corrupt cronies and serial rapist to GOSS positions will undermine his leadership as a competent president. His failures to deal with the rampant corruption, insecurity, blood lusting lunatic warlords casts great doubt now in his ability as a legitimate leader who should be voted for in the next election.
7.6 Finally, the citizens of Southern Sudan look forward to the Leadership of Lt. Gen Salva Kiir Mayardiit to wisely champion peace and development especially in Southern Sudan. However, peace must go hand in hand with justice and human dignity and must be sustainable the way to achieve this is through respect for each others, value contributions made by any group or individuals towards the liberation process, observe equal opportunity and above all respect human rights of all citizens and foster the rule of law to maintain security and order.
– Long live the Just Struggle for the marginalized masses of Sudan.
– Long Live the SPLM.
– Forward ever, Backward never.
Authors: On behalf of Southern Sudan CPA-watch – Western Equatoria State (Southern Sudan).
– cc: SPLA/M Offices around the world
– cc: All civil society and human rights organizations in the New Sudan
– cc: Sudanese Communities around the world
– cc: South Sudan Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Organization
The authors are Southern Sudanese citizens living in USA. They can be reached through below mentioned email addresses:
Francis Namutina – [email protected]
Lewis William Kandi – [email protected]