South Sudan SSUDA/SSDF designate new leadership

The long awaited leadership restructuring of SSUDA has been completed as we promised the public. The SSUDA interim leadership (Executive Political Bureau) held its meeting in town of Omaha Nebraska in the United States from February 18th to 19th, 2007. The meeting was conducted in consultation with SSDF leadership authority in Sudan. The emergency meeting focused on three items:

– 1. Restructuring the leadership of SSUDA to include all marginalized Southern Sudanese;
– 2. Revision of Party Bylaws to prevent one man dictatorship and revised it with more democratic norms and culture of the organization, which includes, team work and collective leadership and;
– 3. Examining the current political trend in the Sudan in particularly South Sudan, and relations with others political forces, as well as that of CPA.

At the end of the meeting, the Executive Political Bureau resolved and concluded as follows:

Item 1, Organization restructurer

In evaluating the previous leadership style and the way it was conducted organizational business, the Executive Political Bureau (EPB) concluded the need for electing a new leadership that is more accountable to principles of SSUDA/SSDF. The EPB also addressed the issue of inclusiveness of all Southern in the organization leadership.
As such the Executive Political Bureau unanimously elected Dr. Ojulu Ochalla as SSUDA Chairman and 15 Executive Political Bureau (EPB) to lead the SSUDA
until the next organizational conference, which shall convene inside the country. The Executive Political Bureau (EPB) also reshuffled the position of Secretary of Information and elected a new Secretary of Information.

Accordingly, Mr. Peter Chuol Gatluak will served as SSUDA General Secretary and Spokesman, Mr. Dabi Baco Dominic as SSUDA Secretary of Information, and Mr. Richard Aciga Donato as SSUDA Secretary for Foreign Affairs respectively. The full names of elected SSUDA Executive Committee (EC) are as follows:

– 1. Dr. Ojulu Ochalla, SSUDA Chairman
– 2. Mr. Thomas Tut Doap, SSUDA Vice Chairman
– 3. Mr. Peter Chuol Gatluak, SSUDA General Secretary
– 4. Mr. Akech Deng Yak, SSUDA Deputy General Secretary
– 5. Mr. James Miak Tot, SSUDA Secretary of Treasury
– 6. Mr. Dabi Baco Domenic, SSUDA Secretary of Information
– 7. Mr. Richard Aciga Donato, SSUDA Secretary of Foreign Affairs
– 8. Mr. Diang Liap, SSUDA Secretary of Internal Affairs
– 9. Mr. Flix Odol, SSUDA Executive Committee Member
– 10. Mr. Yak Jany Ruea, Executive Committee Member
– 11. Mr. Yien Lam Tut, Executive Member, and Australia Representative
– 12. Mr. Peter Puoy Deng, SSUDA Executive Committee Member
– 13. Mr. John Mayen Bol, SSUDA Executive Member
– 14. Mr. Galuak Chuol, SSUDA Executive Member
– 15. Mr. Ter Deng Gatluak, SSUDA Executive Member

The 15 elected Executive Political Bureau (EPB), once again reaffirmed their support and commitment to the leadership of General Gordon Koang, and urged all commanding SSDF Generals across South Sudan to remain firm in their struggle for justice, equality, and democracy in the Sudan, particularly South Sudan.

Item 2, Revision of Bylaws

The Executive Political Bureau (EPB) agreed that the success of any political organization depend on organizational culture, which includes rules for internal governances, guiding principles and norms vested on the core leadership. Based on that, the leadership ratified the current bylaws of the organization to be more compatible to SSUDA democratic principles. Thus, 3 articles were added working committees, which each will be chaired by an Executive Political Bureau (EPB) member.

Item 3, Current political Trend

The SSUDA leadership reaffirmed their commitment to vision and mission of SSUDA to pioneer democracy through dialogue, tolerance, democracy, equality, justice; promotion of culture of peace, and good governance in South Sudan. The leadership also acknowledged, that at this historical juncture in which the driving motives of some political parties been exposed and became clear to all Southerners and Sudanese population at large, there is should be no doubt that SSUDA remain as the only true representative of the people of South Sudan. The southern now are given a clear choice; to choose between the lying fake (SPLM/SPLA), and the southern people organization (SSUDA/SSDF) which stands for democracy, equality, and justice.
At the same time, the SSUDA/SSDF resolved and calls on all peace loving countries and concluded on the following national issues:

ON THE CPA

The SSUDA/SSDF leadership believed that lasting peace and stability which is the basis for development and democracy can only be realized in South Sudan when the CPA become inclusive. Thus, once again we call on:
– • The leadership of SPLM/SPLA to come to table for immediate peaceful dialogue with SSUDA/SSDF;
– • We calls upon the leadership of National Congress Party (NCP) as ruling party to play their productive role in solving this standoff and;
– • We also call on all parties involved in the Darfur conflict to seek lasting solution to the conflict.

ON SELF-DETERMINATION

SSUDA leadership reaffirmed its commitment to question of self-determination of the people of South Sudan. However, such exercise of self-determination must be conducted under democratically elected government and where the people are free to choose. We believe that the SPLM/A, we knew, has never fought for self-determination, but united Sudan. The political strategy of “regime change” which is a policy to taking over the palace and forming secular government were the driving force, behind the SPLM/A vision of “New Sudan”, and remain so as we speak. That why, the first SPLM/A bullet was fired against the very Southerners who raised the question of right of self-determination for people of South Sudan.

Therefore, it is insult to the majority of southern who have fought for self-determination to hear a loud talk about self-determination. We also believed that the right to self-determination is not a gift from the SPLM/A, but a right which Southerners fought for. And, the question now, can this rights be exercised under renounced SPLM/SPLA dictatorship or under a free society under democratically elected leadership?

We believed that confidence building should start from making the current GOSS, inclusive, accountable, and free of nepotism and corruption. People should have the right to development, health, schooling, and ownership of business; otherwise, we will be voting to create a country under one tribe, with corrupt government. So the choice or a cry between unity and separation cannot be imposed on southerners, but must be conducted under politically conducive environment, where we all feel part of the process.

SSUDA Executive Political Bureau (EPB)

Signed:

General Gordon Koang, Commander in-Chief of South Sudan Defense Force (SSDF), can be reached at, +249-915-366-730

Peter Chuol Gatluak, SSUDA, General Secretary and Spokesmen, can be reached at, +402-408-6352 or [email protected]