South Sudan Aldo Ajou rejoins the SPLM
July 6, 2007 (OTTAWA) — Prominent southern politician and former deputy prime minister Aldo Ajou Deng has joined the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), said the Federation of Aweil Communities in Canada in a press statement.
Four days after the return of the former chairman of the SPLM, the late Dr John Garang to Khartoum, Aldo Ajou had joined the National Congress Party (NCP) on July 12, 2005. At that time Ajou declared that realization of peace is not the responsibility of the NCP and the SPLM only but it is a collective responsibility.
Aldo Ajou told Aweil communities in Canada that he would rejoin the people’s party and would work collaboratively with the SPLM leadership to help accomplish the aspirations of the people of marginalized areas.
Aweil communities representatives hailed Ajou’s decision and said that “the SPLM should and ought to be a party of choice for the people of Mading Aweil as well as the entire peoples of the subjugated regions statement.”
Also they urged the “SPLM leadership to create a welcoming atmosphere to encourage citizens of the marginalized areas to join the party so that SPLM wins 2008 elections.”
(ST)
The following is the text of a press statement by the FACC :
Former Sudan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng Akuey Rejoins SPLM
July 5, 2007 — The Federation of Aweil Communities in Canada (F.A.C.C) 4th annual conference, held on June 30th through July 1st ended successfully and with resounding results. Aweil people in Canada sat down for two memorable days to deliberate on the future of their great State within the context of post-war Sudan. The conference was attended by one of the key political figures and long serving politicians in the Sudan, Honorable Aldo Ajou Deng Akuey who delivered a keynote speech to Aweil community as well as South Sudanese in the cities of Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Much of the two days’ discussion was focused on the overall evaluation of the circumstances in the country, particularly South Sudan. Hon. Ajou Deng briefed South Sudanese on the challenges pertaining to the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). He paid an increased attention to the questions around North-South border, Abyei protocol, and wealth sharing, highlighting that a lot more need to be done to overcome this obstacles.
After two days of intent discussion, it was unanimously resolved that Hon. Ajou Deng Akuey, should return to the SPLM and that Aweil people will work tirelessly to persuade other sons and daughters still in the NCP to follow suit. Aweil people and indeed, South Sudanese in the two cities advised Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng Akuey that he would serve them better in the SPLM than in the NCP and that he, Hon. Ajou, has no business being in the NCP. The display of people’s unity and support for Hon. Aldo Ajou was quite overwhelming.
In response to the people’s call, Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng Akuey formally announced his rejoining of the SPLM Party, an announcement received with standing ovation by Aweil people and southerners who attended the conference. Hon. Aldo Ajou told the conferees that he would rejoin the people’s party and would work collaboratively with the SPLM leadership to help accomplish the aspirations of the people of marginalized areas. Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng will hold a press conference when he gets back to Khartoum to inform Sudanese people of this long awaited decision to rejoin the SPLM. The conferees concluded that the people of Mading Aweil should rally behind the SPLM Party until the journey to freedom is completed. They added that the State of Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal should and ought to be hundred percent SPLM Zone now and in future.
At this juncture and on behalf of Aweil community worldwide, the Federation of Aweil Communities in Canada (F.A.C.C) wishes to thank, quite sincerely, the former Deputy Primer Minister of the Sudan, current MP in the Government of National Unity (GONU) and chairman of Humanitarian Affairs Committee, Honorable Aldo Ajou Deng Akuey for accepting people’s call to return to the SPLM Party where he rightfully belongs. It is worth mentioning that long before the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Aweil citizens all over the world have been asking Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng and all politicians hailing from the area to come back to the people’s Party, the SPLM.
The people of Mading Aweil, both at home and in the Diaspora are grateful for the remarkable move made by respected son and immensely experienced politician, Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng to rejoin the SPLM, a party he long served as prominent member before unfortunate circumstances forced him out. As remarked by one respected elder of Aweil community in Canada, Uncle Joseph Langdit, the SPLM Party neither belongs to one person nor group of people; it is a party of choice for the people of marginalized regions to which Aweil is a part and parcel.
Let it be known that the people of Mading Aweil gave undivided support during the course of liberation struggle: they died in staggering numbers in the field of combat, saw their homes destroyed and property looted yet they did not waver nor betray the cause. All these sacrifices were made in order to accomplish one historical dream: to completely liberate the people of marginalized regions so that they could freely exercise their right to self-determination and freedom.
In light of the above, the SPLM should and ought to be a party of choice for the people of Mading Aweil as well as the entire peoples of the subjugated regions. While cognizant of the fact that many politicians including Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng were forced out of the SPLM by various circumstances, citizens of Mading Aweil have never stopped persuading their sons and daughters in the National Congress Party to come back to the people’s party, the SPLM. For example, when he came to Canada to attend the F.A.C.C conference, Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng Akuey saw how much people wanted him back in the SPLM; he was moved by the level of welcome and support he was accorded. The level of welcome and massive display of support accorded to Hon. Aldo Ajou in Canada, not only by the people of Aweil but also by the entire South Sudanese people underscores the fact that the unity of the people of South Sudan comes above everything else. Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng could not help but declared to the people that he heard their call and would join the SPLM without delay. People of Mading Aweil could not be any happier with this decision, because SPLM is where Hon. Aldo belongs; it is where he can help spearhead the aspirations of the people of marginalized regions. Congratulations Hon. Aldo Ajou for listening to the call of your people. People of Mading Aweil and indeed all unity and peace loving peoples of subjugated areas will stand behind you as you join the hard working men and women in the SPLM.
On a special note we, citizens of Mading Aweil, would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to 1st Vice President of the Republic, President of GOSS, Chairman and C-in-C SPLM/A, 1st Lt. Salva Kiir Mayardit, on occasion of Hon. Aldo Ajou’s rejoining SPLM Party. We are also calling on the SPLM leadership to create a welcoming atmosphere to encourage citizens of the marginalized areas to join the party so that SPLM wins 2008 elections. The vision of the SPLM, as his Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit repeatedly articulates, is to unite southerners and all citizens of marginalized areas for peaceful and democratic Sudan.
We therefore strongly encourage the SPLM leadership to make this ideal the guiding principle for the SPLM as it continues guiding the shaky boat on the bumpy waters leading toward 2011 referendum. We hope that SPLM leadership will reciprocate people’s call for unity by according Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng the kind of welcome he deserves.
We, members of the F.A.C.C, would also like to thank Aweil citizens in Juba and the entire SPLM leadership for the warm welcome they accorded Hon. Dhieu Mathok and the team. We would particularly like to give special thank to the speaker of the GoSS Legislative Assembly, Excellency Wani Iga for his great message to the citizens of Mading Aweil. Hon. Wani Iga, your encouraging speech at Hon. Dhieu Mathok’s welcome ceremony in Juba is heard and truly appreciated by the citizens of Mading Aweil wherever they may be. Thank you for acknowledging what Aweil stood and will continue to stand for: unity and freedom of the oppressed people of the Sudan.
Finally, F.A.C.C also wishes to thank Hon. Dhieu Mathok and team for choosing the SPLM over NCP. The spirit which Mr. Dhieu and those who came with him displayed and which Hon. Aldo Ajou Deng Akuey manifested is what every southerner should emulate. We might have disagreed in the past but this shouldn’t stand on the way of our unity. People of marginalized areas should never forget that “united we stand and divided we fall”; our unity will always be our strength. We are calling on Aweil sons and daughters remaining in the NCP to come back to the SPLM. Thank you.
Signed:
Ustaz Sabrino Majok Majok, [email protected]
Chairman, Federation of Aweil Communities in Canada (F.A.C.C)