Unity State citizens petitions for governor’s removal

From: The concerned citizens of Unity State of Southern Sudan
– To: H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit – First Vice President of Sudan & President of the Government of Southern Sudan
– CC: H.E Dr. Riek Machar Teny – Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan
– CC: H.E Gen. Wani Igga – Speaker of the Parliament of Southern Sudan Assembly
– CC: Honorable Members the SPLM Interim Political Bureau
– CC: Honorable members of the Parliament of Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly
– CC: Honorable Members of the Unity State Legislative Assembly
– CC: All citizens of Unity State, Southern Sudan

Dear Mr. President,

“We the undersigned individuals” of Unity State Southern Sudan, would like to thank you so much for your leadership in Sudan and Southern Sudan for the last three years in the post Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signing era. We would like to give you special thanks for achievements made in the areas of CPA implementation, unity of our people, development, reintegration of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) and refugees, disarmament & demobilization of arms and child soldiers and putting in place various organs of our Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) and civil society under your leadership. Southern Sudan is better off today, than it was three years ago. For this we thank you and all the leaders of Southern Sudan, Sudanese people in general, International Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Southern Sudan friends across the globe who have seen it all unfold.

Dear Mr. President,

We would like to assure you that

“We” the undersigned persons greatly support “unity” of the people of Southern Sudan. With pride and patriotism we support the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) and all the political and non-political organizations that are working to bring about positive changes and prosperity.

“We the people” of Unity State at home and abroad undersigned below are delighted and inspired by your unwavering sacrifice to lead our people to the promise land and would like to congratulate you on your efforts to bring about peace, security and tranquility in Southern Sudan. We recognize and give you great round of applause for continuing to protect the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) from the enemies of our great cause.

“We the people” undersigned below indeed affirm that we are patriotic and committed citizens of Southern Sudan and Unity State.
The undersigned “persons” are very well informed about the state of affairs in our country because we all have family members and friends in Sudan, Southern Sudan and indeed in Unity State. We know what has and hasn’t unfold in Sudan, Southern and Unity State through news in the media, constant contacts via telephones, internet and other media of communication. Some amongst us are working in Sudan and those abroad have individuals who have been to Sudan more than five times since the signing of the CPA. Therefore, we are aware of what has and hasn’t been going on in the Sudan, Southern Sudan and certainly in the Unity state.

“We the people” of Unity State undersigned in this letter are greatly concerned with the state of governance, development, integrity and future of Unity State in Southern Sudan.
“We” the undersigned ‘citizens’ of Unity State believe in the words of John F. Kennedy, the president of the United States of America (1961-1963) which states that, “There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”
“We the people” undersigned below are asking you to listen to our calls and take to account our concerns, requests and recommendations.

With these in mind, “we” would like to make the following our talking points in this letter: our reaction to the interview conducted by the Juba based “Citizen” with the Governor of Unity State Brigadier Gen. Taban Deng Gai, the state of affairs in Unity State and finally our recommendations.

Our Reaction to “Citizen’s” Interview with Unity State Governor

Dear Mr. President,

On the interview carried out by the Citizen, the Juba based newspaper on January 23, 2008; Brig. Gen. Governor Taban Deng Gai admitted to no failures in his administration and claimed success in the areas of security, development and unity of the people of Unity State. In his own words he said, “I achieved security of the state, I achieved development and also achieved the unity of our citizens. You travel to any part of this state without any security problems. There is no tribal fighting among our tribes since I became a governor.”

Indeed, there has been security success made in the unity state in the area of arms possession which we believe you know better. Disarmament of civilians across Southern Sudan states reduced the level of arms use in the States. As you may well know, reduction in insecurity as result of disarmament has not been singly achieved by the state governments. In most parts, it was done through the Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration and Reconciliation (DDRR) article contained in the CPA. The process of DDRR has been a GOSS principle agenda, most states in Southern Sudan have done this, therefore, it is not governor’s sole work that brought security level down in the State. There is also United Nation’s Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) which spent money and resources in Sudan to help with issues related to DDRR. “On 24 March 2005 the Security Council passed resolution 1590 (2005) and “decided that the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) shall assist in the establishment of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program as called for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, with particular attention to the special needs of women and child combatants, and its implementation through voluntary disarmament and weapons collection and destruction.” UNMIS is present in Unity State and has done tremendous work in helping people disarm.

Also the level of insecurity has receded in Unity State because of the gradual withdrawal of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and reintegration of the former militias into either Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) or SAF and hence reducing the number of armed groups in the State. This was not done by the state government but by the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the two signatories of the CPA. Therefore, the governor must not claim that success in reduction of insecurity is his greatest achievement.

Obviously, the reduction in arms possession has not secured the state. Inter-clan fighting is remains a major threat to security in Unity State. In the year 2007 there were inter-clan fighting in Rubkona and Panyijiar Counties. In these incidents there were more than three people dead and a few wounded. For instance, on November 12, 2007, it was reported by Gurtong Peace Project, that “ten people were killed and over 60 people were seriously injured in the fight that broke out between two clans” in Rubkona county. According to an eye witness in that report, “when he SPLA soldiers tried to stop the fight and were unable to separate them, they continued fighting for seven days and stopped by themselves; SPLA commander (Kolchere) told them just to continue fighting.” Besides, there has been inter-state cattle theft going on between the Unity State tribes and the neighboring citizens of other states. Inter-state issues regarding cattle theft are very sensitive and pose significant threat to tranquility across the inter-state borders. In an April 4, 2007 in a report by Sudan Radio Service, Panyijiar County Commissioner called upon the GOSS and the governor of Unity State to help solve interstate cattle wrestling cases either through courts or other means or else they would impact security and peace across the borders. According to the commissioner, “Unity state governor has to work hard on how to settle pending court cases across border. If these cases are settled, people will move freely across the border and cattle thieves will have no room to continue stealing and people will be very happy.”

Nonetheless, insecurity in Unity State comes from the governor himself. He does not tolerate anyone with an opinion other than his in the State. All commissioners he appointed are people who he believed must do his interest and not people’s interest. The governor last year removed the Leer and Panyijiar county commissioners who he dimmed were against his agendas and replaced them with people who have not done anything for the people in those counties but support s his corruption agendas. Since their removal from commissionership, the former commissioners have been subjected to unnecessary harassments. The governor has been giving orders to his new appointed commissioners to disallow the former commissioners from entering their birth counties. This is not fair and an insecurity in its totality. In the same token, governor Taban poses major insecurity to the intellectuals that he claims he protects. For instance, he was responsible for harassment of John Kuol Riek, a state intellectual from the United States who went to Bentiu to visit in 2005. Most intellectuals are not protected under his administration and don’t get any better treatment unless they succumb to his agenda of corruption and censorship. Another insecurity the governor poses is to the Parliamentarians who are not impressed with his work and whom he thinks wants to take his place. This is the reason why he has been pursuing Benjamin Majak Dau the Unity State head of parliamentarians in the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) and who he wrongly claimed was convicted to death penalty by Bol Madut, the governor of Warrap State. Therefore, insecurity in Unity State does not only arise from the intolerance amongst the state tribes and actors but also from the governor and his office. Insecurity is still a major problem in Unity State and needs attention of the GOSS.

Dear Mr. President,

The governor also claimed success in the area of development in the Unity State. Frankly speaking, we are convinced that the governor did not tell the whole story about what development the state has achieved in his administrative tenure as a governor in the last three years. The interview with the Citizen revealed that the governor has no significant evidence and factual information about his achievements in the area of development. In the interview, the governor bragged about his personal assets such as having the first laptop computer and generator as though the state citizens possess such assets in Unity State currently. In Unity State there are no public computers and generators that the state government offered. If there are any, they are privately owned computers by individuals, merchants and NGOs. Hence, no significant achievement he should even talk about in the areas of computers and generators. The governor also claimed achievement in the road pavement. In the interview he said, “we built new roads in the areas northwest of the state, and south of the state, which linked Warrap and Lakes to Unity.” in fact the roads that connect Unity to Warrap and Lakes States are not functional. For instance, the road that connects Lakes to the Unity State from the south is seasonal and functions only for couple months in the dry season before the rainy seasons once again makes it inaccessible. It is the one that connects Rumbek North County in Lakes State to Panyijiar County in Unity State. That road is not good for anything. In fact Panyijiar county citizens of Unity State still alleges that they are land locked and governor is responsible for such an isolation.. Therefore, nothing notable has been accomplished by the governor in this area than he actually claims. This leaves the governor with no achievements or successes in the area of education, health, clean water, agriculture, commerce, environment and social-welfare. For these reasons, we the people of Unity State undersigned below would like the GOSS to act to hold the governor and his partners in crimes accountable for lack of achievements in all the above areas of development.

Furthermore, on his interview with the “Citizen” the governor maintained he united the people of Unity State. This is not true. People of Unity State have been united for so long. Disunity in that state came about as a result of civil wars just like most parts of Southern Sudan. The Dinka communities and the Nuer communities were good neighbors in the past and continue to be good citizens of Unity State even today. Therefore, the inter-tribal harmony between the two communities of Unity State is not due to governor’s efforts and magical administrative skills but a long held respect for each other. Of course if there are any few cases of disunity, they resulted from the “divide and conquer” policies of the governor himself. For example, governor’s policy of recruiting loyalist in the Unity State communities against those that have voices of disagreement with him and his style of governance. Thus, our people are united from their hearts but not via extraordinary powers and wonderful achievements of Governor Taban.

Consequently, we contend that the governor has failed the people of Unity State, GOSS and indeed the whole of Southern Sudan. He could not give factual and comprehensive report on his successes and hence his whole three years in office had little to do with people’s service delivery and more to do with his personal gains.

The State of Affairs in Unity State

Dear Mr. President,

Corruption is rampant in Unity State. As you may well know, Unity State is one of those states in Southern Sudan where citizens would have been better off three years after the signing of the CPA. Unity State sits in the oil reserves territory and was allocated 2% of oil revenues in oil sharing clauses of the CPA. In addition, it receives a share in the Southern Sudan’s 50% share of national resources just like other nine states of Southern Sudan are. These amounts if put together and used carefully with accountability would build schools, buy books and pencils for school children in the state, give diarrhea patients oral salt solution across counties, afford some milk for orphaned and breast-feeding children, buy spades for sorghum farmers in some corners of the state, buy fishing nets for farm-less fishermen a cross communities, give small amounts of loans to small business owners in the whole state and finally, would afford balls and instruments for youth recreations from north to south of Unity State.

Unfortunately, children still go to school under trees, patients still die of diarrhea, farmers continue to use wooden made axes for ploughing, fishermen maintain their spears to fish, small businessmen continues to live on selling salt bundled in small paper bags on open air markets and many youths continues to have no volleyballs, footballs, guitars or locally made musical instruments to explore their talents. The funds have been misused and have not been allocated to suit the needs of the citizens of Unity State. The resources have been used in unnecessary ways such as paying unwanted number of advisors, accommodating government ministers who are paid by the GOSS and alleviating financial shortages of the governor’s aids.

Dear Mr. President, in May 1983 or even before that, you and your colleagues decided that, successive Northern regimes had for decades subjected your people to overwhelming injustices, ranging from economics, political, social and environmental shares. For these reasons, you decided that you would have to fight for the rights of your people and yes you did. All of us know the price Southern Sudanese paid in that struggle in terms of human lives, assets and properties. Dear Mr. President you and the people of Southern Sudan fought tooth and nail to deliver the CPA. This is the greatest achievement of our time and in our history as a people. If within this greatest achievement there are people and groups that are working to subject others to the same injustices which caused us to rebel against the Northern regimes almost 25 years, we should make such people make up for their behaviors. We believe no one should be denied what they deserve and our knowledge tells us that you share the same feeling with us. We know this through your anti-corruption campaigns and through your unselfish stance against all forces of corruption and marginalization.

This kind of leadership is not what you want Mr. President, and it is not the kind anyone dreams of in Southern Sudan leave alone Unity State.

Dear Mr. President,

The most precious gift of peace Southern Sudanese ever gotten is the CPA and the GOSS. Our history as a people supports this, you know and we know it. Unity State under Governor Taban Deng Gai has not done much to make the citizens of Unity State realize their long lost dreams under the CPA and the presence of GOSS. Sadly, the CPA, Interim National Constitution, Southern Sudan Interim Constitution and the Unity State constitution are myths to the citizens of Unity State. They only know their names but ignorant about their contents because the Unity State under governor Taban has not done what it should have done to make these important documents understood by the citizens of Unity State. We are afraid, census, interim elections and the 2011 referendum will be a success in Unity State under the current State Governor. Moreover, the Southern Sudan Constitution gives states the rights to set up county councils and appropriate ways of governing the local societies. Unity State government has not so far done that. Counties are governed by county commissioners, who are also the judges and the constituency representatives. As a result people are not represented, wrong doings are not prosecuted, and leaders are not held accountable in almost all parts of Unity State. Unfortunately, the CPA’s goal of devolution of powers has failed in Unity State. In such a manner, Unity State citizens do not differentiate between peace and war times when it comes to access to resources and the chain of operation in the state.

Dear Mr. President,

It won’t be fair for us to speak of the state of affairs in Unity State without mentioning the role of the Parliamentarians of Unity State in SSLA and in Bentiu. Like it has become known that a good government is the, “government of the people, by the people and for the people,” we are deeply concerned with widening gap between the Parliamentarians and their constituents in Unity State. They are the people’s representatives and need to be in touch with the people they represent. The Members of Parliament (MPs) have assumed back sits in Juba and Bentiu and takes a year or more to appear or to be heard by their constituents. Issues such as corruption, lack of development, insecurity and lack of service delivery as the MPS alleged in their case against the governor, happens because the MPs chose to be idle and not work with their constituencies. The MPS of Unity State in the SSLA do not have offices in Bentiu and their respective counties. Unity State Assembly members although closer to the people, follow on the footsteps of SSLA MPs and therefore, have no offices in their counties and Payams either. Who are they representing in Juba and Bentiu and how are they dealing with issues that concern their constituents without a clear linkage with them? The GOSS need to ask of the MPs their commitment to the people they represent through actions not lip service and through working together not isolation. No dividends of peace will be realized without MPs involvement with the civil society.

Dear Mr. President,

Every government has its level of work load, what government is awarding contracts and monitoring the activities of Oil Companies in Unity State? Companies both indigenous and foreign have been operating with higher intensity in Unity State since the signing of the CPA. The contracts they operate on are not well defined, their terms are yet blurry, and their consciousness about the effects of their activities to our people is not known. Currently, it is not yet understood as to whose responsibility the oil companies are operating in Unity State. Who is to hold them accountable if the failed to observe good and transparent operation procedures? Who is to hold them accountable when they deposit toxic waste in the waters of swamps, lakes and rivers in the state? These are questions that we are asking you and the GOSS to address. We would like our people to benefit from the oil companies operating in Unity State in various ways but we would also like the companies to be accountable to County, Unity State or Southern Sudan governments in some ways. In so far, this is not clear because some of the companies are operating on the pre-CPA contracts. Most importantly, we would like our people, livestock and environment to be safe. We recommend that the companies are looked at carefully, their contracts be reviewed by the GOSS and the concerned governments and that they bear the burden of any wrong doing that may result from their operations.

For these reasons, “we” the undersigned citizens of Unity State are humbly asking you and the GOSS to intervene and act to alleviate the Unity State citizens from their current state of affairs.

Our Recommendations

Dear Mr. President,

Like it is said, “with greater power comes greater responsibility,” “ we” the undersigned citizens of Unity State and of Southern Sudan believe that you have the power and responsibility to make a difference in the lives of the citizens of Unity State. We believe you have the power and responsibility to see all your citizens benefit equally or have equal opportunities under your reign in office as the President of the GOSS. For these reasons we are asking you to consider our talking points and advise that you act on the following recommendations on behalf of the Unity State citizens.

Dear Mr. President,

We urge you and the GOSS to step up pressure on all the Honorable MPs and Ministers to have clear channels of operation with their constituencies.
GOSS must review contracts of oil companies, their safety operation procedures and the benefits they bring to our communities.
You must exercise your power on the Unity State governor and his operatives to put in place county governments, especially the county councils and local courts, in Unity State.
Exert pressure on the Unity State government, County Commissioners and Civil society in order to train people who can disseminate to the ordinary citizens the word about the CPA, Sudan National Interim Constitution, Southern Sudan Interim Constitution and the Unity State Constitution.

The GOSS must carry out thorough investigations on the use of Unity State resources by Governor Taban Deng Gai’s administration and let the “zero tolerance on corruption” stand.
Bring to justice all the agents of corruption in Unity State and their affiliates and let the law follow its course.
We urge you to take seriously the recommendations and appeals of the Unity State MPs who pressed for governor Taban’s removal from the Unity State’s governorship.

Finally, “we the people” undersigned below respects and have high regards for Governor Taban Deng Gai’s sacrifices during the struggle, “we” don’t question his patriotism and his future endeavors as a leader in Southern Sudan. However, based on his post CPA years of leadership as a governor of Unity State, we have come to this conclusion: That his leadership has been a failure and has given “your car without a reverse gear,” a reverse gear in that state. For this reason and all the other reasons we highlighted in this letter, we recommend that you replace Brig. Gen. Governor Taban Deng Gai with someone else who is a native of Unity State regardless of what tribe he/she comes from, so long as he/she meets your appointment criteria and has the potential to realize the dreams of the citizens of Unity State. We believe Governor Taban can do better in other posts that are not “development oriented.”
Conclusion

Dear Mr. President,

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the United States of America’s late civil rights activist once said, “Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political, or economic changes. In this sense power is not only desirable but necessary in order to implement the demands of love and justice.” “ we the people” who petitioned below believe in your power and ability to make things happen in a way that is desirable to meet the demands of your people in Unity State by taking to account their needs, requests and recommendations and this petition is not an exception.

Thank you!

Sincerely your citizens,

Names of the petitioners

Machien Justin Luoi (USA)
Mathew Juan Riek (USA)
Kong Daniel Dual (USA)
Lago Gatjal Riaka (USA)
Mark Riek Giel (USA)
Chuker Nger Machar (USA)
Puot Kuol Luak (USA)
Bidhal A. Gatwich (USA)
John Kier Ruac (USA)
Gat-kier M. Tholpi (USA)
Gabriel W. Joak (SUDAN)
Agustino D. Giel (USA)
Santino KutPul Dau (USA)
Simon Nyok (Canada)

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