SPLM in Unity state calls on Kiir to reverse oil refinery relocation to Warap

To: H. E Salva Kiir Mayardiit

President of GoSS and First Vice president 0f the republic of Sudan & chairman of the SPLM/A

Cc.. H. E Dr. Riek Machar Teny

Vice President of GoSS and Vice chairman of the SPLM/A

Cc. H. E. John Luke Jock

GoSS Minister of energy and mining

Cc. H.E. Mrs. Angelina Teny

GoSS state Minister of energy and Mining

Cc. Hon.Majak Dau, Hon. Peter Maguel Thiep, Hon. George Kel Gatwech, Hon. John Sudan Gatduel, Hon. Muot Diw, Hon. Wuor Dador and Hon. Matthew Mathiang Deang

GoSS Parliamentarians to SSLA, Juba

Your Excellence:

Since the formation of semi- autonomous government of south Sudan, we the Unity state citizens have been subjected to perpetuate injustices under your leadership. One case in point was when your leadership forced us to accept incompatible governor under the false banner of maintaining SPLM interest and presents in Unity state. As if those men and women from the Unity state who putted their lives at risk during the war were not SPLM/A cadres, but fought and died in vain. This is so when Governor Brigadier Taban Deng Gai lost the SPLM chairmanship to the state to honorable Dr. Joseph Nguen Manytuel in a democratic process, we were told to shut up or go to hell, perhaps. Another injustice and slap on our face was October 02, 2009 incident, when the SPLA troops butchered innocence women and children. We, the Unity state citizens once more became disproportionate victims under your care in an incident orchestrated by Governor Taban and his accomplices.

While we were mourning this regrettable loss and heinous crime against innocence civilians Your Excellence, all we received in return is nothing but another hopeless injustice. The GoSS Minister of energy and mining Honorable Mr. Luke Jock announced an unfeasible oil refinery relocated to Akon, Warap state. This move is intended to rob the Unity state citizens of their dividend rights and therefore it is unacceptable under normal any circumstances..

We, the undersigned Unity state citizens call on you to reverse the oil refinery relocation to Warap state; because this policy is only known to Arabs in Khartoum. It was a single exploitative policy which prompted our people to take arms against successive regimes in Khartoum to oppose Jonglei Canal and oil refinery relocation to Port, Sudan. It is the same ill informed policy that led to the sacrificial death of our martyrs, including our charismatic leader Dr. John Garang de Mabior. Your Excellence, we, the Unity state citizens at home and aboard strongly rejects such a backtracking policy because the relocation of the oil refinery to Warap state is contrary to the SPLM founding principles.

And so, since the relocation announcement Your Excellence, we have been waiting to hear your honest reaction refuting the decision. But up to date, there is no official reaction from you Mr. President as we anticipated. By your continuing silence Your Excellence, we therefore considered that you are in agreement with this ill-spirited and nepotism based decision to relocate Unity State oil refinery to your own hometown. Of course, this decision is not only mean-spirited and unjust, but detrimental to the south Sudanese well-being. It also a shameless desertion from the SPLM founding principles for which we have fought for twenty two years.

Again, we, the Unity state citizens at home and in the Diaspora are calling for your immediate honest reaction to reverse this harmful decision. We believe this decision serve no one’s interest in south Sudan even the citizens of Warap state, but instead, a gross violation of your peoples’ rights invested in the SPLM’s doctrines. Your Excellence, this decision does not represent south Sudanese values and the interest of the marginalized people of Sudan. Alternatively, its serves only the interests of those who wanted to divide us. We hope this well calculated plot did not catch you unprepared. But even so, as it is hinted by your continuing silence, we would like to urge you that taking a right course of action is never too late. Your Excellence, it is never too late to restore your peoples’ trusts and hopes on your leadership by vetoing this conspiracy against your leadership.

Your Excellence, we would like to encourage you that your decision to veto oil refinery relocation to Akon, Warap state is just and can be justifiable. After the Minster of energy and mining Mr. John Luk tabled the relocation of the oil refinery to Akon, Warap state to the council of ministers, we the Unity state citizens have performed an intensive search for feasible evidences supporting the decision. Surprisingly, we failed to find a single convincing reason that support why the relocation is necessary. However, the only motive we uncovered was a plan to create dissatisfactions of the Unity state citizens toward your government by selfish interest group within the council of ministers’ circle.

In our investigations, we discovered the relocation of oil refinery to Akon, Warap state is not feasible and will have negative impacts for the following points:

1. Akon is close to the North-South Sudan border. So, if south Sudan seceded in the 2011 referendum as many predicted, the oil refinery will be vulnerable to border disputes or all-out war between North -South.

2. Akon has no port, and it is nowhere close to River Nile.

3. Constructing oil refinery in Akon, Warap state will be expensive by any estimate, it will cost south Sudanese billions of dollars for constructing pipelines from Unity state to Warap state. The project will cost south Sudan billions of dollars, enough money to build infrastructures, schools, and hospitals that are badly needed..

Your Excellence, we, the Unity state citizens considered the decision to relocate the oil refinery to Akon, Warap state as a shameless betrayal of our dignity and services to GoSS and the SPLM. We also considered as a hopeless attempt to create oppositions within the SPLM in order to hinder our progress in this defining moment. Furthermore, we are convinced that the decision to relocate the oil refinery to Akon, Warap state was an intended plot to weaken your leadership and then portrays it as tribalistic and corrupt despite the incredible achievements.

For the sake of peace and unity in south Sudan, we, the Unity citizens strongly urge you to override the decision to relocate oil refinery to Akon, Warap state in order to prevent imminent political unrest. We know, you are a leader of benevolent character but self interest group within the council of ministers and others selfish advisors whose intention is to pit your government against Unity state citizens with the hope to see our unity you built disintegrated orchestrated your continuing silence.

Therefore, we recommend your immediate positive reversal of the decision because without your genuine reaction Your Excellence, we afraid the following retributions may occur.

1. We, the Unity state citizens are worry that your continuing silences with regard to this un-pardon decision will yield serious consequential backfire to your government and the SPLM as well because the policy that the council of minister in Juba undertook is the same in nature with the marginalization policy employed by Khartoum since independence.

2. Without immediate genuine reaction, we are afraid that it will cause damages beyond repaired to the SPLM credibility in the upcoming election and South Sudan political dynasty.

3. With your continuing silence Your Excellence, we afraid majority of the Unity state citizens will be force to consider that the SPLM founding principles of equality and justice under your leadership have been reduce to nothing but to a propaganda perfecting nepotism.

4. We afraid to inform you that the decision undertaken by Mr. John Luk Jock and his backups will not be pardoned under normal score of simple manner by the Unity state citizens.

Your Excellence, we recommend quick reverse decision of the oil refinery to the Unity state where it belongs. We trust that you will act responsibly with urgency and due diligent. Without doing so Your Excellence, it will be an embarrassing political failure and a shameless betrayal of our martyrs to confirm that the SPLM is in fact backtracking from its founding principles of respect, equality, unity, justice and human rights for all, but instead, assumed a role of usurp dominion for the purpose of preferential treatments.

Should anyone wish to contact undersigned persons, please feel free to do so at the [email protected].

Sincerely,

Signed by:

1. Bol Riek Gatkuoth

2.. Chuker Nger Machar

3. Daniel Buom Met

4. Deng Liem

5. Dador Tuok Kur

6. Gatwang Buom Maguat

7. James Kai Yieh

8. James N. Nyol

9. Jiech Bol Machar

10. John Bol Badit

11. John Gany Wawu

12. Johnson Majak Deng

13. Kam Banang Gatluak

14. Keak Wan Majiek

15. Lam Yien Whan

16. Mabor Duongdit Kuol

17. Machar Badit Wictuor

18. Majang Betiem Khor

19. Martin Chan Tuel

20. Paul Riek Ruach

21. Peter Gatwech Ruach

22. Philip Kier Gatwech

23. Tekjiek Yap Tekjiek

24. William Dok Koang

25. William Tuel-guol Pay

26. Yiey Wan Teny

27. Yohanese Malual Jal