S. Sudan gov’t did not kill the Nuer in December, 2013
By Gordon Buay
January 6, 2014 – I want to dispute the propaganda of the rebels in North America who are telling lies about the Nuer who died in Juba on December, 15, 16, 17 and 18.
There are two groups of Nuer who died in December, 2013. The first group is composed of those who participated in the fight of Riek Machar to topple a democratically elected President. The second group is composed of civilians who were killed by looters and criminals.
The Nuer who died as part of the group that wanted to topple the government should not be mourned because they died in the fighting. Anybody killed in the process of attempting to topple a democratically elected President deserved to die. This does not need any debate.
The Nuer civilians killed by looters and criminals in Juba are the people whose deaths are being investigated by the Government of South Sudan along with the civilians killed by the White Army and other criminals allied to the rebels.
President Kiir did not order any soldier to kill civilians in December, 2013. The allegations brought against the leadership of the Government of South Sudan are based on lies and concoctions from anti-peace elements.
It should be recalled that the bodyguards of President Kiir saved 230 Nuer on December, 16, 17 and 18 from criminals and looters in 2013. The leader of Presidential Guards, Brig. Gen. Akok Noon Akok, saved more than 200 Nuer during the crisis. It was President Kiir who ordered his bodyguards to rescue any Nuer in danger during the crisis. Any accusation against President Kiir is a baloney.
The SPLA court-martialed ten soldiers on December, 15, 2014 for targeting civilians in December, 2013. The Government of South Sudan is looking for evidence to bring more looters and criminals to justice.
I call upon Riek Machar to prosecute those who killed Dinka civilians in Bor, Akobo, Bentiu, Malakal and Baliet like what the SPLA army did in December, 2014. Riek Machar should bring the Nuer criminals who committed crimes in those cities to justice as soon as possible.
TWO THINGS MUST BE MADE CLEAR TO NUER IN THE DIASPORA
There must be a clear distinction between Nuer who support Riek Machar’s terrorism in the name of avenging their loved ones who died in 2013, and the Nuer seeking justice without supporting terrorism.
The Nuer who support terrorism as a means to revenge are criminals not only in South Sudan but also internationally. President Barack Obama, in January, 2013, rejected any attempt to topple a democratically elected President of South Sudan.
For the Nuer who are seeking justice without supporting rebellion, we have an answer for you. The Government of President Kiir is pursuing two mechanisms of bringing justice.
First, we have domestic courts to bring to justice SPLA soldiers who targeted the Nuer in 2013 either because of looting or criminal acts. On December, 15, 2014, the SPLA Army’s justice system court-martialed ten soldiers to death and life imprisonment.
Second, the Government of South Sudan invited AU Investigation Panel headed by former Nigerian President to investigate all killings in South Sudan. That AU investigation is still ongoing.
The Government of South Sudan is the only Government in Africa which allowed AU external body to investigate crimes committed in its territory. The reason we did that is to show to the world and Africa that we have nothing to hide, that is, we are being transparent.
The Nuer who are supporting Riek Machar’s terrorism, in the name of avenging their loved ones, are criminals like the rebels fighting the democratically elected government. The only thing we can do, as a government, is to defend the civilians and their properties from terrorists who are supporting rebellion.
The author is Ambassador at the South Sudanese ministry of foreign affairs and regional cooperation.