Nuer community in US threatens to file criminal case against president Kiir
April 13, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan’s Nuer community in the United States has threatened to file a criminal case in the International Criminal Court (ICC) against president Salva Kiir for the “targeted massacre” of members of their ethnic community, which occurred in the capital, Juba, from 15 December 2013.
They also said the aggrieved community will never recognise the South Sudanese leader as their president and called on him to step down.
This came in a conference organised by the Nuer Community Development Service (NCDS) on 28 March in the US’ state of Iowa. The conference reviewed the current situation in the country and recommend for further action. Over 5,000 delegates from various states deliberated and passed the resolutions to this effect.
The organisation said it will work with their lobbyists in the US to file the lawsuit against the president and his officials that took part in the massacre.
“NCDS together with the lobby groups must file lawsuit against president Salva Kiir Mayardit with his cohorts so that they are tried by the ICC in the Hague,” partly reads the resolution.
The community accused president Kiir of “supervising” the massacre of over 20,000 unarmed Nuer civilians by his presidential guards and ethnic Dinka militia groups which his office trained, fed and armed months leading to the December massacre in the capital.
They referred to the presidential guards known as the Tiger division, named after the Tiger battalion which president Kiir used to command during the previous 21 years of war with Khartoum.
The resolutions, signed by the president of the Nuer community in the US, Nyanguok Gatlou Riek, also called on the AU to make public the report on crimes committed during the war.
They also expressed appreciation to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for saving hundreds of thousands of lives by providing them with sanctuary in the capital and in other states.
The resolutions equally thanked local and international relief agencies that have been providing basic necessities to the displaced people throughout the country.
The community urged its members to cooperate and collaborate with members and organisations from other ethnic groups in the country and in the diaspora and called on them to work with opposition groups against president Kiir’s government.
“Nuer must cooperate and join hands with all South Sudanese people who are fighting the regime in Juba to remove incumbent South Sudan’s president,” it says.
There are over 100,000 members of the Nuer community living in the United States as their second home.
(ST)