Chollo community says SPLM-IO’s MPs nomination unfair
January 15, 2016 (JUBA) -The Council of Chollo Community in South Sudan’s oil rich Upper Nile state said they are not satisfied with nomination of their representatives to the national parliament by the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO).
In a peace accord that was signed in August between warring parties in the country under the mediation of the East African regional bloc, IGAD, SPLM-IO would nominate to national parliament 50 additional members in addition to reinstating to parliament its officials who were former members in the national parliament before the war broke out on 15 December 2015.
The opposition faction has also selected 10 ministerial portfolios in accordance with the power sharing provision. No officials have been named yet to fill the positions, but the Chollo [Shilluk] community seems to pre-empt the outcome too.
Samson Oyai Awin, who is a Chollo community leader in Khartoum has told Sudan Tribune that his community was not represented well in a list of SPLM-IO which is submitted to the national parliament.
He said his community was not happy, referring to SPLM-IO decision as unfair power distribution.
“We the Chollo Council are raising the concern on this unfair representation. Therefore, we urge you to review and reconsider this unfair disproportional representation of Chollo in these two national institutions [parliament and council of ministers],” Awin told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.
Awin said members of Shilluk community attended Pagak conference last month and had admitted they were promised by SPLM-IO chairman for fair representation in different positions.
On the fate of states, he said the Chollo members that include powerful King, His majesty Reth Kongo of Chollo Kingdom, have called on President Salva Kiir to revoke his presidential order which has taken large portion of land that belonged to Shilluk tribe and annexed it to the Dinka of Apadang.
“In fact we the Chollo community has already rejected and condemned that Order because it has taken the land of other tribes or communities and annexed them to the Dinka community, particularly, the land of Chollo community along Sobat and the White Nile Rivers on the eastern bank in Upper Nile State,” he said.
The Chollo Council says they will cooperate with whoever will work to reverse the “unjust Kiir’s order”, adding the decision was motivated by tribal interest.
The members of Chollo community Council has also urged the SPLM-IO to investigate about whereabouts of their daughters who have disappeared in 2013 allegedly to have been taken to Nuer land.
It was not clear under what circumstances their daughters were taken, whether through mutual relationship or abduction, and from which locations.
(ST)