Dinka Elders call for homegrown dialogue within SPLM leadership
April 29, 2017 (JUBA) – The Jieng (Dinka) Council of elders, a body of self-appointed intellectuals who are seen as an informal advisory group to President Salva Kiir, has called for a homegrown dialogue within the leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), saying external initiatives have failed to address the root causes of the conflict in the country.
A prominent member of the group, Aldo Ajou Deng Akuei, argued in a widely circulated opinion article, that a viable option for addressing the crisis the country was grappling to address, was lack of political will from among the leadership of the governing party to sit together and hold frank and honest dialogue to thrust out grievances in an open and threat free forum.
“The only option available to us is to make our own peace among ourselves. The precedence set by Dr John Garang de Mabior could guide us to peaceful resolution of this foolhardy conflict”, said Akuei
He cited previous initiatives taken by late John Garang de Mabior, the founding leader of the SPLM, who after a disagreement in 1983 at the inception of the movement with some leaders in Anyanya two, managed to reconcile the SPLM with Anyanya two in 1987 and unified the forces.
“Dr John, alone, without mediators, brought Drs Riek and Lam Akol back to the SPLM and reinstated them back to the top leadership in 2002. When Dr John and General Salva administratively disagreed in 2004, the whole SPLM/SPLA leaders brought them to Rumbek and were happily reconciled. That saved the Movement, the people South Sudan and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, CPA, which gave us our freedom and independence. We can do the same,” wrote Akuei.
The official suggested that president Salva Kiir should the same way late John Garang managed to reconcile and brought back all factions and leaders with whom he did not share the same views.
“Similarly, we can bring General Salva Kiir Mayardit, General Wani Igga, General Daniel Awet Akot, General Kuol Manyang, General (Molana) Nhial Deng Nhial and their supporters in the Mother SPLM and on the other side, invite Dr Riek Machar Teny, Taban Deng Gai. Pagan Amuom, Deng Alor, Mama Rebecca Nyandeng and their SPLM IO and SPLM FDs”, he added in an article released on April 28, 2017.
He continued: “Like Dr John, you ought to reconcile these groups and, I am sure, the war shall be over. This war, by its present form, is political, not tribal by any standards”.
He denied his group played any role in fermenting the conflict, saying claims associating his group to the conflict were an attempt to find an escape goat from the reality of the root causes of the conflict.
“The nonsense and empty noise against the Jieng Council of Elders is only a lesson learned from the Cold War (1917-1989) disinformation syndrome and, maybe, only maybe, those scholars who might have read the book: “The Animal Farm” by George Orwel 1984, could be aware of the vicious-fictitious stories of the twentieth century”, he wrote.
(ST)