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 RALLY FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY (SOUTH SUDAN)
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RALLY FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY (SOUTH SUDAN)
REF: RPD/PR-8/14
PRESS RELEASE
South Sudan remains in doldrums as the recalcitrant Juba Government defies the IGAD by refusing to implement the resolutions of the cessation of hostility agreement. Salva Kiir’s refusal to release the four political prisoners in Juba and the refusal by the Ugandan government to begin withdrawing its forces from South Sudan as stipulated in the agreement is a clear indication that the Juba government with its Ugandan ally, Museveni, are determined to continue to prosecute the war in South Sudan believing that military victory will come the way they determine it.
In the humble view of the Rally for Peace and Democracy (RPD), this adventure will not bring either victory to the governments in Juba and Kampala but instead it will continue to prolong and widen the killing and suffering of the innocent people of South Sudan. This is precisely why RPD would like to take this opportunity to condemn the behavior of the government in Juba that initiated the Juba massacre and later invited Ugandan armed forces to continue to persecute this war of attrition and ethnic cleansing.
RPD strongly believes that fighting will never bring peace in South Sudan unless the people of South Sudan take this opportunity of the IGAD mediated talks to peacefully chart a democratic future for South Sudan and create conducive atmosphere for reconciliation and forgiveness. The talks in Addis Ababa have created the best forum for the people of South Sudan to stand up and look back as to where they all have gone wrong and be able to boldly draw up a new future for the country where every citizen has a right to live, prosper, interact, speak freely and be able to participate in the democratic process of the country.
South Sudanese need peace and reconciliation now rather than tomorrow. RPD echoes the concerns by the friendly countries of United State of America, Norway and Ethiopia in demanding for urgent withdrawal of the Uganda forces from South Sudan. The continued presence of these forces have no basis in solving the South Sudan conflict but rather will work first to undermine the neutrality of IGAD as a mediator as well as creating fertile ground for other actors to engage in the conflict; thus regionalizing or internationalizing the conflict.
It is our strong belief and hope that these countries will continue to exert pressure on both Juba and Kampala to come to the realization that the war they are wedging is futile and is dividing the South Sudanese further and further. This is now time for finding solutions to frustrations, disillusionment and hopelessness that the government in Juba has created for the last eight and a half years. The issue in the country is not struggle for power but struggle to bring hope, unity, democracy and rule of law to this improvised country where #####ng tribalism, dictatorship, nepotism, disregard for rule of law and democratic institutions, corruption and lack of development had taken centre stage. It is now time for all stakeholders in South Sudan to sit together under the good auspices of IGAD to begin to reinvent this failed state.
Finally we applaud the IGAD for its persistent interest to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in South Sudan. We also commend those countries that are standing by the people of South Sudan so, that the peace talks in Addis Ababa can result in comprehensive peace agreement that will have tackled all the intra-South-South problems.
Signed:
The Interim Secretariat of the Rally for Peace and Democracy in South Sudan
January 28, 2014
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Deng
فيس بوك
تويتر
انستقرام
يوتيوب
بنتيريست