JMEC: It is up to the SPLM-IO to determine their own leader, not our business

JMEC Clarifies its position on SPLM-IO leadership debate

The battle over the SPLM-IO leadership

July 24, 2016 (SSB) — The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission clarified its stance on the SPLM/IO leadership debate today.

As previously stated, a change to the leadership depends on the Opposition itself and we are not here to speculate on such changes. We do not see any value in speculating when the people and friends of South Sudan are working hard to ensure a return to the implementation of the Peace Agreement.

SOUTH SUDAN: A COUNTRY BEING DESTROYED BY ITS LEADERS

By Kuol Mayiir and Andrew Gai, Victoria, Australia

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July 24, 2016 (SSB) — South Sudanese have suffered enough. The recent outbreak of gun violence between forces loyal to the President Salva Kiir and that of the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar in Juba on 8^th July 2016 adds to the numerous problems the young country is facing. Whatever the exact cause may be, this recent fighting exemplified that both sides are walking on eggshells with a high level of suspicion for each other.

The world’s youngest country has been squeezed and juggled to its core by problems created or allowed by its leaders who are clearly struggling to find the way forward to help stabilize the situation and focus on improving the lives of their impoverished people. The current unstoppable inflation is largely due to the inherent economic incompetence in the country’s financial system, and the consequences of ongoing internal conflicts which scared away potential investors. The metastasized insecurity across the country which prevents farmers from cultivating have led to the lack of vital food commodities in the country’s market.

The increasing interstate attacks on civilians and commercial vehicles, targeting people from particular tribal backgrounds, points to a deep-seated ethnic hatred which must be addressed by properly responding to the exact causes. The government had accused SPLM-IO in the past for supporting armed militias perpetuating such attacks as some militias pledged allegiance to SPLM-IO.

If South Sudan was for sale, Dr. John Garang would have sold it to the highest bidder

By David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan

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July 24, 2016 (SSB) —- I have been repeatedly mentioned it in most of my articles that south Sudanese have no problems although they used to killed themselves in big number. The real problems in south Sudan are politicians, and the outsiders. There is no problem in Juba if gangs of politicians keep quiet with range of their proposals outside South Sudan. Instead these politicians should seek leadership within or from their people, they seek leadership from the West, AU, IGAD, name them. Will they really success? I doubt.

Our political problems are mixed and fueled by outsiders because we have fresh resources that cause South Sudanese politicians promise outsiders minus us and they defend on foreign political influence and it is not a bad idea when these politicians try to proposed unwillfulness and unfavourable requests of foreign troops made by few disgruntles leaders of self, and selfish blind interest to hand over the affairs of young nation to UN, or Regional authorities regardless of all painful objectives engulf our lives through conflicts and miseries in the country by increasing what is existing to the top of what I call a vision of grabbing oil, and other resources in South Sudan, to create more conflicts so that South Sudanese will be busy killing themselves, and resources are looted behind unseen.

SPLM-IO: Taban Deng Ghai has declared a coup against Riek Machar

Civil society group calls on the government to release 30 political prisoners

Immediate Press Release

July 24, 2016 (SSB) — The International Youth for Africa (IYA) calls on Government of South Sudan to released thirty (30) men who have been detained by the National Security Service (NSS) Headquarters in Jebel [Juba] since September 2014, Mr. Loreom Joseph Longie passed away on 17 July 2016, due to bad conditions, access to family members, no food, water, no medication. Two other detainees Benjamin Taban and Joseph Ngec have been released. 30 other men remain arbitrarily still remained with National Security Service (NSS) in Juba, South Sudan.

The U.S-South Sudan’s Relations: Friendship or Patronage?

By Adut Naar, Melbourne, Australia

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Introduction

July 24, 2016 (SSB) — My name is Adut Naar. I am a statecraft geopolitical strategist, political scientist, diplomacy, international politics, and international trade and regional/international policy and international law practitioner. In the latter part of my profession, I specialize in the Soviet/ Russian, and the Chinese geopolitical strategies; Political Violence; Civil Radicalism, and the Decolonization Theory-more especially their 20th century relationships with the U.S. I have also written more especially on the “south-south” or the developing world relations with the U.S.; the third world sub-regions and Blaming the Victims.

Why am I Writing this? I am writing this because I am outraged by the U. S’s stance on the South Sudan’s domestic issues. My point is that both the U.S and the UN are participants in the conflict and should be expelled. But I start my discussion with the following question; that we, the South Sudanese people: Are we friends with the U.S. Or are we its Patroness?  I will also offer suggestions on the way forward.

PETER ADWOK NYABA: SOUTH SUDAN: THE STATE WE SPIRE TO

This is the preface to the second edition of “South Sudan: The State we aspire to” by Dr. Peter Adwok Nyaba, sent to us for publication by Keji-Keji Mayomism from Melbourne, Australia

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July 24, 2016 (SSB) — “It was on 8 August 2005. We were leaving the burial ground – now renamed Dr. John Garang Memorial Grounds – immediately after the burial of Dr Garang’s remains. A senior member of the SPLM Leadership Council (name withheld), in a very exhausted voice, said to me “Garang was a very lucky man.” I tried to extract the meaning of these words but the man could not reply. This left me bewildered.

“How can one be lucky in death?” I thought to myself. Perhaps what my colleague meant was that Garang had not lived to watch the edifice (SPLM/A) he constructed come tumbling down like a house of cards. The sudden and tragic death of Dr Garang disorganised and disoriented the SPLM leaders. The SPLM leadership started to show cracks in its ranks even as they were still making the funeral arrangements.

Dr Garang died before achieving complete reconciliation with Gen. Salva Kiir following the fallout that was the Yei crisis. The conference fudged the matter. The two leaders acted tactically, marking time until the disaster struck. The drivers of the Yei crisis remained active, and with the death of Dr Garang, they took centre stage of the SPLM and the government of Southern Sudan. The realignment of forces inside the SPLM triggered internal contradictions.