THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT (NDM)
9th July, 2017
Statement
The 6th Anniversary of Independence
On the 9th July 2011, precisely six years ago the world witnessed the birth of the Republic of South Sudan and welcomed it with tremendous Jubilations amid enormous hopes and expectations by its patriotic citizens, and friends worldwide. The realization of the independence through peaceful conduct of referendum was a collective harvest and efforts made by its people. It demonstrated that with unity of purpose this great nation can conquer mountains of adversities with feverish determination and zeal.
The independence represented a golden opportunity for the people of South Sudan to co- exist peacefully, and to determine their political, social and economic destiny in a stable federal democratic state. It was regarded as the final logical conclusion to one of the longest wars of independence in the African continent. A permanent divorce from the turbulent past that was characterized by violence; gross human rights violations; corruption, impunity and dictatorship. However, as the nation marks the 6th Anniversary of its independence, a destructive civil war is raging; the economy in ruins, social fabric destroyed, and the country is on the verge of disintegration with no glimpse of hope on the horizon. The Ethno-centric and Kelptocratic regime of Kiir and the ruling SPLM party with its varying acronyms are responsible for the economic, social and political ills confronting South Sudan which resulted from bad-governance, mismanagement of resources and epidemic corruption. Today rather than celebrating the Independence Day with great festivity and euphoria that it deserves, the people’s conscious and moral righteousness couldn’t entertain such thoughts while knowing that across the country, on the hills, mountains, rivers an forest many of our people are starving and dying in millions and are seeking refuge inside the United Nations protection of Civilians sites (POCs) or in the neighboring countries.
President Kiir and its SPLM political and military elites failed to provide leadership and to establish democratic governance that is a prerequisite for the construction of a viable democratically stable and prosperous nascent state. Bad, inept and uncharismatic leadership in the country coupled with internal contradictions within the SPLM led to unnecessary political bickering plunging the country into violence and catastrophic civil war since 2013.
The signing of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCISS) in August 2015 represented a rare opportunity to salvage the country from the eventual collapse and provided hope and optimism to the civil population for durable peace and building of a prosperous economy which was destroyed by the civil war. Unfortunately, President Kiir was never interested in implementing the August signed Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS). He immediately embarked on a scheme to derail and frustrate the implementation of the Agreement by issuing decrees that were in contravention of the letter and spirit of the ARCISS, culminating in a military confrontation with his main partner to the August Agreement resulting in the collapse and the clinical death of the Peace Agreement. Since then the war has spread all over the country; a natural reaction to the tyrannical and dictatorial regime of Kiir and his Jieng Council of Elders.
The humanitarian situation in South Sudan is dire aggravated by the fact that the government is using food as a weapon and wide spread famine is looming across the county.. Economy is on the verge of collapse as the inflation in South Sudan has reached 900% rendering the currency worthless. Furthermore, the civil servants and soldiers are going without salaries for months, our diplomats are barely surviving and many embassies are facing imminent closure due to lack of rent payments. The state of affairs in the country is deeply troubling in light of soaring cost of living, steady decline in the education and health sector, a staggering number of unemployed youth, rise in crime and violence in Juba and all over the country. While the few corrupt tribal elites continue getting richer at the expense of the destitute majority population, and spending monies on purchasing weapons, women, orphans and the elderly are without food, medicine and shelter. South Sudan now ranks the first in the Fragile State index. The ruling minority clique in Juba and their shady business associates have built a strong kleptocratic system through which money is embezzled, laundered and siphoned out of the country into foreign bank accounts.
The National Democratic Movement (NDM) would like to make it crystal clear that the myriads of challenges confronting our country, South Sudan can’t be resolved through military victories as the dictatorial government in Juba assumes, but rather through a people-centred negotiated peace agreement. Any envisaged peace talks must be inclusive in its nature and scope with wider participation of all stakeholders and address the root causes of the conflict. Presently the August Agreement of the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan has totally collapsed and hence the need for a new political process to stop the unnecessary bleeding, forced displacement, hunger and gross human rights violations becomes exceedingly urgent. Your movement will strive and hand in hand with other like- minded opposition groups to restore the dignity and pride of our country by utilizing all the necessary revolutionary tools at its disposal. On this auspicious occasion, we wish our people well hoping that next year will find our country enjoying genuine peace and stability.
Long live the struggle of our people
Long live South Sudan A luta continua
Amb. Emmanuel Aban For/ the Spokesman
The National Democratic Movement (NDM) Email: ojwokj@hotmail.com
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