Gawaar Community in Uganda Denounces Claims of Advocacy For Sustainable Peace Among Its Citizens!

Members of Gawaar community in a meeting before the conflict in Juba, South Sudan(Photo: file)

July 19^th, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — The Gawaar-Nuer Community in Uganda held an emergency meeting at Makerere Institute of Professionals (MIPs) on 17^th July, 2015 and unanimously endorsed the suspension of the Community Chairman, Mr. Ter Manyang Gatwech. In addition, the community established a Domestic Tribunal Investigation Committee ( DTIC) to investigate Mr Ter Manyang, allegedly, for making a unilateral and misleading decisions on behave of Gawaar community in Uganda. The community believes that the chairman made a unilateral statement, which claimed that the Gawaar Community has called its citizen to promote peace rather than hatred against the outdated government in Juba.

In a public statement published on 12^th July, 2015, on Nyamilepedia and Sudan Tribune websites, Ter Manyang (chairperson) claimed to have conducted a meeting with Gawaar community at ‘’Duoth Guet’’ house with the present of Mr. Wuor Gatjang Puol, the Gawaar Community’s deputy Chairperson in Uganda. The statement explained that the community is rallying for a peace initiative among its citizens to seek internal peace and reconciliation.

As a consequence, the Gawaar Community, in an Emergency Meeting, established a five remembers committee headed by the Legal Affairs Secretary of the Gawaar community, James Tayien Koang, with other members namely: Jal Gatluak Toch, Both Gatdin Ngundeng, Jal Duop Yang and Lam Tut Deng Biech, to investigate and file a report within four weeks (a month) on the misconducts of Ter Manyang as a chairperson of the community.

According to Article 16 of the association, a suspension standing orders clause 14.2.1 and it reads: in matters of urgency the chairperson may accept a motion for suspension of any of the standing order (s) and clause 14.2.2 reads the movers of the motion shall clearly state the nature and urgency of the business, the order (s) affected; and the length of the time such suspension may all last. The time limit may be extended if the meeting so desires.

The community accused the Chairperson of abandoning the official dialogue sanctioned by SPLM/A – IO leadership with Juba regime under the auspices of IGAD – plus ongoing peace process in Addis Ababa – Ethiopia.

The statement alleged that the Chairperson of community made a unilateral statement which the community discarded as “dubious” conflict of interests that tarnishes the image of the entire Gawaar community in Uganda and puts its unity at risk.

The Gawaar community in Uganda condemns the misconducts of Ter Manyang, for lack of transparency and secrecy in dealing with the community matters on his own will and deliberately isolated, ignored and eventually undermined the rights and functions of the Gawaar community’s executive to pass any official statement intended to represent it.

The chairman (Ter Manyang) is charged for using “seditious, derogatory, divisive languages and defamatory” statement on behalf of his fellow Deputy Chairperson of the community.

The statement proposed that the report and recommendations by independent investigation committee be tabled in the next Gawaar community’s general assembly meeting to be chaired by Acting Chairperson, Mr. Wuor Gatjang Puol, after finding out charges from Domestic Tribunal Investigation Committee (DTIC).

They also resolved to halt with immediate effect any engagement with Ter Manyang Gatwech as a “chairperson” until investigations are carried out.

The deputy chairperson and other members of the community clarified many implications as followed:

I, Wuor Gatjang Puol, deputy chairperson of Gawaar community, and currently the Acting chairperson dismisses the statement, which says the Nuers (wew) supporting Kiir were bad. I condemn this statement in the stronger term possible as meaningless, unfounded and baseless as per resolution made by Gawaar community emergency meeting on 17^th July, 2015.

Mr. Chairperson (Ter Manyang) solely wrote the article on behalf of Gawaar Community for his own benefits. On behalf of Gawaar Community and my own behalf as current acting chairperson, I apologized on social media that, I, Wuor Gatjang, was not aware of the statement released by Mr. Ter Manyang.

Finally, I promise that, I will never betray Gawaar community both at home and in Diasporas as large. In my conclusion therefore, I would like to assure you that Gawaar Community in Uganda are still rallying behind our visionary, reformist and democrat, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, the Chairman and Commander –In- Chief of SPLM/SPLA- IO, who championed Self-determination and rallies to champion the Federal Democratic Republic of South Sudan.
I was astonished when I was condemned by many people, who then told me to check the link on Sudan Tribune. After I got access to Sudantribune and read the post, I immediately printed it and arranged the meeting that was held by the Gawaar Community in Uganda yesterday. It is in this meeting that I was endorsed as the acting chairperson for a period of a month (four weeks) as Mr. Chairperson will undergo investigation.
James Tayien Koang who is Gawaar Community’s secretary for Legal Affairs condemns, dismisses and blames the chairman of Gawaar community in Uganda, Mr. Ter Manyang, for submitting the community to Salva Kiir’s government in the name of unsustainable peace.

Stephen Wat Bipal, the Gawaar Community‘s elder, said that we the Gawaar people have been historical since during the late Hon. Both Diu era, of which he stated the independence of Southern Sudan’s future and self determination, which we are not enjoying today.

We cannot and will not back the massacres of the innocents Nuer civilians, which started in Juba in 2013 and continues to date. I assure the South Sudanese, and in particular Nuer community worldwide, not to support any single step taken by Juba regime. I dismissed this propaganda as baseless and incorrect manner to initiate peace with some elements in Juba.

We, as Gawaar Community in Uganda should not initiate peace apart from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia peace accord brokered by IGAD and we also welcomed the IGAD – plus as the only mean to bring peace to the youngest nation. This war, we don’t see it as simple one because Juba government will not respect and value the lives of innocents civilians.

Submitted by Jal Duop ( jalduop7@gmail.com) and Ter Manyang(termanyang24@gmail.com)