Uniting The Diaspora For Peace In South Sudan: Building Trust And Doing Good

BY MARGARET AKULIA,

CANADA,

August 2, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — “It was like war with the South Sudan Embassy in Washington, D.C.” Agnes Nyoka Peter offered after a passionate presentation she made to a room full of people attending a conference organized by Global Partnership for Peace in South Sudan (GaPPSS). The conference took place at the Courtyard Marriott, Boston Logan Airport Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, USA from Friday, July 31, 2015 to Sunday, August 2, 2015. Attendees included government representatives, groups opposed to the current government of South Sudan, civil society, church groups, women, youth, international friends of South Sudan and the South Sudan Diaspora which thrives in countries around the world and must now intensify its efforts to Save South Sudan from collapsing. The Diaspora is well placed to prevent South Sudan’s already wretched state from disintegrating into a lawlessness that has never been witnessed in the world before. That is why it must now take its rightful place at the helm.

Well Done, I enthused as Ms. Nyoka Peter shared her experience presenting at the Global Partnership for Peace in South Sudan (GaPPSS) conference in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She spoke about some of the things dividing South Sudanese in the country and in the Diaspora by extension and examples of strategies for unity and building trust in order to reboot the country’s abhorrent state. Ms. Nyoka Peter is not new to controversy because she was one of a few resolute female Members of Parliament in the South Sudan government who refused to be a mere “Rubber Stamp” for a lawless government before fleeing the country for her life!

Hon. Agnes Nyoka’s hilarious point of clarification

https://soundcloud.com/newsudanvision-com/hon-agnes-nyokas-hilarious

Ms. Nyoka Peter has now crossed the floor to REMNASA (Revolutionary Movement for National Salvation) and joins the rest of the Diaspora in intensifying its efforts to wrest South Sudan from a lawless cartel. Some members of this cartel were former colleagues and they were furious with Ms. Nyoka Peter’s audacity to offer REMNASA as the only solution for the South Sudan anarchy at the Global Partnership for Peace in South Sudan (GaPPSS) conference in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

The ultimate objective of Ms. Nyoka Peter’s presentation at the conference in Boston was doing good, in alignment with the theme of the conference “Uniting the Diaspora for Peace in South Sudan: Building Trust and Doing Good”. However, her former colleagues in government took issue with what she had to say for the same reasons South Sudan is on the verge of total collapse. Hence her statement “It was like war with the South Sudan Embassy in Washington, D.C.” Ms. Nyoka Peter illustrated the concept of doing good by highlighting some themes and examples from the REMNASA Manifesto because they speak to the theme of the conference.

Launching the people’s front to oppose the genocidal SPLM cum SPLA oligopoly in South Sudan!

http://www.southsudannation.com/?s=launching+the+people%27s+

South Sudan is the only country on earth where a so-called national army has waged a full scale war on its citizens especially children, youth women, the elderly and unarmed civilians and yet a self-serving Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Eastern Africa continues in its determination to hand over the country to the same lawless army. If the declarations and actions of General Malong the highest military officer in the country are to be taken as a premonition for more horrid things to come, the world must stop its apathetic attitude towards IGAD’s narcissistic “incompetence” by instituting the actual solution for South Sudan which is collective and inclusive dialogue.

“..this so called IGAD peace proposal is useless, We can’t accept it even if US forces us to do so” a furious Paul Malong is reported to have uttered as he prepared to emulate terror groups like Al-Qaida, the Taliban, Isil, Boko Haram and Alshabab.

It is difficult to resist saying “We told you so” to a global community that just stood there and did nothing as a lawless South Sudan government slaughtered its own citizens and a so-called African solution for African problems attitude was permitted to muddle a straightforward peace process. Even though the solution for South Sudan was right there, power wielders continued to walk on egg shells. Surmising the apathy to have resulted from a “you are damned if you do and you are damned if you don’t” predicament the quandary is about to take a turn for the worst nonetheless. It must be arrested if this global generation does not want to go down in history as the generation that aided and abetted the most horrific form of genocide and lawlessness in the world.

Gen. Malong orders food deliveries blocked

https://radiotamazuj.org/en/article/gen-malong-orders-food-deliveries-blocked

WE ARE READY TO FOLLOW AL-QAEDA’S FOOTSTEPS IF US TRY TO IMPOSE PEACE: SOUTH SUDAN ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF

http://www.nyamile.com/2015/07/31/we-are-ready-to-follow-alqaedas-footsteps-if-us-try-to-impose-peace-south-sudan-army-chief-of-staff/

AGNES NYOKA’S SPEAKING NOTES

INTRODUCTION

• I am presenting as a concerned member of the South Sudan Diaspora.
• I will also be speaking to the theme of the conference “UNITING THE DIASPORA, BUILDING TRUST AND DOING GOOD” from the perspective of a former member of the South Sudan Politico-Bureau and a member of a newly formed group named REMNASA which stands for Revolutionary Movement for National Salvation.

I will begin by highlighting some of the things that are dividing South Sudanese in the country and in the Diaspora by extension and then move onto examples of strategies for uniting the South Sudan Diaspora and building trust. The ultimate objective is doing good which I will illustrate by highlighting some themes and examples from the REMNASA Manifesto because they speak to the theme of the conference.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT IS DIVIDING SOUTH SUDANESE IN THE COUNTRY AND IN THE DIASPORA BY EXTENSION

There are many things that are dividing South Sudanese in the country and in the Diaspora but these are some of the main ones. Many of them overlap:

• Tribalism is a big problem in South Sudan and in the Diaspora by extension. Individuals and groups pay more allegiance to their tribe than to the nation of South Sudan. In other words when they have to make a choice between the welfare of their tribe and that of the country as a whole, they will choose the welfare of their tribe over the welfare of South Sudan.

• Political differences within the SPLM which led to the current war. According to the SPLM-I-O, the current government is a dictatorship and according to the government, the SPLM-I-O is trying to overthrow a democratically elected government. Many individuals and groups in the Diaspora are divided over this issue with some siding with the SPLM-I-O and others siding with the current government which is referred to as SPLM in government.

• Political differences between the SPLM and the other Political Parties. The SPLM claims to be a democratic institution but it won’t give the other Political Parties equal and fair opportunity to contest the leadership of the country. This is demonstrated by the current exclusion of all the other Parties from the mediation being undertaken by IGAD in Addis Ababa and it has created division in South Sudan and in the Diaspora by extension.

• Lack of inclusivity. Lack of inclusivity is divisive by nature. In the case of South Sudan, examples include opportunities being availed to a select few; marginalized groups and the masses of South Sudan are excluded from opportunities which creates resentment and an us vs them divisive attitude.

• Lack of power. Very few elites wield power in South Sudan. The masses don’t have power even though power belongs to them in an actual democracy. This creates resentment and a divisive attitude and it pits the politicians against the masses.

• Wealth sharing. Wealth is not being shared equally. Very few people own all the wealth of South Sudan leaving the masses to languish in poverty. It creates resentment and an us vs them divisive attitude. It divides South Sudanese in the country and in the Diaspora into the haves and the have nots which creates conflict and a big division.

ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE ONLY EXAMPLES OF SOME OF WHAT IS CAUSING DISCONTENT, DISSENT, CONFLICT AND DIVISION AMONG SOUTH SUDANESE IN THE COUNTRY AND IN THE DIASPORA BY EXTENSION.

EXAMPLES OF STRATEGIES FOR UNITING THE SOUTH SUDAN DIASPORA

• Revisit and unite around the original vision for a South Sudan that is free from Arab domination and exploitation. Go back to the “drawing board” where everyone agreed that all South Sudanese deserved better.
• Unite and mobilize around concerns for the country and the suffering masses of South Sudan and the shared pain as all if not most members of the Diaspora have lost a relative, friend or associate in the war to liberate South Sudan and the current war. Use the pain as a uniting force to move beyond tribe and/or region of origin in South Sudan. Think about the country and its suffering people instead of just your tribe.

UNITE AND MOBILIZE AROUND LEGAL AND INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

• Unite and mobilize around attaining peace through strict adherence to the RULE OF LAW especially the CONSTITUTION and the implementation of the UN General Assembly Resolution 337(V) A (1950 ) 3 November 1950 Declaration because everyone benefits.
• Resolution 337 affirms the importance of the maintenance of international peace and security, the obligation of Member States such as South Sudan and the United Nations to maintain international peace and security under the Charter.
• UN General Assembly Resolution 337 directs the Security Council as a body whose primary responsibility is the maintenance of international peace and security, to make appropriate recommendations to Members for collective measures, including in the case of a breach of the peace or act of aggression the use of armed force when necessary, to maintain or restore international peace and security.
  

UNITE AND MOBILIZE AROUND THINGS YOU ENJOY IN YOUR COUNTRIES OF RESIDENCE

• Unite and mobilize around taking all appropriate measures to strengthen Universal Peace because everyone benefits.
• Unite and mobilize around the attainment of sustainable peace in South Sudan and take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace because everyone benefits.
• Unite and mobilize around the human rights and civil liberties you enjoy in your countries of residence because everyone benefits. Advocate for all South Sudanese to enjoy the same rights and liberties you enjoy as a Diaspora; work with your countries of residence to insist that actual Democratic Principles apply in South Sudan; make it a condition for Diplomatic Relations or Development Aid.
• Unite and mobilize around respecting people’s rights as is the case in your countries of residence. This includes political rights, social justice and human rights which are inherent rights guaranteed to all human beings whatever their nationality, place of residency and sex.
• Unite and mobilize around the freedom of speech you enjoy in your countries of residence. Freedom of speech is how you express yourself within your rights without fear of reprisals.
• Unite and mobilize around modeling and cultivating the actual democracy you enjoy in your countries of residence in South Sudan which translates into accepting and promoting differing views, fair and open elections. Oppose, protest and shun violent confrontation because everyone loses in violence.
• Unite and mobilize around cultivating a sense of inclusivity and acceptance of all South Sudanese as is the case in your countries of residence so that individuals and groups think in terms of all of us instead of us vs them. According to the free dictionary, inclusivity is the fact or policy of not excluding members or participants on the grounds of gender, race, class, sexuality, disability, etc. Avail opportunities to all South Sudanese in the country and in the Diaspora, equally and fairly as is the case in your countries of residence because everyone benefits.
• Unite and mobilize around giving power to the masses of South Sudan as is the case in your countries of residence where politicians work for and with the masses and depend on them for votes because everyone benefits.
• Unite and mobilize around building the people and the economy while advocating for wealth sharing and equal opportunities as is the case in your countries of residence where no one goes hungry because the state takes care of all and the difference between rich and poor is not as obvious as it is in South Sudan.
• Unite and mobilize around cultivating unity and diversity as a concept of unity without uniformity and diversity without fragmentation because it shifts focus from unity based on a mere tolerance of physical, cultural, linguistic, social, religious, political, ideological and/or psychological differences towards a more complex unity based on a deep understanding.

BUILDING TRUST

• Voice collective disappointment in the country’s leadership.
• Promote and encourage open and honest dialogue and conversations to exchange ideas and opinions on particular issues affecting South Sudanese in the country and in the Diaspora, especially political and religious issues.
• Clarify and agree on what the issues are; be on the same page.
• Take responsibility for wrongs committed and ask for forgiveness; repent.
• Build relationships among South Sudanese in South Sudan and in the Diaspora based on respect for the principle of equal rights and the self determination the people of South Sudanese fought and died for, for over 50 years.

THE DIASPORA CAN BE MORE ENGAGED IN HELPING WITH BRINGING ABOUT SUSTAINABLE PEACE IN SOUTH SUDAN BY DOING GOOD AND USING INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, LOBBYING, ADVOCATING TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ALLY WITH THE SUFFERING MASSES OF SOUTH SUDAN.

DOING GOOD

• Doing good entails a lot of things including extending compassion, kindness, respect, love for fellow humans, sympathy, empathy, being a good listener, fear of God, being helpful, supportive, caring for and about fellow human beings, advocating for and promoting peace and peace of mind for fellow human beings.

THE DIASPORA CAN BE VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN ALL OF THE ABOVE

BRIEF ILLUSTRATIONS, HIGHLIGHTS AND THEMES FROM THE REMNASA MANIFESTO

REMNASA which stands for Revolutionary Movement for National Salvation is a newly formed group working to unite all the tribes of South Sudan. It has a big Manifesto but following are examples of aspects of the REMNASA Manifesto that can help unite South Sudanese in the country and in the Diaspora and build trust among them for purposes of doing good.

The Objectives, Vision and Mission of REMNASA

1. The Overall objectives of REMNASA

1. a) To spearhead national unity and the complete liberation of South Sudan and install a democratic government of national unity based on a federal system. More so, to establish as well as maintain good relationships of non-interference between South Sudan and her neighbors and the world at large. It is also to promote sub-regional and regional integration efforts and engage in mutually beneficial relationships with the international community.

1. b) To unite and facilitate reconciliation between and among the people of South Sudan and achieve sustainable peace, development, a culture of dialogue, compromise, tolerance and good governance.

1. c) To eliminate inequalities created by mismanagement of public affairs and fight poverty, ignorance, disease and all forms of discrimination. It is also to enhance integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of public affairs.

1. d)   To strengthen institutions of government and promote the principle of separation of powers and democracy and to pursue constitutional, non-partisan and professional management of the public service, the army, the prison service, the police, and other security organs.

1. e) To install and promote federalism as a system of government, as well as encourage and support the continued existence of cultural and traditional institutions in the country.

1. The Vision of REMNASA

The vision of REMNASA is an independent, united, democratic, just, peaceful, and prosperous South Sudan, where all its citizens have equal opportunities and access to the nation’s resources and social services.

2. The Mission of REMNASA

REMNASA is a liberation movement of the people that seeks:

1. To liberate South Sudan from the reign of dictatorship and terrorism as well as safeguarding national independence.

1. Promote national unity, equality and equity, human rights for all, as well as fight poverty, ignorance and diseases, and ensure the involvement of all citizens in economic development, and the empowerment of disadvantaged citizens, as well as unity of South Sudan under federalism system.

A New Political dispensation in South Sudan

Despite the despair arising from the state of gloom and predicament South Sudanese find themselves in, REMNASA would like to assure South Sudanese that hope for the establishment of a new political dispensation in South Sudan is not lost because REMNASA has embarked on the challenge of creating a prosperous multiparty democratic federal South Sudan. This South Sudan will be based on the core values of freedom, equality and democratic principles that mandate South Sudanese nationals to live without fear. It promises them open opportunities to develop their individual and collective potential regardless of their ethnic, tribal, religious, political or social and physical status. The South Sudan that REMNASA strives to achieve shall be built on four principle pillars anchored down on a firm and dependable internal security and a strong nationally reflective army. The four pillars include:

1. Nationalism, unity, forgiveness and reconciliation.
2. Effective and efficient service delivery.
3. Effective resource mobilization and management, transparency and accountability, equality and equity.
4. Effective democratic institutions with checks and balances, human rights and personal freedoms and respect for law and order.

For Additional information on REMNASA and to become involved go to www.remnasa.com . You can also speak to a REMNASA agent or representative.