JUBA The Liech community is made up of the seven Nuer original clans namely Bul, Dok, Haak, Jikany, Jagei, Leek and Nyuong.
Today the 7th December, 2022, our attention was drawn to the news article published by the Eye radio whereby President General Salva Kiir was quoted as saying ‘‘there is war in Eastern Nuer in Jakow and there is war in the Chollo Kingdom. Who are those fighting there, they are our brothers and sisters and I cannot stop them.’’
A few hours later, the Press Secretary in the office of the President, Lily Adhieu Manyiel Ayuel issued a statement arguing that the President was misquoted. ‘‘While deploring the sub-national violence in the Upper Nile Region that is taking toll on innocent civilians, the President said he cannot stop it alone. Some media houses took this statement out of context by insinuating that President Kiir has taken his hands off this issue. This interpretation is not true.’’
However, the biggest issue here and now is not about who said what and where. The truth of the matter is that there is bloodshed in the greater Upper Nile Region of Unity State, Jonglei State and Upper Nile state. It’s the constitutional mandate of the government to restore security in our states by using security forces including the national army to bring back peace and harmony in our states.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)
Of late, we have been reading on social media that the government of South Sudan is planning to take nearly a thousand troops to go and fight against the M23 rebel in the DR. Congo. Our stance is that, instead of taking these troops to Congo, we should use and or utilize these troops to restore peace and security in the greater upper Nile region.
It is not compulsory for South Sudan to take its troops to Congo. There is no written law compelling South Sudan to go and fight in Congo.
TANZANIA (TZ)
Remember even a secure, healthy and populous country like Tanzania, which is the founder of the East African community (EAC) is not taking its troop to Congo. It will be wise if South Sudan could do as Tanzania did for these tangible reasons.
Unfortunately, if his Excellency President Kiir will not heed to this idea of not taking our troops to Congo, then the soldiers from the greater Upper Nile region should not accept to go and fight in Congo, reason being there is existing security threats in the country. It does not make sense to go and fight far away in Congo while abandoning a national duty to protect children, women and the elderly in our own country.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA)
On April 1967, African-American world renowned boxer, late Mohamed Ali refused to be taken by US army to go and fight in Vietnam saying and I quote ‘‘Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on people in Vietnam while negro people in Louisville are treated unfairly and denied their simple human rights.’’ Consequently, late Ali was suspended for nearly half a decade. On finishing his suspension, he later became a world heavyweight boxing champion.
Based on Ali’s wisdom, we asked: why should armed men and women of greater upper Nile and South Sudan as a whole go and kill the revolutionary Congolese people of M23 while leaving their mothers and fathers dying in the hands of government sponsored militia in South Sudan.
In view of these, we are of the view that, our sons and daughters in the South Sudan army should refuse to go and fight in Congo, and even if that will leads to their suspension and expulsion so be it.
Statement from office Liech community Association in Nairobi signed Dak Buoth
