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Sudan’s Nuer politicians should withdraw from national union govt

Union of Nuer Community in North America (UNCONA)

Press Release

September, 24, 2005

The Council of Union of Nuer Community in North
America (UNCONA) has met today on Sept. 24, 2005 to
discuss the formation of the Government of National
Unity (GONU) in Sudan as stipulated by the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed on Jan., 9,
2005.

The Council has noticed that the new government is
devoid of essence of equality. It is instead a beacon
for the perpetuation of inequality in another form.
There are major ethnic groups in the Sudan which are
not represented. Unlike the former government
dominated by Northern Sudanese of Arab descent, the
council of ministers of GONU is dominated by the Dinka
and riverian Arabs. On the SPLM side, 95% of Ministers
and State Ministers are Dinka. On the other hand, the
National Congress Party (NCP) portfolios are dominated
by riverian Arab tribes in exclusion of marginalized
African Muslims in the North.

Besides, the positions awarded to Southern
Opposition are also controlled by the Dinka making
GONU a mockery of justice. The ministerial posts
awarded to Sudan African National Union (SANU) and
South Sudan Democratic Forum are filled by Dinka. The
Dinka also got more positions from National Congress
side than any other ethnic group from South Sudan.
From mathematical point of view, the Dinka dominate
the GONU.

The Supreme Council of UNCONA has been informed of
conspiracy between Jalis (Bashir’s tribe) and Dinka
(Salva Kiir’s tribe) to exclude the Nuer and other
ethnic groups in Sudan from position of power. It’s
undisputed fact that 80% of Sudan oil is located in
Nuerland. The marginalization of the Nuer is a
deliberate act to preclude the Nuer politicians from
participating in decisions that are connected to oil
wealth-sharing. Kiir and Bashir are now bent to treat
the Nuer like Ogoni of Nigeria whose oil is looted
while they live in extreme poverty.

The rejection of ministerial posts by John Luk
Joak and Timothy Tot Chol of the SPLM is welcomed by
the Council of UNCONA. However, the Council demands
all the Nuer politicians to withdraw from the
government of Jalis and Dinka. The Council urges all
Nuer in the North to go to Nuerland and focus on
defending Nuer oil from any one whose aim is to
deprive the Nuer of development. Nuer are dissimilar
from the Ogoni in population and military might. Out
of Four million, three million Nuer are well armed to
defend themselves and their interests in the
environment of the survival of the fittest. According
to the United Nations estimate, the only weapon
lacking in Nuerland is helicopter gunship.

The domination of GONU by the Dinka defies the
logic of Sudan ethnic composition. It’s documented by
the UN that the Nuer population in South Sudan is
greater or equal to Dinka. The UN estimate is also
supported by NGOs operating in South Sudan. This means
the Nuer and Dinka are the two largest ethnic groups
in Sudan that are equal in population. However, when
Sudan population is considered as the whole the Dinka
population is a drop in an ocean. The composition of
ministerial posts in the new government misrepresents
the Sudanese reality.

It is willful blindness on the part of Bashir and
Kiir to fill the stomachs of Jalis and Dinka before
considering sharing food with the rest of Sudan ethnic
groups who make up 88% of national population. There
is no way that one tribe in the South can take 95% of
power-sharing. South Sudan has 51 ethnic groups. There
are more tribes in Equatoria than in Bahr-El-Ghazal.
The Azande and Lotuka population, let alone other
Equatorian tribes, is more than three millions. The
question that can be posed is whether the Dinka, who
are only 20% of Southern population, should make up
95% of GONU. Mathematically, 20% of Dinka population
in the South goes down when Sudan’s population is
computed as the whole. Dinka do not make 20% of Sudan
population.

Based on inequality revealed in the GONU, the
Supreme Council of UNCONA has therefore passed the
following resolutions:
1. The Nuer politicians in the SPLM and the NCP must
withdraw their memberships effective from Oct. 1,
2005. They are free to join other parties which are
not driven by tribal conspiracies.
2. Maj. Gen. Paulino Matip, Chief-of-Staff of SSDF,
must immediately cease cooperating with SPLM
leadership under Salva Kiir Mayardit.
3. The Council urges the guardians of Ngundeng’s
Pyramid to sacrifice ten bulls in a ritual so that
Deng (God) should punish Salva Kiir as it did to
Garang when the guardians killed ten bulls on July 29
to God of Ngundeng to end South Sudan suffering under
Mabior.
4. The council urges Dr. Riek Gai and Brig. Gatlwak
Deng to follow John Luk by abdicating positions
awarded to them.
5. The international community must put pressure on
Bashir and Kiir to rectify inequality within GONU
before it’s too late.

– John Gatluak Kam
– President of UNCONA
– Sudbury, Canada
[email protected]

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