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Sudan Tribune

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Lt. Gen. Mayardit to quit SPLA for the second time

By Justin Ambago Ramba

January 18, 2010 — After receiving an embarrassing warning letter from the National Electoral Commission (NEC) on 16th January 2010, the SPLM was forced to reveal one of its most hidden scandals, that their boss is both a retired and an active General in the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA), hoping that his ambiguous position can be acceptable in running for the elections.

The long debated issue as to whether Salva Kiir Mayardit can be allowed to contest the elections in his military uniform seems to be finally settling down in favour of the constitutions and the laws. And the NEC has made it explicit to all, including of course the SPLM chairman that unless he relinquishes his military position, he won’t be allowed to contest.

It must also be stressed here that, whichever way we would want to interpret the huge debate that took place over the above issue for the last whole week or so, we need to be very fair to one another.

It can be gathered that some of us are blinded by narrow partisan politics as well as subversive ethnic motivations to throw all their weights in an attempt to falsely mislead the entirety of south Sudan into accepting the gross disregard for the constitution, a position well demonstrated by Dr. Luka Biong, the GoSS Minister for Presidential Affairs.

Dr. Biong who will rightly go into history as an opportunistic politician who came up openly to champion what would have otherwise been the beginning of a dreadful political turmoil in among a people that has not had enough time yet to recover from the trauma of the devastating civil war.

The SPLM secretary general Mr. Pa’gan Amum, his deputy Yasser Arman and their colleague the immediate aide to President Salva Kiir were all on record for justifying the running of Kiir for the elections while retaining his military post. However this should now sound ridiculous when none but Dr. Biong himself who turns around and declares to the whole world that Lt. General Salva Kiir was in fact a retired Army General, though went on after that to appear on several official occasions fully dressed up in his military suits (legally or illegally is left for the SPLA military police to answer).

The GoSS’s anger at the NEC letter has no space in this article for it is considered a mere knee jerk reaction from a confused minister who has been confusing the whole south Sudan politics over the last one week or so. He is the one who invited that letter and he deserves the way it was delivered.

However after realizing that he can no longer play tricks with the interim constitutions, the NEC laws and the SPLA regulations, Dr. Biong took all the pains, the shame and the desperateness to yet create another story whereby he has to implicate the late Dr. Garang de Mabior in order to gain the public sympathy.

But surprisingly enough, what came out in the new story is in fact too defaming for Salva Kiir himself because it depicts him as someone who was long dismissed from the SPLA ranks, but in defiance to that he not only continued in the military institution, but also went ahead to promote himself from Lt. General to First Lieutenant General. (Sudan Tribune 18/01/2010). May be to keep it in rhythm with his political post of First Vice President.

It is all scandals after scandals, and the SPLM heavy weights who earlier (including Dr. Biong himself ), ruled out any possibility of General Kiir stepping down from the army even if he is nominated as SPLM candidate for presidency, again declared over Radio Miraya 101 FM ( thanks to technology as this radio can well heard in far place, even as remote as the Baffin Island, the Greenland and further south far beyond the New Zealand), that, “Salva Kiir [already] retired from the military as First Lieutenant [General] in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in 2005.”

Once more no official explanation is given as to why the retired 1st Lt. General currently continued to put on military uniform with the same rank and uses the title after 2005 retirement

However according to Sudan Tribune (a credible source) it is stated that, “A reliable military source which asked not to be named corrected minister Biong and further explained that Kiir was actually retired from military by late Dr. John Garang in 2005 at the rank of Lt. General (not 1st Lt. General), and silently reinstated himself in the army in 2007 during which he also promoted himself as 1st Lt. General”.

“Kiir currently heads the recently formed military Command Council, composed of more than 40 senior SPLA officers. He is also the Commander-in-Chief of the army by the virtue of being the President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).” They went to say.

Ladies and gentlemen, H.E Luka Biong and his Boss President Kiir must be advised not to insult the mental faculties and the intellectual capacities of their subjects. There is no way that they can ever be allowed to behave in this crude manner as if they are leading a herd of cattle. Most of us are sound human beings and rightly deserve to be treated with respect.

Anyway our grassroots should by now be well informed that we are at the mercy of a very dangerous leadership. No body is denying the fact that these people were in the SPLM/A that fought the war for over two decades, but does that justify them to break the laws and worse still dishonour the constitutions.

Are they indeed free to move in and out of a national military institution like the SPLA while continuing to enjoy the countless promotions and privileges that they attached to all these random and Brownian like movements? And why has it to take us this long to find out that Kiir was acting in defiance of his retirement from the SPLA which according to his office aide, Dr. Luka Biong, should have been in effect from the 16th July 2005, while the late Dr. Garang was still with us. (Information Dr. Biong tried initially tried to hide).

Our quest for justice and respect for both the law and the constitution shall continue to dominate in all the articles to come especially after having identified that the current leadership is indeed harbouring the traits of dictatorship and eventually a clear disregard to the constitution and the rule of law.

We stand by the National Elections Commission (NEC) laws and their responsible move to save the entire Sudan from any unlawful elections. Should the NEC compromise its role to favour any candidate, especially the strong ones like the incumbent President Omer al Bashir and the First Vice President and President of South Sudan, (RETIRED) Lt. General Salvatore Kiir Mayardit, then they stand to face the wrath of the people both in the north and the south.

There are still issues that the NEC should be expected to handle diligently and it got to do with the aspiring candidates’ accounts and assets. In south Sudan, it is our concern that many of our present politicians are one or the other indulged in corruption, grafting and money laundering.

Public money in millions of dollars has been flushed down the drain in order to maintain the fluid life styles of some polygamous and promiscuous political figures and their aides in the civil service. Those villas, mansions, deluxe flats in far places like Australia, Canada, USA, the United Kingdom, the Republic of South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Juba or the various states capitals , all call for thorough investigations before their owners or their powerful relatives ( who are in fact the real owner )could finally be allowed to run for the elections.

It may be true that our people lack the full capacity to defend the emerging democracy intended for south Sudan, but let us trust in our very humble efforts of standing for what is right and against what is wrong, and the rest will be blessed by God Our Creator.

The SPLM and their desperate boss, (Retired) Lt. Gen Salva Kiir should understand that they are better off going by the laws. Should they have anything against their rivals, then it will only look civilized if they take their concerns to the NEC or the Constitutional Court or still to any legal institution and it is time that their leaderships start acting as cultivated people.

At this juncture it is sensible to repeat the call for fair, free, transparent and credible elections. The electoral playground must be left levelled as stipulated in the laws. No one should rush to any conclusions and once we have legally recognized candidates for the different seats, it will be fair enough to encourage all the candidates to debate their programs in a typical civilized way, fit for 21st century elections. Only and only then can people make informed choices.

There is good news in the air, and hopefully the Sudan and especially the people of south Sudan will vote for the first time in a civilian democracy. The last thing we want is war, and the worst thing is to live under a military dictatorship. So wake up sister, wake up brother for you have in your hands a piece of paper that can make all the difference and that is your vote.

Dr. Justin Ambago Ramba, M.B, B.Ch, D.R.H, MD. He can be reached at either [email protected] or [email protected]

18 Comments

  • Gatwech
    Gatwech

    Lt. Gen. Mayardit to quit SPLA for the second time
    Dear readers,

    Yes, NEC’s requirements for all candidates including 1st Lt. Gen. Salvatore Kiir Miyerdit will include his clearance from the army, his clearance from the unconstitutional case with Dr. Lam Akol, his clearance by declaring his assets, and his sucessful defense from the expected thousands of objection letters to NEC against his nomination.

    And this is before he faces ‘NO FOR SALVA KIIR’ votes of the people in April. Tough time, ah!

    Reply
  • kuminyandi
    kuminyandi

    Lt. Gen. Mayardit to quit SPLA for the second time
    My comment is not in Salva’s defence, but I think the North is using the old policy of divide and rule. If you remember, General Lagu went through the same process with Nimeri in 70’s. As a result, the war broke out again at the begining of 80’s. So Southerners, be smarts and don’t fall at the spider’s web again.

    Kumi,

    Reply
  • Lorolokin
    Lorolokin

    Lt. Gen. Mayardit to quit SPLA for the second time
    Hi Readers ,

    Why is the Dinkas trying to mislead us southerners so he was been hiding without telling us that he is a retired Lt general, Kiir should apologize to southerners otherwise he will not win their support.
    I Beleive majority will favour Unity with the common enemy (Arabs)than to vote for new Enemy (Dinka.

    Kinkak

    Reply
  • Dinka Boy
    Dinka Boy

    Lt. Gen. Mayardit to quit SPLA for the second time
    Ambago Ramba,

    SPLM as the ruling party in the South is completely different from the way you think about it. I always said that every article you post to the public has lack of crutial point. It is always about blaming SPLM, Praising NCP, and undermining the work of Salva Kiir at this moment. When i read your frequent comments, it sound that Dr Lam Akol Ajawin is the owner of every articles i read on behave of your name. I can believe that there is no contrary with you and Lam on the ways you guys think and conceive the aim of SPLM. You are anothert frustrated person second to Lam Akol because you want unity or any thing that will affect the people of South Sudan.

    Why are you always complaining about the roles of Salva Kiir Mayardit while you fail to understand the trick of Omar El Bashier with his NCP. Do you think that there is different between Presidency and comanding. Both are the same because president is the one to declare war which is the trick Omar El Bashier try to trap Southerners because he knows that South Sudan is full of tribal power hunger. Bashier knows very well that we will bark at the dry bone for struggling with tribal leadership instead of national leadership that can make us free from them.

    I thought you learned alot of politics and leadership courses you can understand the intention of the enemy. If we /Southerners want to be free and be aseperate country, there would have no chaos on these issues in 2010 because we did not reached 2011 yet; the time of war or peace. If i was you, i would have wait 2011 and then start complaining about the leadership. Right now we want indepenedent and that is it. No more dear.

    I fear for 2011 not 2010 where you are shouting for no reason. What is wrong if Salva Kiir and the SPLM agree that he can serve the positions and the rest of leaders are still maintaining their post. What is wrong with that. I have more doubt that you are not from the South who need peaceful South. I think you are our enemy.

    My friend, there is no law that rule the Southern sudan before 2011, the laws that you and many traitors was for the presidency of Sudan as awhole. Southern Sudan will make their own rules in 2011 after we are different country.
    And i think SPLM solve the law which says that the candidate who will run for the presidency of Sudan need to hand his current post. That is way Yassir Arman was chosen so that Salva Kiir will run for Southern Sudan presidency and not leave the commanding post because he is the only one who knows more about SPLM then the rest because he was adeputy to our hero late Dr Garang de Mabior and the one who never step his feet to Arab North game theory.

    Please you are igniting the flame that will cause chaos to Southeners and no one want that problem before we get independent South other the North can benefits from our baseless article of yours that lack pride to our South citizens.
    I think you are another Lam Akol by heart and you have to distant yourself from NCP support.
    Thanks

    Reply
  • Sebit Phillip Elioba
    Sebit Phillip Elioba

    Lt. Gen. Mayardit to quit SPLA for the second time
    Dear the The National Electoral Commission,
    Let the all the Eligible candidates who want to contest for the next coming election step down from the position of military chiefs of staff just like what others have done. Let Sudan be a democratic nation in nature because it is the first in the history sudanese since independence.

    Continue to execute your duties as the commission for the election.

    God bless you.

    Reply
  • pinyluel
    pinyluel

    Lt. Gen. Mayardit to quit SPLA for the second time
    to Justin ambago,

    Traitors are still to betray their own land,SPLM and SPLA fought to liberate you from the regime of the northern government.How come you wrote all these rubbish against the President Kiir,the man who stood firmed during the war.Look! if you spoke about the consitutions and the international laws,so why leave Omar al-Bashir, the man who committed the crimes against humanity also required to appear the Hague Tribunal Court.Your article aginst the head of the southern government is unjust in his rights in partiular and the rights of the people of the south in general.Because President Kiir led a liberation for all these years forward inorder to maintain the militry and obtain the rights of his people.the man will not step down, he will reamin in his position to work for the good future of the south.The man so called Lam Akol who you dreaming of winning the presidency is a betrayer and has no place in our hearts to lead us.

    Reply
  • Sebit Phillip Elioba
    Sebit Phillip Elioba

    Lt. Gen. Mayardit to quit SPLA for the second time
    Sudanese should stand together and strive for united southern sudanese Region because “together we stand and divided we fall”
    Let us not fight our selves because of positions.In nut shell, let us strive for democratic sudan.

    Thank you.

    Reply
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