The Nuer People’s position on Revitalization: Self-governing region for Nuer people for 10 years

By Bol Jok,

Nuer Regional Congress,

Feb 12, 2018(Nyamilepedia) —– We as Nuer people, we would like to register our honest and sincere appreciation to IGAD heads of states for their efforts to bring just peace to South Sudan. We never expressed our concern since 15, December 2013, when Salva Kiir committed genocide against the people of Nuer.

We would like to convey our gratitude as the people to Troika (UK, US and Norway) EU, AU, IGAD and China for their search for solution on the conflict of South Sudan.

We would also like to express special thanks to Government of United States of America in particular and especially Nikki Haley for their considerations of our people’s suffering. The words wouldn’t be able to express our gratitude towards endeavour they put in findings ways in terms of finance and physical commitment.

In our opinion the peace that will still keep Salva Kiir in power would mean not less than rewarding and thank him of being killing us, and would be a direct humiliation to our dignity.

Many of you knows how much we suffered as Nuer people in UN protection site for four years, however, we wouldn’t ignore how we feel about the situation and hypocritically promise harmony.

We are very concern for peace that will revitalize Salva Kiir’s regime and to give him a chance to grasp our resource again with his ethnic elite

Patriotism that give us a blank check is dead since there is no consented constitution and laws to protect all citizens.

Simple Understanding of the conflict

1. The conflict is a triangle which was started political within SPLM party between rival Leaders, Machar in one hand and Salva in other. From this point the conflict still dualistic within one party between two groups of politicians but in 15 December by the genocide committed against our people the conflict become triangle. Nuer people become part of the conflict as they are still the target of Salva Kiir’s regime until today in all corners of South Sudan.
2. No one can resolve this conflict without listening to our demand because resolving it through political demand of politicians would mean we will remain victim. We have that learn the brokers had involved in the conflict to brokering their interests while simultaneously showing the face of neutrality to solution. Today parties of individual politicians are trying to philosophize the solution to obtain their interests for our expenses. Especially civil societies, new parties and the Countries in the region took advantage to advance their own interests.
3. The Salva Kiir’s ethnic regime had destroyed our livestock, education of our children and massacred right before the rests of South Sudanese which led to more orphans and widows.
4. There will be no equality and justice for us in immediate unity of South Sudan in all terms whether economically, housing, educationally and in dignity without fair conditions that shall be particular to Nuer people.
5. We have learn that you invited many of those you termed stakeholders who in their own capacity negotiated their own interests over our expenses. If South Sudan to stay united there is a need to compensate the people of Nuer within this state and so we have very simple demand based on loses.
6. Based on these facts as people of Nuer we are demanding self-governing region for 10 years so that we would be able to compensate our martyrs, widows and orphans.
7. A Revitalization that has stipulating such demand will achieve fair results and shall be supported by us.

1. We are demand self-governing for Nuer people for 10 years to recover our lost dignity, economic, and education that we have lost for almost five years
2. We will use our resources to repay and compensate our martyrs, widows, orphans so we don’t need reparation from the state led by Salva Kiir.
3. 30 percent of Nuerland’s resource shall be allocated to National budget while the other 70 percent shall remain in the region till re-emerging.
4. Revitalization should not be a reward to Salva Kiir’s ethnic regime however, justice and equality must prevail
5. However, we are demanding a clearly articulated percentage in the revitalized ARCISS to Nuer from resources of our land for the benefits of suffering children.

Redistributive Justice for tangible and intangible costs/lost as following:

1. Orphans and widows
2. The children who had Four years out of schools in all levels namely primary, secondary and universities
3. Genocide committed against our people
4. Our homes destroyed
5. We were Humiliated
6. We are Psychologically hurt

Why self-governing region

• The Nuer demanding Self-governing region for 10 years until democratic permanent constitution is made through referendum
• To avoid myths and assumptions of immediate healing and reconciliation that many assumed to be immediate amid injustice and humiliation for four years. The best way to reconcile and heal quickly is through compensating besides that Nuer shall focus on their own gradually rather than hypocrite unity. We need to avoid further conflict before recovery and proper trust build on the government.

1. As Nuer people we would not enjoy unity currently with others at this junction because we want to build trust before justice prevail. Besides the fact that unity is a choice that we can make if we want because in fact we are not one people, we only choose to be.

1. Our children were out of education for almost five years besides targeting killing, humiliation and economic disadvantages. We are not ready to restarting life in a point of injustice in South Sudan, and as a Nuer people we would be disadvantage within united South Sudan.

1. Revitalizing peace without our voice heard will merely mean threatening of our existence in a united South Sudan. It would only advance political interests of politicians for our expenses because the reparation we have seen in ARCISS was articulated in a general term without clear details to who to be compensate.

1. Silencing the guns without digging and considering consequences caused by inflicted war over victimized people would further the division. United South Sudan on our expenses would have nothing valuable to offered to us rather than to increase the suffering and threat.

1. Salva Kiir’s ethnic government used resources of NuerLand to kill the Nuer thus, we are very cautious and concern on revitalization. Revitalizing Salva Kiir in the name of peace would not bring justice and equality hence, a bondage of unclean wounds.

Based on those points above we shall ensure that they are all met to achieve the peace we desperately need. Absent of our interest in peace, it would mean it is not a peace therefore, we shall make there is no oil working in Nuerland till our demands are met for we cannot live in humiliation and God put a lot of effort to create us dignified

We wish for your consideration of our demands on revitalization forum because these demands are above national interest in which we were excluded. We are looking for a just state otherwise the state will be a machine against our existence and a threat to our wellbeing. Our kids are being burnt in huts in daily bases while women and elderly don’t feel safe. We wish for fair peace let’s keep this for history.

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