United States of America.
November 13,2021 — The exiled former Secretary General of the governing SPLM party and leader of the Real-SPLM, Hon. Pagan Amum Okiech, reiterates that the 2013 massacre of the Nuer ethnic group by president Salva Kiir, which triggered death of more than 500 thousands and displacement of nearly half of South Sudan population, was an attempt to intimidate and silent opponents.
In mid December 2013, more than twenty thousands innocent South Sudanese were massacred within four days, most of whom hailed from the Nuer tribe, by tribal militias upon directives of the country’s president, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit.
During an interview on Thursday , Amum, said the 2013 massacre was pre-planned by President Kiir to silent his political dissidents who challenged his way of ruling the party and the country.
“The 2013 Nuer Massacre that claimed many lives was designed to intimidate and silence all political voices who had disagreed on how the nation was heading to under the SPLM-led leadership “, Pagan said during the interview.
The senior opposition leader referred to the ongoing conflicts between Apadang and Chollo communities over land in Upper Nile State as Kiir’s tactic to destroy the social fabric of the two communities which have been in peaceful co-existence for centuries in order for him to stick in power and loot their resources.
“If you see what happens in Upper Nile right now especially the land issue between Apadang and Chollo, it’s Kiir’s plan to divide the two communities which have been staying together in peace for centuries just to keep them busy hating themselves while he is looting them”, Amum said.
Pa’gan Amum also admitted that they failed the nation as SPLM leaders but he attributed the biggest failure to the SPLM Chairman, Salva Kiir, whom he accused of acting contrary to SPLM manifesto.
Before SPLM disintegration in 2013, Pagan Amum, FVP Dr. Riek Machar Teny and Vice President Rebecca Nyadeng Garang made it publicly at party’s higher decision organs (NLC) to challenge President’s Kiir for the Party Chairmanship which serves as a ticket to general elections if peaceful elections were organized; however, president Kiir responded through what he termed as a military coup by Riek Machar camp.
