Pachodo.org

Date: 12 March 2011

To: The president of government of southern Sudan (GoSS), his Excellency Slava Kiir We acknowledge that insecurity, unjustified torturing, raping, indiscriminative extermination of innocent civilians, confiscation of people's possessions, vandalism of people's dwellings were ones of the reasons that had urged the southern Sudanese to wage war against the northern Sudanese.

Eventually, Southerners were able to win a war and constituted their own government in 2005 with a profound hope that what Northern leaders did not provide would be fulfilled by the government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).

Unfortunately, it is regrettable to see Upper Nile State and other States in Southern Sudan dragging into chaos, experiencing massacres before their own governors and SPLA generals. It is also chocking to witness that governors and SPLA are so brutal and inhuman in ways Islamic government in Khartoum has never done to southern civilians.

UN Article 3 according to the provisions of Geneva Convention article three, in the case of armed conflict, each party to hostility is legally prohibited from committing murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment, torturing, taking hostages, humiliation of personal dignity. Article three prohibits denying medical treatment for sick, wounded armed and civilian persons and captured soldiers in the hands of victorious. The Chollo people of Upper Nile state experience much bloodshed in the hands of state governors and SPLA. Whenever the government of Upper Nile State send SPLA soldiers army with automatic weapons and tanks to annihilate any armed groups or militants as they called, SPLA soldiers indiscriminately uses a lethal force by gunning down unarmed deaf, elderly female and male, blinds, girls, boys and chiefs. Chollo people cannot be massacred; because they have asked for their occupied land and to become the victims for being peace lovers in the region. Chollo people cannot be killed on the expense of the armed groups who are defending their land since the government of southern Sudan and government of Upper Nile State failed to protect the citizens of its own.

Again Chollo Community has been writing appeals, letters and petitions to the government of Southern Sudan regarding the misunderstanding and the problems happening in the kingdom, but those letters were received by the deaf hears by the government of Southern Sudan and Government of Upper Nile State. Thithim massacre of 06 March 2011 and current fight inside Malakal town of 12 March 2011 are one of most bloodbaths occurred in Chollo kingdom. Hundreds of people were killed and many were tortured and raped at gun point in these incidents. Local medical and Red Cross workers were denied an access to collect wounded civilians for treatment. Relatives of dead bodies are not allowed to bury their love ones and civilians are not permitted to go to get their food, drink and belonging. According to the provisions of Geneva Convention mentioned above, the actions of SPLA and government of Upper Nile State are unconstitutional, unlawful and illegal undertakings. The government of Upper Nile State and SPLA has not only failed to apply these provisions during hostilities, but they have also failed to serve, protect and defend the civilians. Therefore, both SPLA and government of Upper Nile State have delegitimized and violated their moral duty bestowed on them by the interim constitution of southern Sudan. Consequently, we, the members of Chollo community in Canada urge the government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and international community to put the "STOP" to these unnecessarily consecutive bloodbaths in Malakal through the execution of the followings:

• An immediate permission of local medical and Red Cross workers to collect and treat wounded and sick people.

• Unconditional entrance of local and international humanitarian organizations to affected areas to provide food, clothes and shelters to destitute, neglected and wounded civilians and soldiers of each of the conflicting sides.

• Removal the governor of Upper Nile State for his divisive, corrupt and dictating leadership. Replacement of the governor is important to stop massacring of innocent civilians and to avoid dragging people of the great Upper Nile State into confusion, deeper hatred and division of peace loving tribes of Upper Nile State, which could develop into emergency of largely tribal conflict in the region.

• An independent investigation to be conducted by the United Nations, local and international not-profit organizations for fact finding of all deadly incidents.

• Referring fact findings of all massacres of indiscriminative killing of innocent civilians to international court of justice to try the culprits.

• Government of Southern Sudan to remove land grabbers from Chollo lands to their areas. His Excellency, the president of southern Sudan, Salva Kiir, by this petition, we humbly ask for your full cooperation and impartial action to resolve the violation of human rights and to put an end to massacring of your subjects in the hands of their own soldiers and governors. We trust that your government (GoSS) would fairly and responsibly consider our petition, so that your people in Upper Nile State would restore their decent life, securely stable situation they truly and righteously deserve. Your constitutionally impartial and responsible intervention on the matter is greatly appreciated.

Yours Truly,

Chollo Civil Society (Community) in Canada

Cc: To International crisis Group To United nation Secretary, To Dr. Raick Machar, Vice President of Goss of Southern Sudan To all Chollo People in the world To Mr. Simon Kuon, Governor of Upper Nile State To three commissioners of Chollo counties