SPLA Should Cease Heinous Acts Against Shilluk People

QUOTE: "There is no person so severely punished than those subjected to the whim of their own remorse" (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)

It's becoming too much and unrelenting of SPLA to subject its civilians to torturing, unnecessary arrests intimidations, lynching and all the barbarous acts against the people from which it took up arms to free them from the oppressors - the Arabs or Jellab.

First and foremost, one thing I said prior to the election when the political bureau selected Simon Kuon as its flag bearer for the gubernatorial contest in Upper Nile state was that once elected into that office, he will be more of a problem than a solution to the problems and challenges facing the state; which have something to do with tribalism.

We had foreseen and predicted the likely scenario of frauds and riggings in favor of the ruling party(ies): the SPLM in Southern Sudan and NCP in the Northern Sudan respectively. We knew very well that everything was possible for them since they can use state apparatus, especially the security parameters to satisfy their vested interests regardless of people's choices.

It did happen that way. Civilians were threatened to death in places where SPLM faced stiff resistance due to their poor governance performance in the last five years. The masses wanted to show their dissatisfaction by not voting for them, and to also put them under public scrutiny to determine who really deserves votes and who doesn't based on one's deeds while in public offices. All we saw were people being intimidated, beaten and forced to vote only for SPLM candidates only - not independents or other political parties' candidates. In some cases those who refused to succumb to threats and intimidations were killed, like what happened in those sides of Eastern Equatoria as well unity state.

What the SPLM did was all riggings and nothing else but very stupid riggings. If it were not because that shameless riggings, those of Simon Kuon, Clement Wani, Taban Deng, Kuol Manyang, Paul Malong and many others would have not made it to the offices as governors! Who were the accomplices in all this? Good question, the SPLA in collaboration of NEC officials affiliated to the SPLM were the ones used as the playground for this dirty game against the right principles of democratic transformation.

Mr. Simon Kuon is going to favor his SPLM supporters only in Upper Nile state. Even he is not liked/wanted by his own people in Nasir right from day one up to now because he has been a failure, a dictator and unqualified to be governor. Mr. Kuon failed to deliver what was expected of him during his tenure as the Chairperson of the Southern Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC); a very important and sensitive post that deals with the international NGOs. His messages were peace, security and prosperity during the elections campaigns but is there peace and security now when many people don't sleep at their homes inside Malakal town and in the Shilluk people's villages? Why does governor Kuon allow the Shilluk community to be treated as none human beings under his watchful eyes and ears? Will there be prosperity in Upper Nile State in the absence of peace and security in the Shilluk Kingdom; created by tribalist SPLA? Absolutely not!!

A good example, among others, was when SPLA soldiers were ordered by James Kok (an SPLM candidate and a controversial figure) to beat up his rivals - the politicians in Fangak during the polling period but no action was taken against him for having violated the election act 2007. The SPLM senior officials did not condemn what he did. Instead, they chanted in joy and applauded him for evil deeds the perfected.

It is really painful to think about all that is happening to our people because it is very disheartening and inhuman; all the injustices no one would want to talk about. One would be tempted to ask this simple and challenging question: what is the difference between the crimes/injustices committed by the Arabs and the crimes/injustices committed by the fellow Southerners? The SPLM die-hard supporters and sycophants will definitely say there is nothing wrong in the evil that is being rained on the Shilluk people by the SPLA (whether they are in the JIUs or not).

It's very painful hearing our supposedly national army - the SPLA has turned against its people, especially in the Shilluk kingdom: beating women and children, looting villagers' properties, raping women, and executing all other horrible crimes against humanity. The lame excuse used by the SPLM here is that disarmament among civilian population must be done by any means. But why is this only carried out in Shilluk land and not other places in Upper Nile State? Why beating and raping women and children to the hospital level if the intention is to collect illegal arms? Why do we subject our helpless people to the whim of their remorse?

The other unjustified and unacceptable excuse used by the SPLM/A is that the Shilluk community have acquired more arms from the SPLM-DC that has become a big threat to the survival of the SPLM. But is it not known that the SPLM -DC is just a political party that has nothing to do with any armed wing unlike the SPLM?

To the best of my knowledge, the SPLM/A claims are not true, baseless and meant to tarnish the SPLM-DC party's image and reputation by showing the world a very negative fabricated picture about this party. In my humble opinion, SPLM -DC has no military wing that could engage itself in a serious confrontation with its rivals the SPLM or even supply arms to their supporters and their sympathizers. The SPLM apologists are just paranoid and contemptuous of the SPLM-DC because it has become more popular in a shorter period. The SPLM has always pointed wrong fingers at SPLM-DC accusing it of re-arming the civilians in order to create instability in Southern Sudan so that the referendum for self-determination becomes a failure. But can the SPLM-DC leadership afford to throw out with the bathwater the child it has re-conceived into the Sudanese politics? The SPLM has no any evidence to implicate the SPLM-DC with armed insurgence in the South, and I agree with what people used to say long ago that a failure will not always lack excuses when it comes to defending himself or herself.

It is even blasphemous before God as he watches over us and sees everything done under the carpet. Those who are committing those crimes may go unpunished now but one day, they will be answerable when the real liberty and justice comes to reign in South Sudan.

It's to be remembered that Shilluk are peace loving people and very friendly, and they deserve immerse respect for the sake of peace and unity in Southern Sudan. But with all the diabolical acts committed by the SPLM/A, it is very unlikely that this would promote the culture of peace and unity as we match towards referendum on self- determination. With the current state of affairs, the SPLM/A is even becoming an obstacle to the peaceful conduct of the referendum in Southern Sudan. All the horrible crimes against humanity commuted by the SPLM/A are really resonant with what our Arabs used to do to Southerners. Even the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) used to respect human rights and didn't beat civilians with no concrete reasons.

I am not a Shilluk by tribe but I cannot be happy to see fellow Southerners suffering in bizarre and heinous way. My concern is for the goodness of humanity and that everybody be accorded the same treatment as God would want to see him/her enjoying happiness. And by the way, the same pitfall is happening again in Fangak now, youth are being tortured and beaten to levels of broken harms by the SPLA. If there are civilians suspected to be smuggling arms from nowhere or from somewhere why can't they be dealt with by the law enforcement agents - the police? When has SPLA become the police any way?

Please SPLM leaders, know that you took the public offices the wrong way but the people have "let go of that". Now you are repeating the very mistakes you did in the last years. Can you repent and respect the very people you survived on before curse get hold of you?

I urge the Upper Nile State authorities and the GoSS to correct this situation before it's out of control. Those who committed the heinous crimes must be brought to the book without favor or fear. Innocent people must not be arrested arbitrarily and treated as guilty for crimes they never committed. If this does not happen sooner than later, then the international community should intervene immediately and put pressure on the GOSS leadership to put an end to all the injustices being done on Shilluk people in the hands of the tribalist SPLA. If there is going to be an effective disarmament, let it be carried all over Southern Sudan with the help of the UN forces and in collaboration with all local chiefs rather than a selected few of them.

Let me again emphasize here by saying that the SPLA should learn to be a non partisan and non-tribal people's army that protect all the citizens. The SPLA should become serious in becoming a national and indeed a professional army that respects international laws and bill of rights, and not an enemy of the people and a looter of their properties.

Deng Riak Khoryoam lives in Southern Sudan and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.