Shilluk Youth Accuse SPLM of Committing Atrocities in the Chollo Land

9 July 2010 - (Khartoum) - A Shilluk group calling itself the Chollo Popular Committee for the defense of Chollo Land is accusing the SPLM of land grabbing and genocide in Cholo Land.

The Chollo Youth and Students' Representative, Philip Stephen addressed a press conference in Khartoum on Thursday.

[Philip Stephen]: "First of all we in the Chollo or Shiluk Popular Committee are demanding that the Presidency clarifies its position on what is happening in Chollo land and these include violations, killings, raiding, raping and looting of civilian property. We are also demanding that those suspected of involvement in genocide against the Chollo community should be brought to justice and we demand a neutral investigation into the issue and it should include the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations. We are also demanding that Salva Kiir Mayardit be presented to the International Criminal Court because he is a leading war criminal who killed our people. We are saying this because he is the head of Government in Southern Sudan, he is the one doing such things using his tribal army which does not reflect national reality, the army that uses a tribal agenda for grabbing our land and for exterminating our people."

Stephen also accused the secretary general of the SPLM, Pagan Amum of being a traitor against his own tribe, the Chollo.

[Philip Stephen]: "We are also urging our sons who are not worthy who have soiled themselves because of money, wealth and comfortable houses and above them the SPLM secretary general, Pagan Amum and Deng Ajak and Alfred and the rest. They are quiet and these kinds of practices are being carried out against their relatives in their own tribe and against their own kith and kin. What is their view? Their quietness means they have a hand in this and they are prime players in these kinds of practices. All of them and those behind them should go to the ICC. We would also like to say we will have another position if we don't receive a reply from the presidency and the U-N and diplomatic missions in Sudan and all those to whom we have presented the problems happening in Chollo land. This includes the NGOs, the African Union and the European Union.'

On Thursday, the Chollo Popular Committee presented a memo to the Presidency, the United Nations Mission in Sudan, European Union and foreign embassies in Khartoum, urging them to pay attention to what they called genocide in Chollo land in Upper Nile State.

Responding to the allegations, The SPLM secretary general, the Minister of Peace in the GOSS, Pagan Amum spoke to SRS in Khartoum on Thursday saying the NCP is supporting the youth group.

[Pagan Amum]: "This is nonsense which does not deserve a response. I believe of course you know very well that this group is basically a group of traitors from the NCP. They are working in order to tarnish the image of southern Sudan in order to destabilize security and stability in southern Sudan so that at the end they spoil the referendum for the self-determination for the people of southern Sudan. This is a group working against the aspirations and interests of southern Sudan."

Amum added that though the NCP is recruiting militias all over southern Sudan, southern Sudanese should be vigilant and prepare themselves for the self-determination referendum in order to determine their destiny.

[Pagan Amum]: "The NCP is working to recruit militias amongst all the tribes in southern Sudan amongst tribes in Upper Nile: Chollo, Dinka, Nuer and in Jonglei. They are working amongst the Dinka, Murle and Nuer and in Bentiu in Unity state. They are working amongst the Dinka and Nuer and they are also working amongst groups in Equatoria and they are also working amongst groups in Northern Bahr El-Ghazal and Western Bahr El-Ghazal. So there are militias from all the communities in southern Sudan and our message is that the people of southern Sudan should be "vigilant" and continue with their journey until they determine their destiny in January 2011 and after the referendum they should implement their decision."

SPLM secretary-general Pagan Amum was speaking to SRS o Thursday in Khartoum.

Source: http://www.sudanradio.org/shilluk-youth-accuse-splm-committing-atrocities-chollo-land