Date: 7/5/2016

HE. Festus G. Mogae, Chairperson of Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission,

Juba, South Sudan

Subject:  Acknowledgment and appreciation for the formation of TGoNU and your position in regard to the 28 states

Your Excellency,

We salute you for the great effort, which you have tirelessly made with your team for the formation of the TGoNU according to the Compromise Agreement that was signed by both parties. Your authentic and outstanding position, which reiterated that JMEC never recognized the 28 states, is acceptable by all peace lovers. Therefore, operating with the Compromise Agreement framework will make implementation quiet attainable. Ironically, anything which was not agreed upon by the partners in the Compromise Agreement should not be allowed to go without being challenged.  

So we, the Chollo Community in upper Nile State  would like to  reaffirm  our rejection of  the implementation of the 28 states, which were established by President Salva Kiir with his establishment Order 36/2015 on the 2nd of October 2015 due to the following reasons:

1. Chollo Community is being targeted and marginalized by the implementation of the Presidential Decree that divided the country into 28 states.

2. The Decree has grabbed Chollo land east of the White Nile including Malakal town and has given it to Dinka Padang in Upper Nile State.

3. The Government of the Republic of South Sudan Soldiers and the Militia of Dinka Padang under the leadership of Chol Thon, the Newly appointed Governor of the so- Called Eastern Upper Nile state in collaboration with President Salva Kiir  had committed massacre of our Chollo innocent civilians who were under the protection of UNIMIS in Malakal as displaced persons from 17th – 18th February 2016.

4. That act was a deliberate strategic plan to dislodged chollo community   from their ancestral land on the Eastern bank of White Nile and Sobat Rivers through killing and committing atrocities against the Chollo Community.

5. All people in South Sudan are aware of the last IGAD Communiqué issued by its Council of Ministers on the 31st of January 2016, which had demanded from the Government of South Sudan to suspend the implementation of the 28 states. Unfortunately, President Salva kiir did not respond positively to it. Instead, he had ignored the IGAD Communiqué and had created number of counties in the 28 states including upper Nile state.

6. President Salva kiir  had appointed  William Othwonh to be the Governor of  the  so- called Western  State which he had created  in the Chollo Kingdom on the Western bank of the Nile  without  the agreement of the Chollo community  who are the residents and the  rightful owners of that  land.

Now, the Chollo Community Council is appealing to you again as Chairman of JMEC, together with IGAD member countries, AU, UN, Troika, China and other international partners to pressurize President Salva Kiir to revoke the 28 States, so as to avoid tribal war, particularly between Dinka Padang  and Chollo communities in Upper Nile State.

Finally, we would like to inform you that Chollo people are peace loving as known by many communities, however, they will not tolerate to accept being dislodged from their ancestral land. In case this toxic and undesirable Decree Number 36/2015 issued on 2nd of October 2015 is not revoked, then Chollo Community is more likely to defend their rights over their ancestral land, and it may happen later when all peace means were exhausted without tangible and productive result. Indeed, JMEC, IGAD Plus, Troika and the International community should not blame Chollo Community, in case they react to unpopular Decree of the creation of 28 states.

Please accept the assurances of our highest consideration and great esteem.

Thank you.

Samson Oyay Awin

Chairman of Chollo Community Council, Khartoum Sudan

CC. Chairman of the African Union (AU) Commision, Addis Ababa

CC. IGAD member countries (Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda)

CC. United Nations Secretary General, New York, USA.

CC. Troika Countries (USA, UK and Norway)

CC. His Majesty Reth Kwongo Dak Padiet, Reth of Chollo, Fashoda

CC. MPs in the National Legislative Assembly, Juba, South Sudan.

CC. Chairman of Chollo Intellectuals Committee, Juba, South Sudan.

CC. Chollo Community Members in Diaspora (USA, UK, Australia andothers)