Press Release: (SSNIAHR) Human Rights Group Calls Upon UN to Protect Civilians in South Sudan

: Written/Submitted by Gordon Buay; Category: Pachodo.org Latest English Articles; Published: 27 July 2011; Hits: 5266

Public Statement

South Sudan Nuer International Advocacy for Human Rights (SSNIAHR)

July, 25, 2011

The South Sudan Nuer International Advocacy for Human Rights (SSNIAHR) calls upon the United Mission in Sudan (UNMISS) to observe its mandate to protect the civil population from the SPLA.

Since South Sudan became an independent country on July, 9, 2011, the UNMIS should step up protection of civil population and monitoring of human rights violations.

Prior to the declaration of independence of South Sudan, the (UNMISS) miserably failed to fulfill its mission to monitor human rights violations in the entire South Sudan. The government of South Sudan’s security forces committed various human rights violations despite the presence of (UNMISS) in most major towns of the South. Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the government of Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir has been engaged in extrajudicial and other unlawful killings; torture; beatings, raping and other cruel, inhuman treatments or punishments.

In 2010, the SPLA army committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Shilluk Kingdom where Shilluk men and women were targeted as a result of Robert Gwang’s rebellion. Women were raped and men severely tortured. Until then, the SPLA forces who committed those heinous war crimes and crimes against humanity have not been brought to justice.

Before the incidents which took place in Kaldak and Mayom, civil populations were targeted in Fangak County where over three hundred civilians were killed and buried in mass graves. In April and May 2011, Nuer civilians were also targeted in Kaldak village and Mayom County respectively. Civilians in these areas were killed and tortured because they hailed from Nuer ethnic group. The SPLA soldiers who killed and tortured them were from Dinka ethnic group. The UN Report about Kaldak incident of April 23^rd confirmed the motive behind the targeting of Nuer civil population as tribally motivated killings. The same tribally motivated killings took place in Mayom County where the SPLA army burned down over 8,000 homesteads to punish the Bul Nuer clan chiefly because the rebel leader fighting Juba government hailed from that clan.

In Unity State, the SPLA army committed arbitrary and unlawful killings in towns by targeting those who criticized the governor of the state. The state government does not have any respect for the integrity of the persons, including freedom from arbitrary or unlawful arrests. Although the Interim Constitution of South Sudan prohibits such practices; however, the Unity State’s security forces continued to torture, beat and harass suspected political opponents and others. The worst part of unlawful killings is the recent assassination of Col. Gatluak Gai one week after signing peace accord with the SPLA and the State Government. Credible sources within the government of South Sudan revealed that the SPLA Military Intelligence, in conjunction with Gov. Taban Deng Gai, bribed Col. Gatluak Gai’s deputy to carryout assassination mission. The revelation was confirmed on July, 24, 2011, when the killer of Col. Gatluak Gai was interviewed by the state radio in which he explained and justified the killings of his boss.

Arbitrary arrests and detentions also take place regularly in Greater Equatoria region where SPLA high-ranking officers grabbed lands of indigenous communities of the region through the use of force. In towns like Yei and Nimule, the government security agents continued to arbitrarily arrest and detain persons who attempt to claim their lands. Despite the fact that the SPLA army is not legally invested with arrest powers as per South Sudan constitution, people who attempted to claim back their lands in Juba, Yei and Nimule have been subjected to arbitrary arrests and detentions. For example, in Eastern Equatoria State, the SPLA and security agents have been implicated in the killings of civilians and journalists who questioned the unconstitutional practices of the security organs.

Physical abuses, punishment and torture are also common occurrences in Juba town. On July, 7, 2011, the SPLM-DC leader of opposition in South Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) and Deputy Chairman of SPLM-DC were severely beaten by the SPLA Military Intelligence unit called Special Branch. The police officers who were guarding the South Sudan Legislative Assembly’s opposition leader were not also spared from physical torture. The motive was to punish the leadership of the SPLM-DC for voting against the draft transitional constitution earlier on July, 6, 2011. Although the Interim Constitution of South Sudan gives the leader of the opposition and members of parliament immunity, the SPLA Special Branch paid no regard to constitutional principles which allow freedom of speech, expression, assembly and conscience.

The South Sudan Nuer International Advocacy for Human Rights (SSNIAHR) would like to remind the UNMISS that human rights abuses are culture of SPLM/A Movement. The current leaders of the government of South Sudan committed war crimes and crimes against humanity against South Sudan civil population during the years of the liberation struggle. The same inhuman treatments and punishments were echoed in May this year against the Bul Nuer civil population in violation of international laws which prohibit war crimes and crimes against humanity.

We would like to conclude that the following human rights abuses are occurring daily in South Sudan: abridgement of citizens\' right to change their government; extrajudicial and other unlawful killings by SPLA forces and security agents throughout the South; torture, beatings, rape, and other cruel, inhumane treatment or punishment by security forces; harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, incommunicado detention of suspected SPLM opponents, and prolonged pretrial detention; executive interference with the judiciary and denial of due process; obstruction of the delivery of humanitarian assistance; restrictions on privacy; restrictions on freedom of speech; restrictions on the press; restrictions on freedoms of assembly, association, religion, and movement; harassment of internally displaced persons; violence and discrimination against women; child abuse, including sexual violence and recruitment of child soldiers; prevention of international human rights observers from traveling to and within areas where human rights are abused; discrimination and violence against ethnic minorities; denial of workers\' rights; and forced and child labor.

For contact:

Chairman, Peter Gatkuoth Wadar Kuel

Phone: (206)393 2164
Washington State, U.S. A

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.southsudanadvocates.org

Secretary General, Gatluke Chuol Reat

Phone: (226)789-2511
Ontario, Canada

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.southsudanadvocates.org

Secretary of Information, Chuker Nger Machar

Phone: (719)217 3500
Colorado, U.S.A

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.southsudanadvocates.org

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Comments (3)

aleu

July 27, 2011, 6:35 am
#5056

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Gordon Buya.

I think you need to make adjustment for your statement, the way you are trying to put it, does not show your qualification at all but prove Idocy. Remember don't just post your meaningless at the Shullik website always and assuming the Shullik tribe are anti GOSS this is wrong concept. Shullik tribe did not do any damage to the SPLA/SPLM although Dr. Lom Akol was sharing defection with Dr. Riek Machar, he was just a political who have no more army as Riek did but went to site in Khartoum until the CPA. You can post whatever, come to your mind and you can go ahead writing nonenese as much as you wanted however, those statement would back fire some days when you forgot it.

You should remember that, people read all websites and I would real blame the Shullik web administrator who accepted your nonesense to post here against Dinka. I don't see any reason why you should wrongfully accusing Dinka tribe in the SPLA when in reality all different tribes in Southern Sudan are combine together as one units in GOSS. If you guys can not acknowledge the important of unity and one nation that needs everyone to work one hand for the common good then, there is no function for being a human beings in Southern Sudan nation. We Dinka people don't cover up people even when we see our Sons are not following the right way, we tell them frankly and shown them for example, Kerubino Kuanyin Bol when he was trying to divided SPLA/SPLM movement, the people from all Dinkas of Bahr al Ghazal States rejected him until he himself surrendering back to the SPLA/SPLM and later he got killed by Peter Gatdat Yaka and I understand that, you are supporting bad guys most of the time this is not a new in Southern Sudan.

South Sudan has become a nation and I wish most of you must adjust or change your attitudes and come to contribute nation building otherwise,it will be meaningless when the whole societies are almost causing a very significantly terrible in the region. According to my knowledge, the SPLA is the combination of all Southern Sudanese tribes and if they have done some thing wrong then, it should not be blames on a certain tribe such as Dinka and other instead, people should site and find the way of solving their problems as a nation and people of one government and one land unfortunately, some norrow minds people just know only how to make a trouble in between people and tribe this has to be change my friend. Your attitude is lacking for personal goal,sincerely,respectful and commitment as if I would assume as you have learn some thing in education term but I don't real see your qualification base on your unprofound accusation throughout.

Divisionism of supporting one tribe will take us nowhere in the world but keep people stupid and no development forever and that is why Southern Sudan fall back from the rest of others Eastern African communities. This is time for you to leave unusual political rhetorical that, will damage the image of all South Sudan nation, you seem to point out particular on Dinka in the SPLA, but you fail to understand that, you are absolutely damaging the whole Southern Sudan including your favoritim tribe.For the first that, the SPLA/SPLM movement apparently gave more chances to many people and all tribes to hold a big positions in the GOSS which had never happen before during the 55 years since, the Sudan gained its independence in 1956, and I had never seen people who can not make admiration for what it have been done through difficulties and came out successful nation what and who do you guys thinks will be the best person in South Sudan? if Dr. Riek Machar Teny and more than 50 people are working in the GOSS still people accused Dinka tribe please be social person if you want to be the Son of young nation South Sudan.

aleu

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Mkoganwand Wak

July 27, 2011, 4:07 pm
#5057

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

I don't know if Mr.Aleu as you called yourself is here in the Republic os South Sudan or you are in somewhere else in the World,the crimes of SPLA against human rights is well known to everybody here in the Sudan,specially in the South Sudan,SPLA is not the SSA,it is the SPLM military wing,and SPLA dinka militias for grabbing lands of other tribes in the Republic of South Sudan,and they are Dinka forces to be used against other tribes like what happened to the Nuer communty in Fangak and kal Dak and like what happened to the shilluk community in Dur,all these crimes are against human rights,SPLA is not qualify to be national army for the Republic of South Sudan ,but dinka tribe will pay back what they are dong now,there is no permement government in the world ,dinka tribe must to change their criminal acts against other tribes,your crimes and tactics are known to everybody,now your are using Nuer against Nuer community and shilluk against skilluk community,but your tribe will pay back what they are doing now.

Mkoganwand Wak

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michael

July 27, 2011, 5:50 pm
#5058

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

I don't things there is somethings wrong with statement about(Southern Sudan Nuer International Advocacy Human Righty )calls for Upon the United mision in sudan to observe its mandate to protects civil population from the wrong doing in (SPLA).It is rights that there is a violations of Human Right in Southern Sudan.But the Question is do we need to talk abut it or it okay that if the women are being rape and men are being killed. when South and North sudan were one conutry, uesd to be some violation like happening in Southern sudan righ now.and we southern used to cried that the governments of North violation the Human Rights, Now, when our governments violation the human rights to our bothers and sisters, then we try to cover it, we are not the animals, we are human being like anyone.We need Human Rights to bring those wrong doing in Southern, like in the North to Justics and ICC. Not everyone who know rights of others,if its doesn't happen to somebody who is related to you,somepeople see what happen to others people as is not so important unless it happen to somebody who is close to, that how it feel like it is real bad.It doesn't mean the government is bad, but government have to bring the person who violation the Human Rights to Justics.That is it what government have to do, so that another person will see and say yei!these is a law and human Rights.

michael