SPLA-IO Internal Memo: Let Us Stand For Truth In This Time Of Betrayal

Maj. General John Sunday Martin (Photo Supplied)

(Pachodo.org) - Fellow Generals, Officers, and Men and Women in Uniform of the SPLA-IO,

In a time like this that we are facing as revolutionary Movement, (SPLA-IO), nothing can save us as men and women in uniform other than standing for the truth.

Hence, I would like to appeal to all of us, the armed forces of the SPLM/SPLA-IO, not to allow ourselves to be used for the selfish political struggles the Movement is facing.

For too long, we the men and women in uniform have been made to pay the price for political struggles that have nothing to do with the national interest.

I wish to state this with confidence that, _"the ongoing political struggle among our political leaders in the ranks and files of the SPLM-IO is not about the suffering of our people. It is not about rescuing our Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Riek Machar. It is about the selfish desire of some individual politicians within our system for political power. Those policians are under the influence of the regime, and what is happening is designed by the regime to weaken us and to make us be defeated both politically and militarily. This is a struggle for positions that have already been promised to them by the regime. So let no one lie to us that it is about safeguarding the interests of the Movement or about protecting Dr. Riek Machar who is under detention in Juba"._

This ongoing internal political struggle among our leaders is not about the interests of the people we armed ourselves to liberate from the cruel, dictatorial, corrupt and failed regime in Juba. Therefore, we must not take part in it.

Let me remind all of us, Generals, Officers and soldiers of the SPLA-IO, that those politicians who are causing political confusion in our ranks and files in the name of safeguarding the Movement or protecting our leader, Dr. Riek Machar today, never cared about the Movement, about Dr. Riek Machar, or even about us in uniform.

They left us long ago in the bushes. They do not ask how we eat. They do not care how we get medical treatment when we are wounded or sick. They do not care how our families back home are surviving, how our children are getting an education, or how our parents are living.

Now, they are causing confusion and want us to fight amongst us, and make this Movement be defeated and surrender to a regime that we are more than capable of removing, while they themselves remain in safe places - in hotels, in foreign capitals, behind high walls and driving luxurious cars in Juba. And they expect us, brothers and sisters in uniform whom they have left to suffer in the bushes, to kill each other for their own political ambitions.

Let us be honest with ourselves: How many of our comrades have we buried because of their orders? How many families have been left without fathers and mothers because of wars that serve only a few?

This time, we must be courageous to say no, and clever to leave them.

Never again shall we allow ourselves to be used for the political benefit of those politicians. Our uniform is a uniform for the liberation of our people and our country, not for supporting any small political group of mafias or selfish interests of individual leaders.

I call on all of us, the revolutionary army of the SPLA-IO, to stand united with one goal: to protect our people and to defend the cause of our national existence, not the political agendas of individual politicians.

Let us remain professional, disciplined, and united. Let us refuse to be divided along political lines by those politicians.

I would like to end by arguing the High Military Command of SPLA-IO that, it is time to urge our politicians to solve their political differences through political dialogue. If they fail, then as the revolutionary army, for the sake of history and to safeguard the Movement and our leaders who are under detention in Juba, the Army has the full responsibility to intervene and take the lead in the interest of rescuing the country.

Final, as the military, let us continue to engage with armed wings of other revolutionary fronts for military cooperation on how we can rescue this country, end the suffering of our people, and bring about fundamental change.

*Maj. General John Sunday Martin*
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