We the Mabaan Diaspora Voices are condemning our commissioner’s provocative statement at a rally organized by elements of the government of Upper Nile State in Mabaan County on 22 January 2014.

We quote: “I am ready. We are ready. Whether it’s a militia or ‘white army,’ we are ready for anything… if fifty die, another fifty will take up arms.” 

We want to make it clearly that no one is ready to fight a senseless war declared by commissioner, why war? Nuer is not our enemy neither a threat to Mabaan people but the baseless statement of the commissioner engineers psychological fear and threatens peaceful co-existence between the two tribes.

We are strongly condemning the commissioner’s statement and his action to recruit militia army group to fight alongside South Sudan national army against pro-democratic forces led by Dr. Riek Machar. We consider him as a confused commissioner who lacks knowledge and understanding about the root causes of ongoing violence and mass killing invented by the government of South Sudan.

We the sons and daughters of Mabaan in diaspora forcefully reject the idea of recruiting a militia group at the county level because we believe that this political crisis, which started as a dispute within the Presidential Guard on 15 December, cannot be solved through guns but through political dialogue.

The youth should not be misled by self-interested politicians to wage war against any tribe. Time has come for youth to oppose visionless leaders and cultivate the spirit of nationalism, unity and peaceful co-existence living with our neighbors because this war has nothing to do with tribes but was forced by the dictatorial regime in Juba. The bright future of youth cannot be achieved by gun but through education. We are against tribal war and the open militia training centre in the county to train youth to fight an unknown enemy. We encourage youth to stay away from the recruitment training center.

For the interest of Mabaan people we ask Mr. James Basha to withdraw his baseless statement immediately which was broadcasted on Radio Tamazuj on 22 January 2014.

We the Mabaan community in Diaspora will not support or encourage the government that murders its own citizens and imposes dictatorial rule. The government of South Sudan must promote democratic values and the rule of law, which can give equal opportunity to every citizen regardless of their ethnicity.

The government of South Sudan wields unfettered power, enforcing its favorites’ policies and suppressing whoever stands for political rights and attempts to impose severe political marginalization on those who stand for democratic reforms. Such a government is an enemy of peace and should be opposed.

By Philemon Daud, Secretary of Mabaan Diaspora Voices

Photo: SPLA-N soldiers traveling on a tractor in Bunj town in Maban County, South Sudan, 2012 (Julien Behal/GOAL)