For Immediate Release
Nuer Community in United States
December, 17, 2011
After a series of meetings, the leadership of Nuer community
in United States reached a unanimous resolution to condemn
the regime of Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit because of
continual human rights abuses against the Nuer civil
population in South Sudan. The leadership discovered that
Salva Kiir Mayardit is working to establish a
Dinka-dominated state where South Sudan minority tribes
would be treated as second-class citizens similar to
mistreatment the people of South Sudan went through in the
old Sudan.
The Nuer leadership identified facts which led to the
condemnation of Kiir’s regime. The followings are undeniable
incidents that compelled Nuer community to call for the
formation of White Army in South Sudan to defend the Nuer
civil population:
1. The illegal detention
of Maj. Gen. Gabriel Tang, Maj. Gen. Thomas Mabor Dhol and
Brig. Gen. Gatwec Joak is an indication that the Dinka
leadership in South Sudan does not want peace in the country
but revenge against the Nuer community and leaders. It
should be recalled that Maj. Gen. Gabriel Tang and his
officers responded to Salva Kiir’s call of reconciliation
last year and went to Juba for peace. After assembling his
3,000 forces at Kaldak Payam in Pigi County of Jonglei
State, he was attacked by the SPLA to assassinate him. He
survived the attack and was persuaded by South Sudan’s vice
president Riek Machar to go to Juba for further negotiation.
On his arrival on April, 28, 2011, Maj. Gen. Gabriel Tang
and his officers were detained in violation of the promise
Dr. Riek Machar had given them. Until then, their
whereabouts are not known. The worst part is that even Riek
Machar who persuaded Gabriel Tang doesn’t know where they
are detained. Besides, they have not been charged of any
crime nor were they brought before a competent court to
stand trial. There are unconfirmed reports that they have
been murdered because when the Minister of Defense, Lt. Gen.
John Kong Nyuon was asked two weeks ago, he admitted that he
had never seen them anywhere in South Sudan. Based on what
the Minister of Defense said, the family of Maj. Gen. Tang
concluded that they were killed.
2. The killing and
burning of Nuer civilians in Mayom County of Unity State in
May this year by the SPLA forces is something that shocked
the conscience of Nuer civil society worldwide. The former
Commissioner of Mayom County, Machieng Kuol, was removed
because he condemned the burning of 8,000 homesteads in one
day. Until then, the SPLA army continued to rape and kill
Nuer civilians in Unity State.
3. The massacre of 700
Nuer civilians in August by Murle tribemen who were armed by
Gov. Kuol Manayng Juuk is also an incident that convinced
the Nuer that Dinka are pursuing ethnic cleansing policy
against the Nuer. It is known that the Jonglei State
government gave 1000 AK-47 rifles to Murle in June in
pretext that they would use them to defend themselves from
George Athor. But the guns were turned against Lou Nuer
civilians who were disarmed in 2006. A battalion of 1000
SPLA army, which was few kilometers away from the villages
which were attacked, never intervened because they were
ordered not to defend the civilians. This order convinced
the Nuer community worldwide that the Dinka leadership in
the South has a policy to exterminate the Nuer population.
4. The forceful
disarmament being conducted by the SPLA army in the South is
targeting the Nuer more than their neighboring tribes. In
September, Dinka cattle rustlers from Warrap state took
advantage of Nuer disarmament and looted 100,000 cattle from
Mayiandit County of Unity State. The SPLA army, which was
stationed close to the County, refused to stop cattle
rustlers because the battalion was made largely of Dinka
from Bhar-el-Ghazal who were morally supporting their
tribemen to take Nuer cattle. Right now, women and children
are experiencing hunger in Mayiandit because the Nuer were
forcefully disarmed while the government is not able to
provide them security. In Nilotic culture, life revolves
around cattle and losing them means losing one’s livelihood.
For the above reasons, the Nuer community leadership in the
United States has decided to mobilize the Nuer civil
population in South Sudan to form a White Army to protect
themselves from Dinka cattle rustlers and Murle. The Nuer in
the United States will support the formation of the White
army financially, morally and socially because the Nuer, as
a tribe, will be an endangered species if they don’t arm
themselves in order to protect their lives and their
properties from external enemies.
It is clear beyond reasonable doubt that Lt. Gen. Salva
Kiir’s regime has a policy to exterminate the Nuer tribe in
South Sudan. Therefore, the Nuer have the right to
self-defense to preserve their existence in Africa. The Nuer
fought the British colonialists for thirty years in early
20th C because their livelihood was threatened. The Dinka’s
government in Juba is worse than the British colonial
administration because it is deliberately targeting the Nuer
in the disarmament.
For contact:
Information Office
Nuer Community in USA
Minnesota
Email: nuerpower@hotmail.com
