Civil Society in South Sudan Appreciated

We Appreciate the Role Played by South Sudan Civil Society Organizations, says Susan Rice

[Juba, South Sudan] – By Larco Lomayat                                October 8, 2010

The 15 members of the United Nations Security Council headed by Ambassador Suzan Rice arrived Juba on Wednesday, October 6; and held several meetings with the Government of South Sudan, with South Sudan Referendum Bureau as well as with the 17 Representatives of South Sudan Civil Society Organizations and the Church.

Ambassador Dr. Susan Rice Receives Signed Memo from Ambassador John Andruga Duku.

Next to them is the Current Chairman of the United Nations Security Council,

Ambassador Ruhukana Rugunda (Uganda)

Jube, October 6, 2010 - Pictures By Larco Lomayat

Dr. Suzan Rice, United States Ambassador to the United Nations who appreciates the role being played by the South Sudan Civil Society Organizations; and while meeting with the 17 civil society Organization Representatives; she said that "We want to encourage the north and south to do everything in their power to hold the January 9 referendums on time and to ensure that there is a peaceful transition afterwards if the south chooses secession, we also want to see the situation on the ground in Darfur, which has been worrying”.

This is the second time is history for UN Security Council to hold two sessions outside New York on Sudan issues, a move which is much appreciated by the people of southern Sudan.

 Arch-Bishop Paulino Lukudu Loro speaking on behalf of the Church

Attended the meetings from GOSS are; H. E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, GOSS President, Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, Kosti Manibe, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and GOSS Ministers of Legal Affairs, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister in the office of the President, Minister of Finance, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and others.

On the UN Security Council side, the meeting was attended by Ambassador Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, the current Chairman of the United Nations Security Council, Uganda, Ambassador Li Baodong, China, Ambassador GrardAraud, France, Ambassador Vital Churkin, Russia, Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, United Kingdom, Ambassador Suzan E. Rice, United States, Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting, Austria, Ambassador Ivan Barbalic, Bosnia, Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Brazil, Ambassador S.E.M. Denis Dangue Rewaka, Gabon, Ambassador Tsuneo Nishida, Japan, Ambassador Nawaf Salam, Lebanon, Ambassador Claude Heller, Mexico, Ambassador U. Joy Ogwu, Nigeria and Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan, Turkey.

After the meeting, Ambassador John Andruga Duku, Chief International Coordinator, Countdown to South Sudan Referendum 2011 handed a signed memo from the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations to Ambassador Dr. Susan Rice with a copy to all the other 14 Security Council members.

Professor Lokulrnge Lole, Secretary General, Coalition of South Sudan Civil Society Organization is making statement on behalf of the Organizations

Ambassador John Andruga Duku is briefing and making a Statement 

Ms. Lula Rizik is making a Statement

• Attached a PDF signed Memo and here below is the contents of the Memo:

To: Amb. Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda

The President,

UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL

Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uganda

United Nations

October 6^th, 2010

We, the Coalition of Southern Sudan Civil Society Organizations represented by 17 civil society organizations as signed bellow, without exception, experienced the sufferings, destruction, loss of lives and tragedies associated with war and slavery from 1955 to 1972 and 1983 to 2005. This devastating war has shaped our past and if not prevented through full implementation of the CPA it shall make the past to be repeated in the nearest foreseeable future.

We appeal to you the Security Council that our future should not be allowed to slip again to replicate the terrible past. We would like to dream of and work for a future full of freedom, peace and prosperity for all irrespective of race, religion or faith.

This hope was brought about by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that successfully brought an end to a man-made disaster and war whose cost was over 4 millions killed and huge potential development opportunity put to waste. It is a war that was fought against injustice and against unjust state that has since its independence in 1956 armed itself just to kill its own citizens. The CPA gave a chance for a peaceful solution to so many problems of the Sudan. The CPA therefore should be fully implemented to put an end to the unnecessary unjust war against our people. By fully implementing the CPA we could eagerly contribute to a peaceful world where there is a rule of law under a just society. We are committed to a peaceful and credible referendum should the Security Council add their efforts to enable all actors to achieve a timely referendum by January 9^th, 2011.

A timely and peaceful conclusion of the CPA is not only a great opportunity to avert another war but shall be crucial for all to put the current efforts on post conflict rehabilitation and the achievement of the MDGs. The Security Council should therefore take side with full implementation of the CPA and that the Security Council should stand firm to support the decision of the Peoples of Southern Sudan.

We stand to support the implementation of resolutions that come in the United Nations High Level Meeting on Sudan, September 24^th, 2010 in New York.

We support the ongoing efforts of IGAD initiatives to ensure a full implementation of the CPA and hence we remind the guarantors to firmly play their role in support to the timely and full implementation of the CPA.

We support the Kenyan Government’s call for an extraordinary Submit of the IGAD on the CPA implementation in November 2010 and we urge high level representation of all the guarantors of the CPA to attend and be firm.

We urge the Security Council to ensure timely implementation of Abyei Protocol on January 9^th, 2011 and guarantee full implementation of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on Abyei Area.

We concur with the fact that making Unity Attractive to the Peoples of Southern Sudan is not attainable within the remaining 95 days due to the demonstrated bad faith in the CPA implementation by NCP.

We bring to the attention of the Security Council and International Criminal Court (ICC) the expressed intimidation and threats to the lives of Southern Sudanese in Northern Sudan by some Sudan Government Officials.  We are alarmed by the statements of these senior Sudanese Government Officials that are not different from the path that led to the Rwandan Genocide.

To prevent this looming threat of massacres by the NCP, the UNSC must be geared up to upgrade the UNMIS Mandate status from Chapter 6 to Chapter 7.

We urge the Security Council to prevail upon SPLM, NCP and the communities involved in the Popular Consultation in Blue Nile State and Southern Kordofan State to ascertain timely exercise of the mandatory process.

We urge the UN Security Council to intervene to end the genocide in Darfur.

We appreciate the commitment of the donor community to ensure timely provision of technical and financial support for civic education and effective monitoring of the referenda process.

We appreciate the commitment made by UN Security Council to bring a just peace to Sudan as demonstrated by the Nairobi Session in 2004 and this October, 2010 Juba session.

We appreciate the recognition given to the Peoples of Southern Sudan through the invitations to address the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly by Dr. John Garang de Mabior in 2005 and the September 24^th, 2010, SPLM Chairman Salva Kiir Mayardit in New York.

Coalition of the South Sudan Civil Society Organizations for Referendum

1. MY REFERENDUM FOR FREEDOM

Kur Ayuen Kou

            Co-Executive Director

2. YOUTH FOR SEPARATION

            Buda John Aban

            Secretary General

3. SOUTHERN SUDAN CIVIC EDUCATION ORGANIZATION

            Professor Lokulenge L. Lole

            Chief Internal Campaign

4. GREATER UPPER NILE, BAHR AL GAZAL AND EQUATORIA YOUTH ASSOCIATION (GUBEYA)

Barjok Maduak
Secretary General

5. SOUTH SUDANESE WOMEN EMPOWERMENT NETWORK

Lilian Riziq

            Executive Director

6. GEBU REFERENDUM

            Peter Atem Ngor

            Chairman

7. SOUTH SUDAN WOMEN GENERAL ASSOCIATION

            Sarah Awel Ajieth

Chair person

8. CONCERN FOR MOTHERS AND CHILDREN

Nunu Elsa Effe

            Executive Director

9. SOUTHERN SUDAN YOUTH FORUM FOR REFERENDUM

Benjamin Bol Mel

Chairman

10. ABYEI REFERENDUM FORUM

Chol Deng Alaak

Chairman

11. YOUTH FOR POPULAR CONSULTATION

Gabriel Al Azier Tarifa

            Secretary General

12. SUDANESE REFUGEES ASSOCIATION IN KENYA

Secretary General

Diing Deng

13. INDIVIDUAL ACTIVISTS 

14. SOUTHERN SUDAN MUSLIM COMMUNITY

Juma Saed

15. CHIEFS OF SOUTHERN SUDAN

Chief Marial  

16. LIBERTY ORGANIZATION

Reech Ring

17. SUDANESE YOUTH AGAINST DRUGS ABUSE

Mary Natik

Cc:    China                       Amb. Li Baodong

Cc:    France                      Ambassador GrardAraud

Cc:    Russia                      Amb. Vital Churkin

Cc:    United Kingdom     Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant

Cc:   United States                        Amb. Sazan E. Ric

Cc:  Austria                       Amb. Thomas Mayr-Harting

Cc:  Bosnia                        Amb. Ivan Barbalic

Cc:  Brazil                         Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti

Cc:   Gabon                       Amb. S.E.M. Denis Dangue Rewaka

Cc:   Japan                         Amb. Tsuneo Nishida

Cc:  Lebanon                     Ambassador Nawaf Salam

Cc:  Mexico                       Amb.Claude Heller

Cc: Nigeria                        Ambassador U. Joy Ogwu

Cc:   Turkey                      Amb. Ertuğrul Apakan,

Cc:  Uganda                      Amb. Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda

Attachment: Statements by Sudan Government Officials:

Presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail Speaking at a meeting with local political leaders in Kassala, urged all those who are able to carry arms to mobilize in order to protect the country against challenges in the event of the South’s split. “We are peace lovers and we are working for it," Ismail said. "We hold the olive branch in the same hand that carries a weapon. For those who come to us with peace we will extend the hand that carries the olive branch and for those who want to stab us in the back we will confront him face to face."

Mukhtar Babo Nimr, the chief of the Missieria in Abyei "After today we will not recognize what came out of The Hague because in our view it is an agreement of [two] parties and not a ruling of a court”.

"If they don’t accept our votes in the referendum there will be no voting, we will use force to achieve our rights and we will use weapons against anyone who tries to stop us from voting in the referendum....If they don’t meet our demands then we will set everything alight. If that leads to war then so be it."

Information Minister Kamal Mohamed Obeid, from the North's dominant National Congress Party, shocked those concerns by telling state media that southerners would be counted as "citizens of another state" if the vote went for independence.

"If the result of the referendum was separation, then the southerners will not enjoy citizenship rights in the north as they would be considered citizens of another state", he was quoted as saying on the state Suna news agency late on Friday.

"They will not enjoy citizenship rights, jobs or benefits, they will not be allowed to buy or sell in Khartoum market and they will not treated in hospitals,

"Furthermore, many post-referendum arrangements have yet to be ironed out particularly border demarcation, oil sharing, citizenship, national debts and water. The NCP insists that unless border demarcation is complete, no referendum will take place.