Gov’t told to nullify decision relocating Makal county

JUBA – The Chollo community in diaspora is urging South Sudan’s Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) to nullify Friday’s decision to relocate the headquarters of Upper Nile state’s Makal county from Malakal town.

On Friday, South Sudan’s minister of cabinet affairs Martin Elia Lomoro said Machar in a meeting he chaired and attended by him, the governor of Upper Nile state and his deputy as well as President Salva Kiir’s security advisor Tut Gatluak endorsed the removal of Makal county from Malakal and for the later to be constituted as a municipality.

“We call and urge the Transitional government of the Republic of South Sudan to invalidate this provocative decision and to leave land issue in the hand of state authority and native inhabitants to decide on use of lands,” the Collo community in diaspora said in a statement extended to Sudans Post.

“We, the undersigned Collo community leaders in Diasporas would like to remind you that the land issue and the use of land or any relaxation of adjacent lands was one of the reasons that led into the current conflict in South Sudan.

“The current Republic of South Sudan was born as a result of long marathon negotiations between two former warring parties, the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) and then National Congress party (NCP) which signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, that was incorporated in the Tansitional constitution of Sudan and transitional constitution of the republic of South Sudan, hence the Sudan border of 01/01/1956 was the reference that marked the geographical boundaries among the states, counties and communities and Makal/ Malakal county was not exceptional.

“We the Collo Community leaders in Diaspora in the strongest term possible condemn and reject the moves of relocation of Makal County. The Sudan People’s Liberation in Opposition (SPLM-IO) becomes the people movement because of the promissory call to put an end to insane policy of land grabbing and to give back the grabbed lands to their native inhabitants.

“SPLM-IO call for imposition of federalism in South Sudan had become attractive to the grassroots entity for its assuring call to impose a system of federalism in South Sudan based on tribal boundaries demarcated by January 1, 1956’s political map. SPLM-IO once adopted the system of federation and appointed the governors of twenty one states as self-governing states. This practice had motivated people to support IO as real people movement.

“But the outcome of the recent meeting between Dr. Riek Machar; Dr. Martin Elia Lomoro; Hon. Obuthok Ayang Kur, governor of Upper Nile State; deputy governor, James Tor Monybuny and the Presidential Security Advisor Tut Gatluak announced by the minister, Dr. Martin to relocate the headquarter of Makal county outside Makal municipality is interpreted in the following.

Misleading people: SPLM-IO misguided or mislead people by going against its previous call to impose federalism in South Sudan. Violation of state constitution and intervention in state jurisdiction: Salva Kiir’s government with permission of SPLM-IO violated the state constitution and jurisdiction by ordering relocation of headquarters of Makal County outside Makal municipality.

“Violation of Peace Agreement: With permission of SPLM-IO, the federal infringement of state constitution and land laws constituted a clear violation of the September 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict and the good work of IGAD’s Technical Boundary Committee that was authorized to define and demarcate the tribal lands based on 1 January 1956. Too much concession

“We urge the Transitional of government of the Republic of South Sudan to invalidate this provocative decision and to leave land issue in hand of state authority and native inhabitants to decide on use of lands. This is the way to implement endurable peace and to restore peaceful coexistence between neighboring counties.

“We also urge all the newly appointed constitutional post holders in the government of Upper Nile State from the sons and daughters of Collo from various political parties in cluding SPLM-IG to distance themselves from the policy of land grabbing doctored by Joshua Dau, the co-chair of Jieng Council of Elders (JCE) and immediately resign to consolidate the solidarity with Collo people, Makal County and land of Nyikango.”