AN OPEN PETITION TO THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL AND THE AFRICAN UNION PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL ON ESCALATION OF ACTS OF OCCUPATION, EXTENSIVE DEVASTATION OF PROPERTY AND FARMLANDS IN EQUATORIA REGION OF SOUTH SUDAN

We, the undersigned citizens of the three states in the Republic of South Sudan, namely: Eastern Equatoria State, Central Equatoria State and Western Equatoria State, which are, together, referred to as “Equatoria Region”, with hearts full of anguish, hereby submit this petition for urgent attention of the esteemed UN Security Council (UNSC) and the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC).

What is Equatoria Region and Who are the Equatorians?

1.    Equatoria Region occupies about a third (195,847.67 km2) of the South Sudanese territory and is inhabited by close to a third of the country’s estimated 12 million people. Equatorians are a mix of tribes, demographic divisions (Bantu, Nilo-Hamites and Nilotes) and cultures. Their main source of livelihood is mostly agriculture and agro-pastoralism.

Scorched Earth Policy

2.    The Region of Equatoria has recently been witnessing escalated devastation and burning of housing property and planted crops by armed cattle herders from the Dinka ethnicity, which the incumbent President of the Republic, General Salva Kiir Mayardit hails from. Pictorial evidence of the level of destruction indicates that the horrific atrocities are a manifestation of a deliberate genocidal, scorched earth policy by the Dinka tribe in the country. The counties of Magwi, Kajo-Keji and Lainya, and the payams (sub-counties) of Wonduruba and Lowoyi have suffered the most of the mayhem, resulting in fleeing of their indigenous populations and occupation by the herdsmen.  

3.    Countless recorded verbal testimonies have been published that point to this scorch earth policy. A case strengthening this suspicion is that the Dinka leadership is silent on this grave matter. Many complaints and petitions by delegates from the Region who met the President or sent petitions to him have not been met with concrete actions but rhetorical promises.

4.    We have been compelled to interpret this inaction as a glaring indication that there is ominous tribal agenda to confine Equatorians to permanent refugee status and those in the country to second class citizenship status, or to drive them out of their own country so it automatically becomes a monoethnic state. It is increasingly becoming an existential threat to Equatorians as a people.

5.    The regime in Juba has been deceptively urging refugees and internally displaced populations to return to their original places of domicile. However, recent events show lack of commitment to this policy. We have reason to believe that the cattle herders marauding in Equatorian lands are deliberately armed with automatic and modern weapons and used as proxy to drive the indigenous populations out of their settlements; thus even if they plan to return home they will not find any home to sleep in, no clean water and no food to eat!

The Conspiracy of Silence and Inaction by Mandated UN and International Bodies to Safeguard and Guarantee Peace in the Country

6.    More disturbing, is the fact that even with the overwhelming evidence collected by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and supported by human rights watch organizations, this body, which is mandated to preserve peace and stabilize the country, is spectacularly quiet! If not to build a case for establishing who the real offender is, and what action can be taken against him/her, then what purpose the routinely collected evidence of atrocities, violations of peace and human rights and massive suffering really serves?!

7.    Ironically, UNMISS is equipped with contingents of conventional forces and reasonable amount of military hardware that had it been used to shield the vulnerable civilians from assaults and atrocities, we would not be writing this petition. Alas, the organization is allowing itself to be harassed by the ethnocentric government! Tribal groups are being armed in broad daylight, reported by news media houses, and carry out operations, cattle raids and inflicted atrocities unabated! How often do we have to read reports of UN and international humanitarian workers being killed and relief property looted, yet such reports are only ending up in press statements of condemnation?!

8.    Vulnerable South Sudanese in General, and Equatorians in particular, feel neglected, given false hopes and exploited. We feel exploited in the sense that we are getting to establish that these organizations are there to ensure that the status quo of instability continues. The more they remain in the country, the more they are good sources of income for their employees who are paid huge amounts in what is called ‘hazard allowance’ besides their monthly salaries.

Our Appeal to the UNSC and AUPSC

9.    We urge the esteemed UNSC and AUPSC, to live up to their mandates of safeguarding peace, by taking the necessary measure to deter the ongoing acts of creating instability and perpetuating violence in our region and the country at large.

10.  We demand that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMIS) effect evacuation of the cattle herders back to their ancestral lands. Foreign nationals who have lived in our region know us for being peaceful, self-reliant and hospitable. Equatorians living in the other regions of the country and in exile have always respected and coexisted amicably with their host communities.

11. We also demand that necessary measures be taken to stop the regime in Juba and its proxy, the Dinka herdsmen, from perpetuating their scorch earth policy of destruction of livelihoods, human lives, property and cultivated land.

12. We further demand that these organizations put in place and implement a strategy to assess the damage caused and to compensate the victims and property destroyed.

Conclusion

Should we not get any positive response from the UNSC and AUPSC within the reasonable period of thirty (30) days, we shall be obliged to take the necessary action, and whatsoever means at our disposal, to defend our right to life, dignity, land and property. We proclaim our inalienable birth right and right to equal citizenship of South Sudan. No human force under the sun must deny us of these rights.

Signed online