Council Bluffs, Iowa, October 4, 2015 (SSNA) — South Sudan’s Former Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, has on Saturday addressed South Sudanese communities in the United States after he attended a United Nations-sponsored meeting in New York.
The South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) gained a rare access inside the conference hall where thousands of South Sudanese who came from all over the United States, Canada, and who are eager to hear the speech of the rebel leader sang traditional songs as the meeting hall, Mid-America Center, was bombarded with carefully selected songs.
In one of the biggest events ever held in the United States, deputy Chairman of the armed opposition, General Alfred Lado Gore, was blunt in his speech. Lado thanked South Sudanese in Diaspora, commended their support, and attacked Salva kiir’s government; saying kiir has failed the young nation and that he should simply go and mix himself-up with “cow dungs.” Lado also called Kiir’s government “useless.”
“Kiir’s government is the most useless government in the world,” Lado declared.
“What we need in South Sudan is a good leadership…and that leadership (Kiir’s) must go before a firing squad. Kiir cannot be even compare with Dr. Riek because Kiir still mixing himself-up with cow dungs,” he continues.
Lado also reminds the people about what happened in Juba in December 2013 when civilians were massacred by a government that was supposed to protect them. The room was in complete silence, many people shaded tears as the determined deputy rebel leader was in full-gear attacking Juba.
“Juba was turned into a slaughter house,” Lado added.
At 7:24PM, Central time (US), Lado called the rebel chief onto the stage. The hall erupted in a thunderous applause as people stood on their feet to welcome Dr. Machar.
Before Machar can start his speech, people started making loud noises, calling Machar “father of self-determination, true leader, the icon of freedom, among other names.”
Machar began his speech by thanking the people of South Sudan in Diaspora and told them that their contributions will never be forgotten.
He then talked about the implementation of the recently signed IGAD-Plus’s compromise peace agreement, saying the pact that has been signed must be implemented and call on all South Sudanese, especially the Diaspora to support the implementation. The armed opposition leader also thanks IGAD, IGAD-Plus, African Union (AU), and the international community for their efforts to find a peace agreement. He further thanks AU for making atrocities report public.
“This peace [deal] is not the best…but a minimum we can live with,” Machar told the gathering.
“The agreed peace is a federal system,” he asserted.
The rebel leader stated that the benefit of federalism is that people have a say in everything the government does. He used Nebraska’s motto, “Good Life,” as an example of a federal government, saying people of Nebraska now live comfortable because of federalism.
Machar also praises UN’s Secretary General, Ban Kii-Moon, for putting South Sudan on the map.
Machar also thanks South Sudanese who write against government in the internet, saying they are “Internet warriors” who deserve praises and recognitions and urge them to use their writing skills to help implement the peace deal.
28 States proposal violates compromise peace agreement
The rebel leader says the recent decree issued by South Sudanese President Kiir to create 28 states violates the compromise peace agreement.
Machar also blasted Kiir’s refusal to attend the 29th of September UN-sponsored meeting on South Sudan, adding that world leaders and South Sudanese started to become Skeptics after Kiir only participated in the conference through a video-link.
He concluded his speech by urging South Sudanese in Diaspora to go home and help implement the peace. Machar reminds the gathering that anyone who commits a crime in the ongoing civil war will be taken to a court of laws. Machar also says South Sudan’s security sector must be changed and reflect diversity.
Gunman captured
The SSNA was told that a man with a gun and believes to be from Equatoria region was captured by Machar’s security agents and turned over to local police. However, the SSNA cannot independently verify the claim.
"Oyee" has been replaced with "Viva"
In a surprise move, the rebel leadership stunned the gathering by announcing the replacement of a decades-long motto, "Oyee." After the proclamation of the change, the crowd again erupted in applause singing "Viva, Viva, Viva…"