Office of the EPIC Executive Council
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
Date:16th April 2020
Subject: Position paper on the current defection of Hon Dak Duop Bichiok to SPLMIG led by President Salva Kiir Mayardit
April 17, 2020 (SSNA) — We, the Eastern Jikany Peace Initiative Conference (EPIC) is surprised by the recent defection of a group of SPLMSPLAIO which predominantly from Eastern Jikany Community, led by Hon Dak Duop Bichiok, the former Minister of Petroleum who was appointed by SPLMIO in the collapsed 2015 peace deal.
This defection is full of confusion. The R-TGONU is formed already. There is no Ministerial position left a vacancy in SPLMIG that he would admire to be given by Salva Kiir Mayardit. So, the R-TGoNU is fully formed and currently under serious implementation.
Hon Dak Duop is a person we trust; he would not defect because of not appointed to Ministerial positions. After the formation of the R-TGoNU, Hon Dak got upset and this move began to circulate in and around the fence, but we expect Hon Dak Duop to reversed it because he is not greedy or power hunger. So, we condemn in the strongest term possible this unfortunate political move. It is meaningless and weightless at all courses defecting these days while South Sudan is implementing a peace agreement.
Hon. Puot Kang Chuol is a well experienced SPLMIO Cadre who owns the same rights to honor the trust of the Chairman of SPLMIO, just like any other son. There are things Hon. Dak Duop would have asked himself. When he was appointed Ministry of Petroleum in 2016, Hon Puot Kang was in Juba and he never got dissatisfaction. This may be a reason why you left alone in Gaajaak Community, and part away with few disgruntled from Gaajiok community. You have shown us that your politics is a politic of self-serve. If you were fighting to reform, the innocent people whom we are fighting for them are still suffering. This alone shows you are short of ideas to take the reform’s agenda forward. So, it is waste maintaining you in the SPLM SPLA-IO.
EPIC wishes to announce to the people of Eastern Jikany, Nuer Community and South Sudan at large that this recent defection has nothing to do with affairs of the people of Eastern Jikany Community in South Sudan and abroad. Eastern Jikany Community is fully and sincerely guided by the light shaded on them by the leadership of SPLM-SPLA-IO led by First Vice President of South Sudan Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon.
EPIC wishes to inform the people of Eastern Jikany community world-wide to detach any kind of formal communication with those defected cadres and continue to serve the value of peace.
EPIC call on all White Armies and SPLM-SPLA-IO to be vigilant from regime’s destructive master plan that was tested in Eastern Jikany Community particularly informer Adar State. The plan is a tool to avert the implementation of the R-ARCSS such that the country goes back to another war.
EPIC calls on IGAD and the international community to closely react to this manmade low implementation of R-TGONU, particularly Security Arrangements and the formation of the state government which derailed the peace processes.
The letter was written and signed by:
1. Cde Mok Riek Badeng-Acting Chairman of EPIC
2. Cde Simon Ngut Kun-Secretary-General of EPIC
3. Cde Lew Lual Deng-Chairman of Eastern Jikany Community Council of Australia
4. Cde Dak Wal Miyong-Chairman of Eastern Jikany Community in USA
5. Cde Koang Malual Khor-Chairman-Eastern Jikany Community in Canada
6. Cde Tar Bol Mach-Eastern Jikany Youth Representative