The Eastern Jikany Peace Initiative Council (EPIC)
Office of the EPIC Executive Council
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
Date 10th September 2020
SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO NEGATIVE PROPAGANDA ACCUSING EPIC LEADERSHIP TO HAVE ADDRESSED LETTER TO PRESIDENT SALVA KIIR DESERVES NO ATTENTION
September 11, 2020 (SSNA) — The Leadership of EPIC in South Sudan and worldwide is surprised and deeply saddened by the recent letter dated 5th September 2020, with the subject “Gen. Taban Deng Gai conspiracies against your leadership” circulated on social media by the “Voice of the People Forum” accusing EPIC Leadership to have addressed a letter to President Salva Kiir Mayardit asking him to remove Gen. Taban Deng Gai from Vice President position and replace him with Hon. Gathoth Gatkuoth Hothnyang, Dak Duop Bichiok, and Dr. Riek Gai Kok. The letter has falsely claimed that it was signed.
The people of Eastern Jikany Community do hereby strongly denounce this unfortunate political move that tried to put Eastern Jikany Community to shame. It is not the first time Kiir’s allies falsely forge such wild propaganda. We, the leadership of EPIC have chosen to respond to this propaganda because it was politically planned and designed by the enemies of peace with the interest to import mistrust between the EPIC Leadership and the Eastern Jikany Community at large. It is a pure lie intentionally proposed and projected by a few disgruntled politicians whose roles are to mobilize people to join the rogue regime to earn a living. They were trying to communicate their selfish interest to Salva Kiir Mayardit, but intentionally listed the names of the Leaders of the Eastern Jikany community worldwide to give their propaganda a weight and sound full. They forgot that they informed the world at large that people who joined killer Salva Kiir Mayardit were declared waste and valueless the moment they exited SPLM/IO and could not ink such a letter.
EPIC is a recognized complex civil institution operating in areas under the control of the SPLM/A (IO). It is a non-Profit-making and non-political institution and therefore, does not have the political right to claim the power of a political party or recommend Salva Kiir’s political allies to the high-level organ “the Presidency”. EPIC is guided by its principles and believed that government Positions are not allocated on tribal-based, and shall never be attempted under the Sun.
So, the people who were accused to undersign this fake communication are all members of the Eastern Jikany Community and therefore could not send any single petition to the government of South Sudan on behave of the Nuer Community.
However, that wishful thinking of seeing the Eastern Jikany Community destabilize and disunite will never be materialized at any cause. This community has passed through millions of miles of hardship and struggle for the freedom of the people of South Sudan. We are a solid team and the EPIC is our guiding star. We shall serve the purpose for which this community deserves and shall remain faithful and committed to genuinely serves innocent civilians of the Eastern Jikany community, Nuer Community, and South Sudan at large.
EPIC would like to call on members of the Eastern Jikany Community worldwide to ignore this fake communication and dustbin it immediately.
EPIC Called on the General public to ignore this false information since it was intended to bring division, mistrust, and derailed EPIC from implementing its core programs.
The letter was written and signed by:
Mr. Mok Riek Badeng – Acting Chairman of E-PIC
Mr. Simon Ngut Kun – Secretary-General of E-PIC
Mr. Lew Lual Deng – Chairperson, Eastern Jikany Community Council of Australia
Mr. Dak Wal Miyoang – Chairman, Eastern Jikany Community of USA
Mr. Dang Gatwech Deng – Chairman, Eastern Jikany Community of Canada
Mr. Koang Malual Khor – Deputy Chairman, Eastern Jikany Community of Canada
Mr. Tar Bol Mach – Eastern Jikany Youth Representative