The leader of the rebel outfit, National Salvation Front (NAS), Gen. Thomas Cirillo Swaka, in a Christmas message said the transitional government in Juba does not care about the wellbeing of the citizens and that the country is ending another year in agony.
He said Christmas accords people an opportunity to renew their faith and embrace the message of love, sharing, hope, forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation. He hoped that his message would contribute towards fostering a safe and free country where good governance, rule of law, justice, and freedom reign!
“Fellow countrymen, South Sudan is ending yet another year with pain, trauma, and untold agony imposed on its people by a ruling kleptocracy that neither cares nor caters for the needs and welfare of its citizens,” Gen. Cirillo’s message reads in part. “All the emotional and psychological traumas are outcomes of widespread insecurity marked by targeted and extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, robbery, psychological torment, physical torture, sexual violence, severe hanger, and lack of medical service to mention but only a few.”
“The National Salvation Front condemns such gross violations of human rights and crimes committed against humanity by the de facto regime in Juba,” he added.
Cirillo said that instead of protecting citizens, the regime is deliberately and systematically unleashing terror and insecurity upon them.
“The dictatorial regime has also forced its infamous National Security Bill on our people using coercion, intimidation, and blackmail. I assure our masses that NAS remains a determined and committed movement with a mission to salvage the country from the claws of tyranny, tribal hegemony, and the greedy elite. NAS remains focused on accomplishing its objectives,” the message said. “Fellow Countrymen, the country’s superficial economy has collapsed; with its major economic resource – oil – no longer a viable foreign currency generator. Civil servants, officers and personnel of the security sector and contractors have all not been paid their wages and dues for over a year; a cardinal responsibility of a functional and responsible government that the Kiir regime has failed to live up to.”
According to the rebel leader, most South Sudanese are living below the poverty line, and in squalid and excruciating economic conditions.
“I painfully recognize that many of you are not likely to celebrate Christmas because you have not been paid your deserved salaries due to the absence of a responsible governance system. NAS applauds your resilience and steadfastness during this difficult time. I urge all our people not to surrender to tyranny and dictatorship but to be united in their struggle for freedom and justice,” Gen. Cirillo wrote. “Do not allow the regime to shatter the fabric of our families and society. I call on the IGAD countries and the International Community to focus on supporting the people of South Sudan in their relentless quest for a free, just, peaceful, and prosperous country. It is high time to review the support to the regime and its failed agreements that will not bring peace to the country. Such tolerance will only breed more conflicts which will hasten the collapse and disintegration of South Sudan.”
“In our ardent pursuit of the salvation of the people and the country, NAS is committed to bringing about genuine peace and this is the basis for our relentless call on the government in Juba to join us in a Roundtable Conference where the people of South Sudan can discuss the root causes of the conflict and find solutions. We firmly believe that it is the best and most practical mechanism for achieving lasting and sustainable peace,” he added.
According to Gen. Cirillo, the Juba regime abandoned the Rome peace mediation process and instead connived to circumvent it by launching a new peace process dubbed The Tumaini Initiative.
“Time has shown that the Tumaini Initiative is another attempt to consolidate power by the SPLM and the ruling elite and not to bring genuine peace to the people of South Sudan. Despite the notable widespread condemnation by our people and most foreign governments, his de facto regime is adamant and reluctant to bring peace, as it thrives on chaos, disorder, and instability,” the message said. “NAS assures the people of South Sudan that it shall not be a party to a peace negotiation process that is bent on offering positions and individual benefits to members of the opposition. It is our firm belief that this initiative will not revive the so-called Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS). On the contrary, it will create more conflicts. It is only through a genuine, comprehensive, and inclusive process that brings all stakeholders together that can bring about sustainable peace.”
The rebel leader said the time has come to convene a comprehensive, inclusive, and genuine peace process in a neutral venue to discuss the political crisis in South Sudan to achieve sustainable peace.
“Silencing the sound of guns alone without preventing Kiir and his security apparatus from killing our people, looting their resources, and robbing them of their freedoms and rights is not peace! Kiir is using other deadlier ways like hunger, absence of medical care, lack of proper schools, lack of clean water, and promotion of community conflicts to kill and torture our people,” he concluded. “NAS shall continue to remain firm in the struggle for the rights of the people of South Sudan and shall resist the current political status quo imposed by the de facto regime. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year (2025) of Peace and prosperity! God bless you.”