General Paul Malong Awan, chief of general staff of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA),  the national army of South Sudan, has downplayed fears of looming genocide, claiming it was the work of anti-peace elements.

Malong spoke at an occasion in which he was passing out officers and men from the military training during which he said South Sudan does not belong to a particular tribe, but belongs to all the 64 tribes of South Sudan.

 “We are all Equal People in South Sudan, and there is nobody who is superior to others in South Sudan, we should not do things based on tribal basis, because anybody can be a leader of this country” said Malong.        

 He cited former political leaders in the country who had the opportunity to get into the centre of affairs of the people at different times not because of their ethnicity but on the basis of their leadership merits and essentiality of the programs they presented to the people.

“General Joseph Lagu and Genral Gismalla Abdalla Rasas were once leaders of this country, they were there not because of tribal lines or tribal affiliations, but because they have the full rights and are qualified South Sudanese, therefor anybody or any South Sudanese have full right to be a leader of this great nation”.

 He also emphasized on the need to respect rules and laws of the country, saying the country belongs to all and everybody will have the opportunity to lead.

“We as South Sudanese should respect the rule of law and work for the future generation; our times have or will soon come for us to leave the power to you. You the graduates of today will be the leaders of tomorrow, so you must show good example to the people of South Sudan by doing the right things all the time regardless of where you are coming from”, he said.