Guys, here is a response from the alleged " Gang of five" in reply to  CDR. James Wani Igga's letter condemning the "Gang of five".

Rejoinder to Hon., Cdr. James Wani Igga,

Secretary General, SPLM.

November 17, 2004

Hon., Cdr. James Wani Igga

We greet you in the name of our glorious land and its liberation struggle, the SPLM/A. We greet you in the name of SPLA martyrs whose precious blood was spilt to liberate our beloved towns across the New Sudan. We greet you in the name of orphans, wounded, and uprooted citizens of the New Sudan whose dreams for peace, justice and equality rely upon your leadership.

Cdr. Igga, we the undersigned members of the New Sudan in Diaspora are responding to your recent letter dated October 18, 2004, "Only Cheap Brains Can Allow Themselves to Get Clashed Against Each Other." Upon receipt of this widely circulated document, we debated it among ourselves whether or not you were the true author. It was out of suspicion and need for credible information that we delegated Dr. Mawien Akot to contact you for verification. We were very happy when Dr. Mawien succeeded in talking to you in Kampala, Uganda on October 31, 2004. Our delegate told us how open and sincere you were in answering all his questions, which we all appreciated very much. Based on positive feedback from Dr. Mawien, we were confident that you would get back to the media to correct negative attributes you erroneously labelled on us, particularly the following points:

1- Describing us as "Gang of Five."

2- Stating that we advocate for "Dinka Supremacy."

3- Alleging that we attacked all Equatorians particularly the Azande

4- Alleging that we urged SPLM Chairman to give greater share of the cake to the Dinka including those who fought alongside them such as the Nuer, Shilluk, and Jurchol

5- Erroneously drawing a conclusion that Yei’s leaflet which calls for mass murder of the Dinka in Yei and the rest of Equatoria was a reaction to our letter to Dr. John Garang

First and foremost, we would like to condemn all acts of violence in Yei and anywhere else in the New Sudan. We appeal to our people (Dinka and non-Dinka) to observe self-restraint for good of all citizens of the New Sudan. In fact our letter to SPLM leadership titled, "Distortion of the History and Initiative of Violence in the New Sudan," was a clear warning against potential problems that might arise from actions of 33 Azande who called for eviction of Dinka from Equatoria. We consider the Zande Community’s letter as a clear invitation of violence and that’s why we drew attention of the SPLM leadership to it. From what you told our delegate, we regret that you did not get a copy of our letter from the office of SPLM Chairman. However, we believe that you should have made an effort to obtain it either directly from the chairman or through anyone of us before going public. We wonder what kind of motives are really behind your hasty condemnation to a letter you never saw or read?

As proven in Yei’ s leaflet, there is no doubt now that some Equatorians who hate Dinka have started to embrace your message and that of 33 Azande. Therefore, your deliberate refusal to condemn the 33 Azande and only condemn 5 Dinka clearly shows whom you are siding with.

Hon., Cdr. Wani, we are conscious of the fact that when it comes to weighing your words against ours many may tend to believe you because of your high-ranking position. Nonetheless, we also believe in God and our Land as true judges for whoever may distort facts be it a powerful SPLA commander or poor innocent civilians. Due to our genuine respect for you as one of our national leaders, we had no intention to challenge you in public, but magnitude of false allegations you made against us has changed the whole thing. We hope this letter of ours will serve as an eye opener to you and any other senior SPLM/A officer who may wish to condemn citizens of the New Sudan based on sympathy with particular tribe(s).

Considering seriousness of your allegations, we feel that people of the New Sudan deserve to hear from us. For interest of time and space, we aren’t going to narrate all that transpired since year 2003, the year we received infamous letter of Azandes. We’ll focus on few items:

You said, "most probably the first document, recently written, is a reaction to the second seeing it as provocative." This statement is misplaced for two reasons. First, Zande Community Document was written in February 2003, whereas our document was written on July 21, 2004. We do not know what kind of reasoning you used to make you believe that a document written in 2003 was a reaction to our document of 2004. Second, if "first document" means the notorious Yei’s leaflet (The Grave Warning), then we also tell you that is misleading too because the so-called Equatoria commanders have nothing to ask from us for we are not SPLA leaders and none of us currently lives in Equatoria land.

Furthermore, you claimed that we talked of "Dinka Supremacy" in a document sent to Dr. John Garang de Mabior. We challenge you to tell people of the New Sudan, where in our thirteen-page message are these words you are complaining about? It’s equally true that we didn’t attack Equatorians or whole Zande community as came in your letter; we only addressed our concerns against so-called 33 signatories of Zande Community document for generalizing and condemning all Dinka for mistakes done by few, if any. Had you read our document, you would have saved yourself from a great deal of embarrassment caused by releasing false information to the public. We know, and should know more, that Equatoria’s population isn’t only 33 persons who signed Zande Community document. Your equating thirty-three to entire people of Equatoria is unfortunate and condemnable for a person in your position. You wrote, "This document by the Gang of Five addressed to Dr. John Garang de Mabior cynically talks of Dinka Supremacy and attacking Equatorians particularly the Azande." We did not attack all our brothers and sisters in Equatoria. Our letter solely addresses insurgent 33 Azande.

Hon., Cdr. James, the more we read your letter, the clearer it becomes that you didn’t read our document. For example, there is nowhere in our document did we call ourselves "Gang of Five." But you deliberately used it to suit your personal motives devised to smear our images among our brothers and sisters from Equatoria region in particular and entire citizens of the New Sudan in general. You should know that the group you terms as "Gangs" include a medical doctor, a lawyer, two university lecturers (current and former), and a high school teacher. How on earth can such a group write a formal letter to their leader and describe themselves as gangsters? We repeat, read our document that we sent you and the truth contained therein shall set you free from hearsay information.

Hon. James, do you know why we didn’t talked about Zande Community in general? We have a conviction that generalization is usually unfair. That’s why we wrote against it and condemned the group of 33 Azande, and so there was no any apparent reason for us to follow divisive approach of theirs. Moreover, we were not born yesterday to claim that any sorts of favouritism as far as our liberation struggle is concerned should be allowed because it’s undeniable fact that every family in the New Sudan has paid dearly in the course of this war.

Hon. James, harm that messages such as yours inflicts on people of the New Sudan at home, and in the Diaspora, is much greater than you think. Just give yourself time, call around, and ascertain how your letter is playing out within the Sudanese Community worldwide, especially in North America. It’s now established facts that you have emboldened anti-Dinka elements to wage a relentless war against us and as a result some chapters are on the verge of collapsing.

For your information, we rebutted lie-laden document by 33, point by point. If you could take one hour off your busy schedule, you will see how Dinka as a tribe was unfairly accused and condemned. Just to give you a taste of it, these are some of numerous insults.

They (33) Azande wrote:

1-"The Dinka soldiers saw there was plenty of food in Zandeland. They radioed their friends and kinsmen in Dinkaland to come over. Thousands of Dinka men, women and children flocked to Maridi, Yambio and Tombura and the surrounding countryside. Zandland is sweet and delicious but this depends only on how firmly one handles the hoe, the axe and the machete. The Dinka groups who flocked to Zandeland did not want to till the land but they expected to be provided food by the Zande while they themselves sat like kings and queens. They were then, and still are today, like an occupation army that parasitizes at the expense of the local population."

2-"The Dinka participated in the liberation of western Equatoria and took the place of oppressor, and during the last 13 years, have performed worst things than the Zande ever endured in centuries of interaction with the Arabs."

3- "Many Dinka leaders, who dominate the SPLA, regard Dinka tribe as superior ethnic group in South Sudan if not in the whole world."

4- "In fact certain Dinka intellectuals like Mr Elijah Malok of the SPLA have gone out of their way to publicize imaginary royal families of imaginary kingdoms and empires that the Dinka are suppose to have founded in the past. To emphasize Dinka supremacy, major tribes like Zande are therefore regarded as an obstacle to Dinka supremacy…."

5- "Some Dinka leaders and intellectuals encourage the mistreatment of other ethnic groups, even groups within Dinka communities themselves, as normal and sign of manhood. They do not see rape, torture and murder as wrong."

Hon., Cdr. James, when Zandeland was in the hands of Arabs and citizens of that land wanted liberation—these "Dinka soldiers" were called then SPLM/A soldiers and heroes. Ironically, after liberation they are now called, "Dinka Soldiers," "occupation army," "parasites," "rapists," "murderers," and etc.

If we may ask, where were you, Commander Wani, when your soldiers, entire Dinka, and civil population were being abused by group of thirty-three? Did you say a word? Why not?…Cdr. James, if what you are doing is not tribalism/regionalism, we don’t know what to call it!!!

Hon. James, "favouritism" isn’t in our vocabulary. In our judgment all tribes are equal, be they Dinka, Shilluk, Luo, Nuer, Mahdi, Kakwa, Azande, just to name but a few. Suggesting otherwise, paints a different picture of yours that we have never known. You asserted, "It (our document) urges the SPLM Chairman to give greater share of the cake to the Dinka including those who fought alongside them such as the Nuer, Shilluk and the Jurchol should any peace be signed."

Cdr. James, pouring unfiltered, unsubstantiated information to the people of the New Sudan hoping that it will pass unnoticed, is unhealthy and unwelcome—now or in the future. Just give yourself time, call around, and ascertain how your letter is playing out within the South Sudan Community worldwide, especially North America. Ask yourself, are southerners more divided than they were before my message? The answer you will get is a big yes. Why? Because you conveyed a wrong message and simultaneously condoned harm done by 33 Azande!

You are innocently or deliberately putting the security of SPLM supporters at risk in countries of residence. For example, you said, "The chapter in turn infiltrated the [Sudan] Embassy by sending some to its staff to work therein." By this statement, you may think that you are doing good service to SPLM/A and the people of the New Sudan, but there are other adverse outcomes. First, Sudan government may refuse visas to those who want to visit Sudan for social purposes, for example, marriage. Second, Sudan government may bribe host countries especially in Africa and Middle East target SPLM supporters on ground of espionage. Third, Some countries too may use your statement to deny SPLM Chapters formation in their soil if they see that they are going to be used for intelligence gathering as you asserted. And don’t be surprised if you are quoted for having said so. You see, Hon. James, this is another way how some brains can destroy the entire nation while pretending to be for similar cause as victims’.

You said in your letter and we quote, "You upper Nileans and particularly you the Nuer will not benefit from the peace even if it is signed tomorrow in as far as no government or NGO worker will accept to go and work in hostile land. Yei is flourishing today because its people are highly peace loving and hard workers." We are shocked and disappointed to see someone of your calibre uttering such irresponsible words. Upper Nile is part of the New Sudan with wonderful sons and daughters who contributed immensely for realization of justice and equality in our country. Many of those who you generalize as hostile were pioneers of SPLA/M. So Cdr. Wani if you consider all upper Nileans to be hostile or aggressive people, what do you tell your commander-in-Chief Dr. John Garang De Mabior who is a son of Upper Nile Region? What do you tell senior SPLM leaders who hail from Upper Nile like honourable Pagan Amum and Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin? If Nuer in particular are the most hostile nation according to your words, what do you tell your colleagues, vice Chairman Dr. Riak Machar, Cdrs. Taban Deng Gai, James Hoth Mai, and John Luk just to name a few. We wonder how a leader like you who has already stereotyped its people can bring unity among them. No little wonder, but only cheap brains can agree with the above statement of yours.

In your letter you took credit for handing over the petition written by Equatorian Commanders. "…. when the Equatorian Commanders wrote their well-intentioned petition last year directly addressed to the chairman and not meant for public circulation, they all signed it and I was the one who handed it to the C-in-C." It is very unfortunate that you are demoting yourself from a national leader we know to a mere spokesperson for the so-called Equatoria Commanders, which is a monster of your own creation. If every region of the New Sudan group its commanders into a local body, we will end up having Equatoria Commanders, Bahr El Ghazal Commanders, Upper Nile Commanders, Nuba Mountain Commanders and Southern Blue Nile Commanders. By then you, honourable Wani Igga, will have difficulties to tell people of the New Sudan who the national Commanders of SPLA are? Equatoria Commanders’ petitioning their Commander-in-chief under your furtive guidance is deplorable and mind-boggling experience. Hadn’t the Movement been under wise leadership of Dr. John Garang, you and signatories of that letter would have been severely punished. If in doubt, imagine how ugly it would have been like under el Bashir’s NIF. Believe us or not, you almost caused clashes between innocent Commanders and their commander-in-chief for your personal craving, to say the least. The aftermath of your support for an apparent mutiny is the causes of instability in Yei today; therefore, do not try to distract public attention by casting blames on innocent civilians. We are not military strategists but we do know one thing: When soldiers in a guerrilla army are allowed to write hazardous petitions, a desertion is usually the end result.

Conclusion

Hon., Cdr. James, we aren’t in any way questioning your leadership abilities, nor is this letter of ours meant to discredit you. After you read it in entirety, we welcome your advice. We also hope that this message will persuade you to read our first document and may serve as a piece of advice for you in the future to read documents before you respond to them so that similar circumstances are avoided. And finally, for sake of unity of the people of New Sudan, we call upon you to avoid stereotyping, mass generalization, and unwarranted condemnations. We also appeal to you to be mindful of the security and integrity of our chapters in the Diaspora.

Thank you for taking time to read this message. And may God bless you and grant you wisdom as you lead our oppressed nation towards freedom and justice.

Long Live SPLM/A!

Long live the struggle of Sudanese masses!

Victory is certain!!

SPLA Oyeeeeeeeeee!

Signed by:

1. Kuel Maluil Jok, Joensuu, Finland
   
   
   
   
   
2. Sabrino Majok Majok, Edmonton, Canada
   
   
   
   
   
3. Kawi Malak Kawi, New Haven, USA
   
   
   
   
   
4. Dr. Mawien Akot, Regina, Canada
   
   
   
   
   
5. Darius Garang Wol, Pendle Hill NSW, Australia
   

CC: Dr. John Garang de Mabior

CC: SPLM/A Leadership Council

CC: SPLM Representatives Worldwide

CC: Dinka Cultural Societies Worldwide

CC: Sudanese Communities Worldwide

On the same note, let me alert Aweil people particularly the youth that SPLA/M of today is not the SPLA/M of yesterday.  If the pertetuator is from Aweil, then the burden of blame will entirely be on Aweil community but not on SPLA/M. In short, it is time for us to be vigilant of the actions done in our name and eventually tarnish our community.  Just to shed some light on this, during condemnation of the letter of the group of five, many of us might had exprienced being constantly asked of the identity of these folks.

Just to touch a little bit on the issue, I will not comment on the current letter because I don't basicallly had time now to read it but to leave it to the rest to take a note of it. However much these groups try to justified their acions, the blame is solely on them. These folks don't have authority in SPLA/M or entire Southern Sudan to respond to letter address to SPLA/M authority by citizens who were discontended with how their grievances were being handled. These folks shouldn't had rushed into prior to respond from SPLA/M's leadership. To make the matter worst, the letter was not made public but addressed secretly to SPLA/M's leader instead to entire SPLA/M leadership council. The other mistake is, prettily much clear from the folks, they used legitimacy of Dinka community without being warranted by the Dinka community. The list is endless, but let me leave it for a while for rest to comment on it.