Welcome back Tong Deng after your long absence. How is everyone doing in Kenya and beyond? I am sure you guys can't wait to witness the signing of comprehensive peace comes this Sunday. Indeed it is going to be a great day for all Sudanese around the world. It is a day that is marking an end to endless loss of life among the Sudanese people. But for this peace to make sense to us; the long suffering people of Sudan, measures need to be taken to avoid the possibility of going back to war whether against the same enemy (GoS) or against our fellow southerners. I read the letter of John Garang which he sent to all units a day or two ago and although most of his message was encouraging, I was not comfortable with some of his ideas especially those pertaining to the so called militia groups. I think it is high time everyone including John Garang himself work hard toward acheiving a lasting peace among all southern Sudanese people. We have already heard of the government of Khartoum taking steps in integrating southern militia groups into its army. Looking at such moves, southerners will have every reason to ask themselves many questions. Why is the GoS so interested in militia groups when this groups will demand financial sustainence from its' (GoS) treasury? Something fishy must truly be happening here. So we need to remain vilgilant because we had had too much of bad policies which have caused us more harm than good, south Sudan can not affort another politics of manipulation that may eventually take us back to war.

Below is the letter from John Garang that you wanted to post, we have posted it at our press release page, please read:

"From SPLA/M leader: John Garang

TO : ALL UNITS

001/01/2005

1. Yesterday, December 31st 2004, the SPLM and the Government of Sudan (GOS) signed two agreements: The first is on Comprehensive Ceasefire and is titled “Agreement on Permanent Ceasefire and Security Arrangements Implementation Modalities Between the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/ Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLM/SPLA) During the Pre-Interim and Interim Periods”. The second Agreement is on Implementation Modalities and is titled “Agreement Between the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/ Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLM/SPLA) on Implementation Modalities of the Protocols and Agreements”.

2. The signing ceremony was attended by President Beshir of Sudan and President Mbeki of South Africa. On our side, representing the SPLM/A, the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement was signed by CDR. Taban Deng Gai, while the Agreement on Implementation Modalities was signed by Dr. Samson Kwaje. As you can see all the regions of the New Sudan have been represented in signature of the eight agreements that we have so far signed. These two agreements and the six Protocols we had signed earlier constitute the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The IGAD Secretariat is now compiling these eight Protocols and Agreements into one document that shall become the CPA, and this will be signed in eight days time on January 9th 2005 in Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.

3. The Secretariat of Information (Attention: Dr Samson Kwaje) and the SPLM Reconciliation and Peace Commission (Attention: CDR James Kok) will arrange to send copies of the above two Agreements to all Fronts, Regions and Counties, so that our people are adequately informed on the real contents of these agreements rather than depending on hearsay and rumours. However, for now, the following highlights of the two agreements are being sent to you in this message for your information until when the full documents reach you. The highlights are:-

(a) Highlights of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement

(1) It is important for all units to know that the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement will come into effect from the date of signature of the comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which will be signed on 9th January 2005.

(2) Upon signature of the CPA and therefore the coming into effect of the Comprehensive Ceasefire on January 9th 2005, all the SPLA Officers, NCOs and men will be ordered to move to designated Assembly Areas for reorganization as those who will remain in the standing (Mother) SPLA, those who will go into Joint Integrated Units (JIUs), those who will be shifted to other organized forces (Police, Prisons Wildlife and Fire-fighters) and those who will go to the civil service and civil society organizations. As came in my recent messages, this reorganization will be made at SPLM/A GHQ in Rumbek and Ramchiel by the Cluster Committees of the SPLM-LC, which I formed, assisted by the associated Technical Committees as came in my messages. Members of these bodies are therefore here ordered to move to Rumbek and Ramchiel immediately to start working as the pace of events will be very fast and may overtake us.

(3) A third important highlight of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement concerns funding of the Armed Forces. This was a very difficult issue to resolve as we argued that both the present GOS army, i.e Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the SPLA must be funded by the National Government because the Agreement says both forces “shall be considered and treated equally as Sudan’s National Armed Forces (SNAF)” while the other side refused and resisted this demand. At the end we reached an important compromise, which must be understood correctly. We have agreed that: (a) SAF and all the JIUs will be funded by the Government of National Unity (GONU), while (B) the rest of the (Mother) SPLA shall be funded by the Government of South Sudan (GOSS). So, the big question is where will the GOSS get the money to fund the (Mother) SPLA. For this we have agreed, and I quote, that “to meet this obligation, the Government of Southern Sudan shall raise financial resources from both local and foreign sources and seek International assistance”. Furthermore, we have agreed that “ these financial resources shall be channelled through the Bank of South Sudan (BOSS) and managed according to the principles of the Wealth Sharing Protocol”. So, nobody should listen to any rumours that anybody may create that the SPLA will not be taken funded, so some of our detractors may try to agitate along these lines. The SPLA will be funded by the GOSS and the GOSS has been empowered by the Peace Agreement and therefore by the Interim National constitution “to raise financial resources from both local and foreign sources and seek international assistance” in its own right, and such financial resources shall come directly through the Bank of Southern Sudan. Countries in the Region such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, Uganda and Rwanda have far less national resources than Southern Sudan, and yet they are able to take care of their Armed Forces. There is therefore absolutely no reason why the Government of Southern Sudan would be unable to take care of the SPLA, especially that the Peace Agreement empowers it to raise resources for this purpose, both from local and foreign sources.

(4) A fourth important highlight concerns Other Armed Groups (OAG), that is, the GOS militias. Like the funding of the two Armed Forces, this will also be a very difficult issue. The summary is that we have agreed that by (D + 6months) no any OAG shall be allowed to continue to have a separate existence outside the military command of either SAF or SPLA. This means that by the end of the Pre-interim period, all OAG shall have made their choices as to whether to be incorporated into either SAF or SPLA. We have also agreed that by (D + 12months) incorporation of all OAG into either SAF or SPLA shall have been completed. This means that six months into the Interim Period there must be nothing called OAG (militias). Any OAG outside the command of either SAF or SPLA by (D + 6months) or any OAG not incorporated into SAF or SPLA by (D + 6months) shall be considered as bandits and shall be dealt with accordingly by either or both SAF and SPLA or by UN Peace Keeping Forces...READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE

Kuot Kuot.

Hello brothers Tong Deng and Kuot Kuot,best greeting to you and to our fellow brothers in Kenya,

 Thank very much for the informative letter of John Garang you have posted, i read it,  and it was very interesting to know what John Garang wrote to all the unite,please keep udating if time allow you.

Lual Deng