THE SOUTH SUDAN DEMOCRATIC FORUM

 

 

 

 

 

 

MISSION STATEMENT

 

Issued

 

24th FEBRAURY 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUR Motto:

 

 

‘To be a Nation we must be united. To be united we must espouse justice, equality, peace and freedom to all our people regardless of their tribe, clan, gender, region, religion or political affiliation’.

 

1.           PREAMBLE

 

1.1             The South Sudan Democratic Forum was founded on the 29th September 2001 by a group of concerned South Sudanese civic organisations, political organisations and individuals with the objective of articulating the political aspirations of the long struggling people of South Sudan. After many years of splits, divisions and major differences over the aim of the war were spent with no lessons learned, it finally occurred to the majority of our people in 2000 that the political objective for which the people of South Sudan took up arms again for the third time; Anya-nya-1 from 1955 to 1972 and Anya-nya-II from 1975 to 1983; and since May 1983, to liberate our people has been subverted and manipulated into a personal political agenda called “The New Sudan”.

 

1.2             All the founding members of the South Sudan Democratic Forum were either members of, or supporters of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). They still continue to wholeheartedly support and sympathise with the SPLA as the army of South Sudan, while maintaining their political differences with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). We declare our firm determination and commitment to work for the unity of the SPLA with their other armed brothers and sisters in the South Sudan Defence Force (SSDF), to form the army of South Sudan.

 

1.3             When it became comprehensible that the political aspirations of the people of South Sudan to their inalienable right to self-determination have been subverted and absorbed into personal power agenda under the slogan of “The New Sudan”, the founding of a new forum for the articulation of our people’s aspiration in political terms and in unity of purpose for their common good became necessary. Hence, the union of the various South Sudanese civic and political groups that now form the South Sudan Democratic Forum in order to support the Right of Self-determination for the People of South Sudan, as its borders stood on 1st January 1956.

 

  1. The Way Forward

 

2.1                    We are encouraged that the Government of Sudan (GOS) and all the political forces of Northern Sudan have now recognised the right of the people of South Sudan to Self-determination for the first time in the history of the conflict. We particularly commend the Government of Sudan for signing the 20th July 2002 Machakos Peace Protocol, which enshrines the right of the South to Self-determination. The South Sudan Democratic Forum also wishes to salute the leader and members of the SPLA delegation who negotiated and signed the Machakos Peace Protocol on behalf of the people of South Sudan. We salute the fallen heroes of South Sudan, who, with their blood and souls have made the recognition of Self-determination by the entire international community possible today.

 

2.2                          The South Sudan Democratic Forum has spent the last four years campaigning, organising and aspiring to hold a comprehensive South-South dialogue to arrive at a political consensus and unity of purpose of all the people of South Sudan. These noble efforts were continually opposed, undermined and frustrated by the leader of the SPLM, who consistently and persistently continues to pursue his “New Sudan” personal power agenda. But the South Sudan Democratic Forum is insistent on the convening of a genuine South-South dialogue in order for our people to reach a political consensus and approach the peace agreement in cohesion. The South Sudan Democratic Forum reiterates its commitment to accomplish the mission for which our heroes paid the ultimate price.

 

2.3                          Due to the fact that war was raging on in South Sudan and South Sudanese, particularly in the Diaspora, had successfully lobbied the international community to prevail on both the GoS (the Government of Sudan) and the SPLM to engage in trustworthy peace negotiations to end the war in South Sudan, the South Sudan Democratic Forum did not want to do anything or take any step that might have been construed as an impediment to either the pursuit of war or the peace negotiations. Now that the peace agreement has finally been signed and the war has ended, the leadership of the South Sudan Democratic Forum has decided to:

 

2.3.1          Transfer its political activities from the Diaspora into Sudan; to register as a broad based political party that welcomes into its ranks, all the South Sudanese civic organisations and political groups who support the right of South Sudan to Self-determination as contained in the Machakos Peace Protocol of 20th July 2002 and in the overall peace agreement of 9th January 2005.

 

2.3.2       Mobilise the masses of South Sudan in support of Self-determination.

 

2.3.3        Cooperate with all the political parties and forces in the Sudan in the implementation of the 9th January 2005 Peace Agreement leading to the exercise of the right of South Sudanese to Self-determination at the end of the six years interim period. It is our national duty and responsibility for the South Sudan Democratic Forum to work for the creation of a normal and conducive atmosphere in the Sudan, particularly in South Sudan in which the people of South Sudan can exercise their right of Self-determination.

 

2.3.4          Work towards the attainment of a responsive, clean, transparent and accountable democratic government of the Sudan, government of South Sudan and state governments within South Sudan during the interim period.

 

2.3.5          Hold the two parties (the Government of Sudan and the SPLM leadership), which are signatories to the IGAD negotiated peace agreement of 9th January 2005, accountable for the implementation of the peace agreement in full, including the holding of multi-party democratic elections at all levels of the political system in the country during the interim period.

 

2.3.6          The South Sudan Democratic Forum believes in the democratisation of the political system in the Sudan - South Sudan in particular. The people of South Sudan have a political right, to mandate their government through free and fair democratic elections, that will prepare, supervise and conduct the referendum on Self-determination on their behalf towards the end of the interim period. Only a government freely elected by the people has the right to claim legitimacy of leading the people to exercise their right to Self-determination in confidence and without the fear of having the referendum sabotaged or rigged.

 

2.3.6          Once the South Sudan Democratic Forum is registered as a political party inside the country, its current executive committee, whose membership will be reinforced with additional members from amongst South Sudanese inside the country and other parts of the world, will serve as a provisional executive and leadership to:

 

2.3.6.1       Prepare for a Founding National Conference within six months from the time the South Sudan Democratic Forum is registered as a political party.

 

2.3.6.2       The new executive and leadership body that will be elected by the founding conference will prepare for the first National Convention of the party, which should take place within twelve months of registering as a political party. Preparations for the first national convention will include drafting a constitution, a manifesto, political programmes and analytical monitoring and assessment datasheets to ascertain whether or not unity is being made attractive in the process of implementing the Machakos Protocol of 20th July 2002 and the 9th January 2005 peace agreement. These documents will be subjected to the standard democratic process of approval and ratification by the first national convention when it convenes in one-year’s time.

 

2.3.6.3       Khartoum, the Sudanese national capital, will serve as the headquarters of the South Sudan Democratic Forum and the seat of its national executive body. Principal branches of the Forum will be established in the three regional capitals of South Sudan: Juba, Malakal and Wau. Each regional branch will organise regional and area branches throughout South Sudan. Branches may also be organised in other major cities and towns of Northern Sudan.  All the branches in the Sudan and the Diaspora co-ordination offices will be directly answerable to the national executive body in Khartoum.

 

  1. The South Sudan Democratic Forum enters this difficult political arena as a party in full confidence that the people of South Sudan can now steer their political aspirations and course to a final destiny. We wholeheartedly salute the long struggle of our people and dedicate our collective efforts and energies to realising our freedom, equality and justice.

 

The South Sudan Democratic Forum.

Done and approved on the 24th  of February 2005, in

London, the United Kingdom.

24/02/2005

 

Dr. Martin Elia Lomurö, Chairman.