Founded in October 2017, Steps towards peace and democracy, South Sudan’s first peaceful political party of We64 movement remains steadfast in finding solutions peacefully to our tragic, endless wars and leadership crisis.
Steps welcomes all subsequent born peace movements and civil society action which have now joined ranks with Steps in the call for peaceful methods to resolve our national crisis. As such, and in order to win the trust of all South Sudanese communities which have been politically marginalized and violently divided along ethnic lines, Steps identifies centrally, trust building among all communities, mutual respect and recognition of equal citizenship between all citizens remain key to a just lasting peace in our nascent nation. The divisive incompetent leadership and monopoly of power in the hands of a few have negatively influenced the failure of governance and lack of peace in our country.
Therefore, Steps resolves.
Guided by our People’s quest to be free with dignity since time immemorial we are;
Reminded by our ancestors who dreamed and fought and died in order to pave the way for us, their descendants, to also dream and aspire toward dignified lives;
Inspired by our heroic veterans, the physically challenged, widows and orphans who selflessly sacrificed for us to live in a free nation;
Respectful to our military’s gallant soldiers and loyal officers;
Appreciative of neighboring African nations for their solidarity with the People of South Sudan and their ceaseless efforts to mediate for peace and to mitigate our suffering;
Thankful to the international community for their sustained faith in our country, the world’s youngest nation.
Steps calls upon all peaceful movements, parties and civil society to join us in our Call;
Gravely concerned about the lack of peace and personal safety and the government’s total disregard of human rights and guarantees;
Deeply disturbed by the endless violence, exploitation of ethnic differences, absence of the rule of law and order, the collapsing economy and lack of any social services. Ours is a tragedy in which the People are the victims while the oppressors remain in power. Those few in power have thoroughly looted and pillaged our country’s resources leaving us with nothing to alleviate our people’s many, often desperate, needs.
Because our corrupt leaders oppress us without remorse, their own people, Steps, has resolved the following:
We call upon the African Union, IGAD, TROIKA countries and United Nations to do as follows:
1. Exert sufficient pressure on President Kiir, his First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and their entire government to resign immediately and unconditionally.
2. Demand that President Kiir and Dr. Machar and other armed groups in our bleeding nation step aside as they have failed to restore peace in the country and are responsible for our people’s suffering.
3. Recognize that only peaceful methods by peaceful movements shall be entrusted to form a transitional government, to be initially composed of technocrats.
4. Mandate that a technocratic transitional government restore the rule of law and order, ethnic peace, provide guarantees for human rights, constitutional drafting, decentralization of governance and powers, humanitarian programs to alleviate suffering, and the expeditious, but voluntary, return of internally displaced persons and refugees to their homes.
5. Hold free, fair and credible elections at the end of a specified term for the transitional period.
We further and immediately resolve to urge our people to peacefully protest nationwide through civil disobedience and not report to their jobs until their demands are fully met.
Suzanne Jambo
Chairperson, Steps
Date 20th August 2021