Dear all, please accept my apology for delaying this interview that was made since the 6Th. The vedio tape/DVD will be available soon.
All the parties in Sudan that can be recognize as political party, have no problem with each other and that is why we have the two governments UG and GoSS.
Vise President/President of the South, Chairman of SPLM Lt. Grl. Salva Kiir in
Washington, DC. November the 6Th, 2005
Interview by Giir Biar
What are the short-term and long-term plans of the government of southern Sudan as far as repatriation of refugees and returnees is concerned?
>Sava:
Repatriation of the refugees and IDPs is a one of the challenging mater that is going to face GoSS. It will not be done by the Goss alone, it has to be done with coordination with UNCHR and UN agencies that are supposed to be helping in repatriation. This thing has been discussed in Khartoum and we hope the program will start by the beginning of December and operates till the end of March.
-What is the status of the constitution for southern Sudan in the legislative assembly in Juba?
>Salva:
The Southern Sudan Assembly is now in session, discussing the draft of constitution and I think they should have been through with it by now. After we finalize the discussions of interim of South Sudan, the draft will be sent to Khartoum to Ministry of Justice to go through it again and see if there are any incompatibilities with Interim National Constitution. Once it is approved by the Ministry of Justice, it will be returned back to South to be signed into the law and then it will be a law.
There is lack of accommodation facilities for MPs and Ministers in Juba. What solution does the GOSS have for this problem?
>Salva:
Well, it is a problem that will live with us for sometimes. Unless if we get the funding from the money which were pledged in Oslo’s Conference, we will have no enough money to build new houses for MPs and Ministers. Otherwise the problem of housing is a one of the priorities of our government.
The United States was one of the countries that pledged a lot of money to help southern Sudan during the Oslo Donors’ Conference earlier this year. In your talks with officials here did they indicate when they will deliver on their pledges?
>Salva:
I have been talking in all my meetings about the pledges and there was nothing affirmative, but there some considerations.
How much of the oil money has the GOSS received as per the wealth sharing protocol in the CPA?
>Salva:
Well, so far we have not received any money, but we are working on the mechanism so that we claim what we deserve from the oil money starting from the 9th of January when the agreement was signed.
Recently the SPLM and National Congress Party Committees discussing the status of the capital Khartoum reached a stalemate and pushed the issue to you and your colleagues in the presidency. How are you going to approach (and hopefully resolve) this issue?
>Salva:
The committee that was discussing the issue of Khartoum announced that there are points that they agreed on and some were not agreed on. These differences will be referred to the Presidency for final decision. So far they have not brought it to my office. So I have no comment on what is there and what is not there.
When will SPLA soldiers begin to receive their salaries?
>Salva:
They will receive their salaries when the reorganization is completed. We don’t make a budget for the army that you do not know their numbers. So until we complete the reorganization, we will know exactly how many soldiers do we have and we will know how many have been demobilized and how many have gone to see other civil services departments and other organized forces like police, correctional services and Wild Life Conservations.
When you succeeded Dr. John Garang as SPLM chairman, you promised to continue with the South-South dialogue. So far the militias, especially in Upper Nile, have neither joined the SPLA nor the Sudan Armed Forces. When are you going to resume this dialogue? When and how will you see that the CPA is adhered to?
>Salva:
We have not yet met in sense of being South-South dialog as official as it used to be. But since I took the auth, I have been meeting with the leaders of the other groups and we have talked a lot about our differences and how to resolve them. So we agreed that they will participate in the GoSS. We have given them ministerial positions in states cabinet we gave them 20 seats in states Assembly, some SS. commissioners, So they accepted that and we are going to integrate their forces into SPLA sometimes soon.
Question of women 25% of power sharing has been a hot issue these day, what is the latest in you side?
>Slava:
Well, we have taken that thing up, whether it is 25% or less, we are in process of completing our women in decision making policies. So as you have seen, we have women ministers in the UG, GoSS, Unity G, sates assembly. So the issue of 25% is being tackled and whether it is not complete, well we are just in the beginning and we are going to complete it.
To date, Dr. Garang's death is still being treated as suspicious; some think that it was a conspiracy engineered by NIF, what is new arrangement put in place for your personal safety?
>Salva:
Dr Garang died in a helicopter crush which was a foreign Helicopter, it was a Ugandan Helicopter and whether there was any conspiracy from NCP and or any other party, I really don’t know. The investigation committee has not yet made their findings in public so that people can point fingers at particular organization or any foul played. Hence, I am still working with the government of Sudan. The same security majors that are being taken to guard the VIPs are the same security majors that are being taken for my security. We are not accusing the NCP of foul played in this tragedy.
Early this month SPLM said that it had a vision to resolve crisis in Darfur, what are these visions?
>Salva
If we are talking about the plans that are instructed to solve the Darfur conflict in the media, it will not be any longer a strategy that can work. So it will be public information and that can not save the situation. So I will not talk about what ever visions that SPLA has.
What are you going to do to make effective use of Diaspora human resources?
>Salva:
When we were talking about the repatriation, I included everybody, the refugees in the neighboring countries and in Diaspora, who are interested in going back to their country, are welcome. They will help people in developing our country. Of cause this will be coordinated with the agencies that are interested in helping us raise the resources to transport back of the Diaspora.
Education and the fate of our three southern Universities?
>Salva:
We have declared early that all we would need the Southern Universities to come back to South, but the problem is that we have no accommodation in the South, teaching facilities has not being develop, but we wont the Universities to come back to the South. We will work hard to see that students get accommodation, laboratories so that they don’t miss what they were using in Khartoum.
Support and incentives for local investors.
>Salva:
O cause the country can not develop without local investors. Whether the foreign investors will have to work with local investors so that their capacities are also built, at the end of the day, they will have to take over the projects.
What holds back business of White Nile Company in South Sudan?
>Salva:
Well, this is the question that I will not answer.
Recently there has been outcry from supporters and members of SPLM about your relationship with some Sudanese Parties especially the SSDF of Bona Malwal and Aldo Ajo of NCP party, what is your relationship with these two that causes such opposition?
>Salva:
All the parties in Sudan that can be recognized as a political party have no problem with each other and this is why they have formed both governments, the UG represents all the parties, the same thing in the GoSS. The SSDF is being represented and have their representative, the same thing to NCP and other parties like SANU, USAP, UDSF and UDF. All these parties are being represented in the GoSS at all levels in South Sudan. So we have no problem with anybody.
There are reports that officials of the National Congress Party are still torturing people, imprisoning others and the SPLM, a partner in the National Unity Government, is just looking on. Why are you quiet about some of these things?
>Salva:
Well there are such complains, but no body came up with particular names and we kept quite. We always raise such of complains to the authorities concern.
Is the need to strengthen the media service in the south, independent of Khartoum or Omdurman radio, TV and newspapers, the need to cast the net wide to get the right and capable southerners to serve on these commissions complying with your government?
>Salva:
If there are means of strengthening the media in the South, it will be okay, because I will give the GoSS, people of the South enough time to advocate for what ever program that they would want the international community to help them and also will help later on when the campaign for elections towards the interim period and the referendum issue. All these will need strong media.
Task of being a President of the South and a Vice President of Sudan does not happen in a normal governing, how are you handling them both?
>Salva:
It is a difficult task, because to run the two offices is not easy especially that the distance between Khartoum and Juba is not helping. While having solving the problems in Juba, national meters come up also.
What are you doing regarding the rejection by the Messiriya from the Abyei Border Commission report?
>Salva:
That is not also my responsibility; it is the responsibility of NCP. We agreed as partners of the CPA that the Abiey Bounders Commission decision is will be the final and we will obey it all. So we had accepted that. That has been passed by the commission. It is the NCP to come out openly and tell the World that they have rejected the decision of that border commission.
Lately Mr. Bona Malwal in Oxford, stated that president Bashir told him the there were some money that were given to Dr. Garang and he claimed that money are not traceable. What do you know about that?
>Salva:
I don’t have any knowledge about money that have been given away. So I was not present when Mr. Bona Malwal was talking to P. Bashir. Anything that was discussed between the two I can not really come to answer about it nor was I well presented when the money was given to Dr. Garang.
When will Salva Kiir as president of the government of southern Sudan declare his position on the issue of self determination for southern Sudan?
>Salva:
The right of self determination for the people of South Sudan is not a personal issue that needs my personal response. The CPA says it very clearly that after the interim period South Sudan will have to go on referendum on the issue of right of self determination and that is to vote Separation of S. Sudan if the unity has not been attractive during the six years of the interim. So my position as a person does not really mater. I can not come out and talk in the public about my personal position.
All the parties in Sudan that can be recognize as political party, have no problem with each other and that is why we have the two governments UG and GoSS.
Vise President/President of the South, Chairman of SPLM Lt. Grl. Salva Kiir in
Washington, DC. November the 6Th, 2005
Interview by Giir Biar
What are the short-term and long-term plans of the government of southern Sudan as far as repatriation of refugees and returnees is concerned?
>Sava:
Repatriation of the refugees and IDPs is a one of the challenging mater that is going to face GoSS. It will not be done by the Goss alone, it has to be done with coordination with UNCHR and UN agencies that are supposed to be helping in repatriation. This thing has been discussed in Khartoum and we hope the program will start by the beginning of December and operates till the end of March.
-What is the status of the constitution for southern Sudan in the legislative assembly in Juba?
>Salva:
The Southern Sudan Assembly is now in session, discussing the draft of constitution and I think they should have been through with it by now. After we finalize the discussions of interim of South Sudan, the draft will be sent to Khartoum to Ministry of Justice to go through it again and see if there are any incompatibilities with Interim National Constitution. Once it is approved by the Ministry of Justice, it will be returned back to South to be signed into the law and then it will be a law.
There is lack of accommodation facilities for MPs and Ministers in Juba. What solution does the GOSS have for this problem?
>Salva:
Well, it is a problem that will live with us for sometimes. Unless if we get the funding from the money which were pledged in Oslo’s Conference, we will have no enough money to build new houses for MPs and Ministers. Otherwise the problem of housing is a one of the priorities of our government.
The United States was one of the countries that pledged a lot of money to help southern Sudan during the Oslo Donors’ Conference earlier this year. In your talks with officials here did they indicate when they will deliver on their pledges?
>Salva:
I have been talking in all my meetings about the pledges and there was nothing affirmative, but there some considerations.
How much of the oil money has the GOSS received as per the wealth sharing protocol in the CPA?
>Salva:
Well, so far we have not received any money, but we are working on the mechanism so that we claim what we deserve from the oil money starting from the 9th of January when the agreement was signed.
Recently the SPLM and National Congress Party Committees discussing the status of the capital Khartoum reached a stalemate and pushed the issue to you and your colleagues in the presidency. How are you going to approach (and hopefully resolve) this issue?
>Salva:
The committee that was discussing the issue of Khartoum announced that there are points that they agreed on and some were not agreed on. These differences will be referred to the Presidency for final decision. So far they have not brought it to my office. So I have no comment on what is there and what is not there.
When will SPLA soldiers begin to receive their salaries?
>Salva:
They will receive their salaries when the reorganization is completed. We don’t make a budget for the army that you do not know their numbers. So until we complete the reorganization, we will know exactly how many soldiers do we have and we will know how many have been demobilized and how many have gone to see other civil services departments and other organized forces like police, correctional services and Wild Life Conservations.
When you succeeded Dr. John Garang as SPLM chairman, you promised to continue with the South-South dialogue. So far the militias, especially in Upper Nile, have neither joined the SPLA nor the Sudan Armed Forces. When are you going to resume this dialogue? When and how will you see that the CPA is adhered to?
>Salva:
We have not yet met in sense of being South-South dialog as official as it used to be. But since I took the auth, I have been meeting with the leaders of the other groups and we have talked a lot about our differences and how to resolve them. So we agreed that they will participate in the GoSS. We have given them ministerial positions in states cabinet we gave them 20 seats in states Assembly, some SS. commissioners, So they accepted that and we are going to integrate their forces into SPLA sometimes soon.
Question of women 25% of power sharing has been a hot issue these day, what is the latest in you side?
>Slava:
Well, we have taken that thing up, whether it is 25% or less, we are in process of completing our women in decision making policies. So as you have seen, we have women ministers in the UG, GoSS, Unity G, sates assembly. So the issue of 25% is being tackled and whether it is not complete, well we are just in the beginning and we are going to complete it.
To date, Dr. Garang's death is still being treated as suspicious; some think that it was a conspiracy engineered by NIF, what is new arrangement put in place for your personal safety?
>Salva:
Dr Garang died in a helicopter crush which was a foreign Helicopter, it was a Ugandan Helicopter and whether there was any conspiracy from NCP and or any other party, I really don’t know. The investigation committee has not yet made their findings in public so that people can point fingers at particular organization or any foul played. Hence, I am still working with the government of Sudan. The same security majors that are being taken to guard the VIPs are the same security majors that are being taken for my security. We are not accusing the NCP of foul played in this tragedy.
Early this month SPLM said that it had a vision to resolve crisis in Darfur, what are these visions?
>Salva
If we are talking about the plans that are instructed to solve the Darfur conflict in the media, it will not be any longer a strategy that can work. So it will be public information and that can not save the situation. So I will not talk about what ever visions that SPLA has.
What are you going to do to make effective use of Diaspora human resources?
>Salva:
When we were talking about the repatriation, I included everybody, the refugees in the neighboring countries and in Diaspora, who are interested in going back to their country, are welcome. They will help people in developing our country. Of cause this will be coordinated with the agencies that are interested in helping us raise the resources to transport back of the Diaspora.
Education and the fate of our three southern Universities?
>Salva:
We have declared early that all we would need the Southern Universities to come back to South, but the problem is that we have no accommodation in the South, teaching facilities has not being develop, but we wont the Universities to come back to the South. We will work hard to see that students get accommodation, laboratories so that they don’t miss what they were using in Khartoum.
Support and incentives for local investors.
>Salva:
O cause the country can not develop without local investors. Whether the foreign investors will have to work with local investors so that their capacities are also built, at the end of the day, they will have to take over the projects.
What holds back business of White Nile Company in South Sudan?
>Salva:
Well, this is the question that I will not answer.
Recently there has been outcry from supporters and members of SPLM about your relationship with some Sudanese Parties especially the SSDF of Bona Malwal and Aldo Ajo of NCP party, what is your relationship with these two that causes such opposition?
>Salva:
All the parties in Sudan that can be recognized as a political party have no problem with each other and this is why they have formed both governments, the UG represents all the parties, the same thing in the GoSS. The SSDF is being represented and have their representative, the same thing to NCP and other parties like SANU, USAP, UDSF and UDF. All these parties are being represented in the GoSS at all levels in South Sudan. So we have no problem with anybody.
There are reports that officials of the National Congress Party are still torturing people, imprisoning others and the SPLM, a partner in the National Unity Government, is just looking on. Why are you quiet about some of these things?
>Salva:
Well there are such complains, but no body came up with particular names and we kept quite. We always raise such of complains to the authorities concern.
Is the need to strengthen the media service in the south, independent of Khartoum or Omdurman radio, TV and newspapers, the need to cast the net wide to get the right and capable southerners to serve on these commissions complying with your government?
>Salva:
If there are means of strengthening the media in the South, it will be okay, because I will give the GoSS, people of the South enough time to advocate for what ever program that they would want the international community to help them and also will help later on when the campaign for elections towards the interim period and the referendum issue. All these will need strong media.
Task of being a President of the South and a Vice President of Sudan does not happen in a normal governing, how are you handling them both?
>Salva:
It is a difficult task, because to run the two offices is not easy especially that the distance between Khartoum and Juba is not helping. While having solving the problems in Juba, national meters come up also.
What are you doing regarding the rejection by the Messiriya from the Abyei Border Commission report?
>Salva:
That is not also my responsibility; it is the responsibility of NCP. We agreed as partners of the CPA that the Abiey Bounders Commission decision is will be the final and we will obey it all. So we had accepted that. That has been passed by the commission. It is the NCP to come out openly and tell the World that they have rejected the decision of that border commission.
Lately Mr. Bona Malwal in Oxford, stated that president Bashir told him the there were some money that were given to Dr. Garang and he claimed that money are not traceable. What do you know about that?
>Salva:
I don’t have any knowledge about money that have been given away. So I was not present when Mr. Bona Malwal was talking to P. Bashir. Anything that was discussed between the two I can not really come to answer about it nor was I well presented when the money was given to Dr. Garang.
When will Salva Kiir as president of the government of southern Sudan declare his position on the issue of self determination for southern Sudan?
>Salva:
The right of self determination for the people of South Sudan is not a personal issue that needs my personal response. The CPA says it very clearly that after the interim period South Sudan will have to go on referendum on the issue of right of self determination and that is to vote Separation of S. Sudan if the unity has not been attractive during the six years of the interim. So my position as a person does not really mater. I can not come out and talk in the public about my personal position.
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