War is not the answer. Democracy, human rights, peace and justice, equality, reconciliation, unity, development and freedom for all South Sudanese people are the only permanent peaceful resolutions to the current South Sudan tribal conflicts. They have claimed thousands of lives of innocent civilians and forced out thousands as refugees.

Innocent South Sudanese civilians have suffered gravely from the post-Sudanese civil wars – Anyanya 1 (1955-1972), and the conflict between the government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (1983-2005) – in which more than 2 million innocent South Sudanese civilians have been killed and more than 4 million driven out as refugees.

Thank almighty God, plus the international community, the United Nations and the Western governments of the United States and the United Kingdom, the European Union, the African Union and church faith communities, which all together helped mediate for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed between the Sudanese government, based in Khartoum, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, in Naivasha, Kenya, in July 2005. This opened the door to South Sudanese independence on July 9, 2011.

I humbly appeal to the democratic nations or the international community to peacefully intervene and help mediate for a permanent cease-fire, disarmament, humanitarian aid and a democracy.

I want to see reconciliation, unity, peace and justice, equality, development and freedoms for all the South Sudanese people without any autocracy, tribalism, nepotism, corruption and illegal brutality, mass killing, detention without trial, abduction, sexual assault and enslaving of innocent South Sudanese civilians, especially women and children.

I further humbly appeal to the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to closely monitor the current human rights abuse records in South Sudan and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Richard Okot

volunteer for/supporter of democracy, Obama for America,

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch

Biddeford