SSLM and SPDF Reach Unity

July 22, 2001

The Kisumu Declaration recommended an organic Unity between the Sudan People's Democratic Front (SPDF) and the South Sudan Liberation Movement (SSLM) as a starting point toward the greater Unity of South Sudanese based liberation movements struggling for the right to self-determination for the people of South Sudan.

The two leaders of SSLM and SPDF, Dr. Wal Duany and Dr. Riek Machar warmly accepted the Kisumu declaration on Unity. Each of the two leaders appointed a 6-man Committee from each side to work out the modalities of the Organic Unity between the two Movements. The 12 men Committee is called, the Political Committee on unification of the two movements. The two movements have nominated 3 neutral men, composed of Mr. John Luk- Chairman and membership of Rev. Peter Reat Rik and Rev. John Jock Chuol.

The Political Committee of SPDF and SSLM had agreed on the agenda of the Unity as follows:

1. Unification of the Political Structure of the two Movements.
2. Unification of Humanitarian Wing of the two Movements.
3. Unification of the Military Forces.
4. The objective of the Unified Movement.
5. The name of the Unified Movement.
6. The leadership of the Unified Movement.

The 12 men Political Committee on Unification of the two Movements met on 12th July 01, in Nairobi, Kenya to discuss the agenda.

1. On the structures of the Unified Movement. The Committee agreed on one political structure that institutions of the Unified Movement would be as follows: 
   1. The National Liberation Council (NLC) which is the highest body of the Unified Movement which confirms the members of the Executive body of the Organisation.
   2. The National Executive Committee (NEC) which is the Executive body of the new Movement.
2. On the Unification of the Humanitarian Wings of the two Movements, the Political Committee have agreed to form a Technical Committee known as the Technical Committee of Humanitarian affairs of the Unified Movement. Meanwhile, this committee would coordinate all relief activities before agreeing upon one relief wing.
3. On the Unification of the Military Forces of the two Movements the Committee had agreed to form a Military Technical Committee to work out a Unified command of the new Movement.
4. On the objective of the Unified Movement. The Committee agreed that self-determination for the people of South Sudan is the only Central objective of the Unified Movement for the name of the Unified Movements, the choices were between SPDF and SSLM.
5. In adopting the name of the new Movement, it was agreed that the name must be compatible with the objective of the South Sudan struggle. There was a hot debate among the Committee Members, but with the spirit of Unity, the Committee Unanimously agreed that the Unified Movement would be called South Sudan Liberation Movement (SSLM) as a historic name for the continuation of the people's struggle.
6. The last issue was the question of leadership of the Unified Movement where the Committee agreed to workout the modalities of the leadership of the Unified Movement during the transitional period of three months. After that the SSLM would hold a national convention where all the institutions of the Movements would be elected by the entire membership of the SSLM.

The Committee also recommended that the two leaders Dr. Riek Machar and Dr. Wal Duany be asked to help in arranging the leadership of SSLM during the transitional period where a meeting was arranged for the two leaders to meet on Saturday 14th July, at 5 PM. But Dr. Riek Machar left for South Sudan on the same day.