People’s Charter for Federal Democracy in South Sudan

Preamble
We, the representatives of the South Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance (SSFDA), in solidarity with the people of South Sudan, declare this Charter as a unifying call to establish a peaceful, just, and federal democratic state. In the face of tyranny, tribalism, and systemic injustice, we offer this Charter as the foundation of a new political and social contract that restores dignity, rights, and opportunity to every South Sudanese citizen. Rooted in our ancestral heritage and enriched by our diverse cultures, this Charter represents our collective will to forge a united, sovereign, and inclusive nation.

This Charter is grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the IGAD-led peace frameworks. It seeks to actualize South Sudan’s commitments under international law through a grassroots-driven federal compact.

1. Vision and Core Principles

• Federalism: South Sudan shall be restructured into a true federal republic with three autonomous regions—Greater Upper Nile, Equatoria, and Bahr el Ghazal. Each region shall govern its own affairs, control its resources, and preserve its culture within a unified national framework.
• Democracy: Governance shall be grounded in democratic norms, including multiparty competition, free and fair elections, civilian oversight, and term limits.
• Freedom of Expression and Independent Media: A free, pluralistic, and independent press shall be guaranteed. Journalists, media houses, and civil society actors shall be protected under the law to ensure the open exchange of ideas, investigative reporting, and informed public debate.
• Justice and Rule of Law: An independent judiciary shall uphold the rule of law. War crimes, corruption, land grabbing, and abuses of office shall face full accountability through transparent and impartial systems.
• Equality and Inclusion: All 64 nations of South Sudan shall enjoy equal rights, representation, and access to national resources. Women, youth, and marginalized groups shall be fully empowered and protected.
• Civilian Supremacy: The military shall serve under civilian authority, integrated across ethnic lines, and act as a protector of all citizens, not a political instrument.
• Cultural Integrity: Ancestral land rights and customary governance shall be protected. Traditional authorities shall be formally integrated into the federal framework. In parallel, federal institutions shall safeguard South Sudan’s rivers, forests, grazing lands, and ecosystems, ensuring clean water, sustainable agriculture, and protection from exploitative extraction.
• Technological Empowerment: Technology and digital tools shall serve the people by improving transparency, service delivery, and cultural preservation. Surveillance and exploitation technologies shall be rejected.

2. Immediate Objectives of SSFDA

• End the Kiir Regime: Mobilize all peaceful, diplomatic, and resistance efforts to end the authoritarian rule and dismantle the entrenched system of kleptocracy.
• Unite the Opposition: Reconcile and absorb all factions under a shared vision of federal democracy, with unity based on principles, not personalities.
• Humanitarian Relief: Create corridors and secure aid delivery to civilians affected by conflict and displacement.
• Document Atrocities: Establish systems to investigate and prosecute crimes against humanity by all actors, without impunity.
• Protect Civilian Space: All resistance activities shall explicitly exclude the targeting or use of civilians. SSFDA commits to upholding international humanitarian law, including protection of IDPs, humanitarians, and non-combatants.
• Rebuild National Consciousness: Promote civic education and awareness on cultural destruction and divisive policies imposed by the regime.
• Refugee and IDP Return and Reintegration: A federal South Sudan shall guarantee safe, voluntary, and dignified return and reintegration of refugees and displaced persons, in partnership with UNHCR and IOM.

3. Transitional Governance Framework

• National Transitional Council: Form a broad-based civilian body representing all regions, ethnic groups, women, youth, traditional authorities, and civil society.
• Electoral Reform and Transitional Governance: A transitional, independent electoral commission shall oversee the return to democratic rule, including fair voter registration, diaspora voting inclusion, and civic education.
• Constitutional Convention: Within 12 months of transition, convene a fully participatory process to draft a new federal constitution anchored in ancestral values and democratic norms.
• Security Sector Reform: Integrate all fighters into a professional, apolitical national army under civilian oversight. Launch a transparent mass disarmament initiative.
• Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation: Establish mechanisms for transitional justice including truth commissions, restitution, and community-led peacebuilding rooted in customary practices. These mechanisms shall be survivor-centered, include gender-based violence accountability, and offer options for international or hybrid tribunals if national processes lack capacity or impartiality.
• Institution Building: Design credible, inclusive national institutions that enforce checks and balances, prevent authoritarianism, and deliver services equitably.
• Civil Society Oversight Mechanisms: Independent civil society, media, and community-based monitors shall be empowered to hold transitional institutions accountable and ensure public transparency throughout the federal transition.

4. People-Powered Nation-Building

• Youth Empowerment: Establish youth education, training, and employment programs to involve young people in governance and national reconstruction.
• Women’s Participation: Guarantee women’s leadership roles in political, military, and civic structures. Ensure protection against gender-based violence.
• Diaspora Engagement: Invite the diaspora to actively shape the federal future—through investment, civic dialogue, and return-to-serve programs.
• Elders and Spiritual Leaders: Recognize elders as moral guides and traditional leaders as custodians of social harmony and land justice.
• Religious Freedom: All faiths and belief systems shall be equally respected. Religious freedom shall be protected as a cornerstone of human dignity and peaceful coexistence.
• Inclusive Economy: We commit to building a resilient, inclusive economy through infrastructure investment, agricultural revival, and equitable oil revenue distribution.
• Disability & Survivor Protections: The federal government shall ensure dignity and support for persons with disabilities, war victims, and the elderly, including access to health, education, and public services.

5. International Engagement and Equal Partnership

• Global Solidarity: Appeal to the AU, IGAD, UN, and democratic governments to support an inclusive and people-led peace process.
• Accountability Mechanisms: Cooperate with international efforts to freeze stolen assets, enforce sanctions against the regime, and direct humanitarian aid to civilians.
• Equal and Dignified Relations: South Sudan shall emerge as a sovereign and equal partner in global diplomacy—not a dependent client state. We seek principled cooperation, not charity.
• Alignment with Regional and Global Frameworks: We affirm our support for regional and international frameworks, including the African Union Transitional Justice Policy, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and all IGAD and AU charters for peace, democracy, and human rights.

6. Call to the People of South Sudan

To the 64 proud nations of our shared homeland —
Acholi, Adio, Anyuak, Aja, Avokaya, Azande, Baka, Balanda, Bari, Bongo, Burun, Cie, Didinga, Dinka, Feroghe, Gollo, Hutu, Jur (Madi), Jur (Chollo), Jur (Luo), Kaliko, Kakwa, Keliko, Kresh, Kuku, Lango, Lolubo, Lopit, Lotuko, Lulubo, Makaraka, Mandari, Madi, Mundari, Moro, Murle, Ndogo, Nuer, Nyangatom, Nyepo, Otuho, Pojulu, Shilluk (Chollo), Sillok, Taposa (Toposa), Tenet, Togoyo, Wadi, Woro, Uduk, Yulu, Bviri, Mangayat, Lokoya, Nyangwara, Lugbara, Lendu, Ndo, Lokwa, Longarim, Mabaan, Mabia, Ngulgule, Ndonyo, Thuri, and Zande.

Your names are etched into the soil of this land. Your voices are essential to its future. This is your Charter.

Let us rise above fear and fragmentation. Let no tribe rule alone, no child grow up in fear, and no voice be silenced. Reclaim your dignity, your heritage, and your future.

We, the SSFDA, pledge to lead with humility, serve with integrity, and build with unity. Let this Charter be our compass as we walk together toward a free, democratic, and federal South Sudan.

Declaration
We, the undersigned representatives of the South Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance (SSFDA), in consultation with communities and partners across the nation and in exile, hereby adopt this Charter as our binding commitment to the people of South Sudan and the world. It shall guide all our political actions, diplomatic engagements, and transitional negotiations.

This Charter shall serve as a foundational reference document for any future peace agreement, transitional arrangement, or constitutional drafting process. We call upon international guarantors and regional bodies to recognize it as a declaration of national will and democratic intent.

Signed in the name of the People of South Sudan.