It was Chaos at South Sudan Independence

The Dr. John De Mabior Garang Mausoleum sparkled invitingly in the colours of the new South Sudan’s flag. This was the venue for the celebrations to welcome the birth of a new nation — the Republic of South Sudan.

With the heightened emotion and expectations, the organising team should have projected how many citizens and visitors alike, were keen to witness this historical moment.

But it soon became clear that the guys in charge of planning the event were not prepared for such a huge occasion.

Just a day to independence day, people could be seen planting grass, perhaps expecting it to grow overnight.

Construction of hotels and lodges to host the guests was still going on in some places.

Perhaps the biggest embarrassment was yet to come. On July 9, the day the nation was to be born, guests started arriving as early as 6:30am. I arrived at 7:00am and lots of things seemed amiss.

The podium supposed to host over 30 heads of state and other high-level delegates was in a mess. The canvas did not fully cover the whole roof, leaving a huge part of the podium open to the scorching sun and occasional strong winds.

seating arrangement
The invited delegates and diplomats arrived first. However, it seems the guys in charge of protocol were not in charge after all. The diplomats occupied all the seats, including those reserved for presidents.

Could the Nigerian delegation have been tipped about the impending mess? They had the brilliance to storm the presidents’ dais to secure their leader’s seat before any leader had even arrived. They unceremoniously ordered some high-level delegates to vacate about five seats. The delegates obliged and President Goodluck Jonathan’s security team stood guard to make sure the seats remained empty.

Next to the presidents’ podium, it seems that Ugandan legislators, led by MP Ibrahim Semujju Nganda, soon sensed the danger of missing a seat. They were the first to take up their seats in the podium that was as hot as an oven. Their jackets soon came off in the interest of comfort in the stifling heat.

With all this quiet drama going on, the South Sudan head of protocol seemed not to have realised the problem.

At 11:20am, Goodluck Jonathan was the first president to arrive. Accompanied by his wife and several aides, the group managed to enter, taking up all the remaining seats in the presidential tent, including those of other leaders.

The protocol team only sensed trouble when Kenya’s retired leader, Daniel Arap Moi arrived with his aides yet there was no seat for him. He was shepherded to the uncovered podium reserved for the security. His aides had to stand all through the event.

President Jacob Zuma of South Africa was the second leader to arrive. The now panicking protocol crew ushered him to the luncheon place behind the venue, probably to buy some time as they tried get him a seat.

Eventually they talked to one diplomat who surrendered his seat. Zuma came with about five military jeeps, his own special guards and policemen from South Africa armed with heavy and light weapons. He had many aides, including ministers and diplomats.

Aides turned away
Realising that there wasn’t enough space, the event’s protocol team blocked the numerous aides and allowed only Zuma and his wife to take their seats. The aides were told to sit elsewhere. They had no choice but to stand in the intense heat.

Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi arrived with a modest delegation of about six aides. However, the beleaguered protocol team only allowed the president and his wife.

This caused trouble. Some of Zenawi’s security detail were seen arguing, pushing and shoving with the protocol team, in vain.

It was then that the secretary general of Sudan People’s Liberation Army, Pagan Amum, moved swiftly to avert a possible physical fight. He requested all South Sudanese, including ministers to surrender their seats to invited guests.

“We have noted that the space is not enough for all guests. Please if you are a South Sudanese, including a minister, stand and give a seat to our guests. This is our day, let the invited guests sit,” Pagan said.

Many obliged and gave up their seats. Some ministers sat on the bare ground while others stood.

However, this did not fully solve the problem until more chairs were sent for from outside to seat the presidents and their wives.

Extra aides were denied entry into the presidential podium, including security, ministers and other diplomats that accompanied their leaders.

Some quarrelled, pushed, shoved and exchanged words with the protocol team in vain.

President Yoweri Museveni arrived with his wife at 11:58am, accompanied by a group of about 10 aides and ministers, including state minister for international affairs, Okello Oryem.

The Vice-President of South Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar, received the Ugandan leader and escorted him to the podium.

His ministers and aides followed behind. But the mean security did not let them through.

At first Oryem tried to talk to them. However when they seemed not listen, he tried to shove his way in, but the determined security, headed by a huge potbellied man, pushed him back.

Some of those who accompanied the president, mostly women, sensed embarrassment ahead and moved away before they could be turned away. Some decided to stand and watch the proceedings and others walked off.

Okello Oryem retreated to the luncheon venue and followed the events through a loud speaker. All the guests who had ended up in this spot could not see what was happening at the front.

The podium was packed beyond its limit. It was very small but almost all high-level diplomats wanted a seat there.

If it was not made of concrete, it could have collapsed or the wall would crumble had more people been allowed in.

Some ministers, former heads of state and other diplomats sat at another podium with neither a tent nor any shelter to protect them from the unforgiving sun. Worse, the seats were not enough.

This environment in Juba was too harsh for maxims like ‘smartness knows no weather’.

Many diplomats and ministers standing in the scorching sun could be seen taking off their jackets due to the heat. Ties were loosened as they sought some degree of comfort.

Some ministers and army generals sat on the bare ground while others had to mix with the ordinary people in the crowd in order to get a seat.

Sorry we’re just learning When President Salva Kiir stood up to speak, he started by apologising for the shortcomings.

“On behalf of the people of South Sudan, I apologise for the shortcomings many of you must have observed. However, we are a young nation and we are learning everything. This is the biggest occasion we have ever hosted in our life. I am sure we shall satisfy everybody next time we host another one,” he added.

One was left wondering whether the South Sudan protocol team simply failed to identify many of the visiting ministers or it was a lack of space and seats. Even then, it appeared as if only presidents were expected to attend, without any other people accompanying them.

At the end of the day, the visitors and citizens alike welcomed the new country’s baby steps into the independence they had anticipated for decades.

Hopefully by the time another occasion is celebrated, those in charge will have become better at organising events of such a magnitude.

http://www.sundayvision.co.ug/detail.php?mainNewsCategoryId=7&newsCategoryId=134&newsId=760430