Dr Riek Machar must give South Sudanese a break!
By Paulo Bilpam
There have been widely speculations and rumours of leadership change in South Sudan in recent years. And this has been a work of one man in the person of Dr Riek Machar. Although a vice-president he wants to peacefully and or forcefully oust President Salva Kiir sooner rather than later. Riek predicts nothing shall be okay until then. Riek Machar is an overambitious and selfish politician of all time and South Sudanese should be vigilance about his rhetoric and intentions. He cares less about the welfare of the common man but care much about being put into South Sudanese history books. Dr Riek will not bring political democratisation, social and economic development and history would back up this argument. That Riek Machar is an opportunist who runs away when things go wrong and says that things could be different when he is a leader.
There is nothing new Dr Riek Machar will offer South Sudanese other than promoting tribal politics. Let’s begin with his records and eventual split from SPLM/A. Dr Riek Machar was fast tracked to the helm of SPLM/A leadership on his arrival by Dr John Garang because of being an educated Nuer unlike William Nyuon Bany. I know he was among the first people who were actively involved in the formation of SPLM/A but went back to the UK until he came back in 1984. Dr Machar came back with intention to topple Dr John Garang as he had a strong belief that he was the right leader as a Nuer national to stop Dinka hegemony.
After seeing the SPLM/A already weakened by the ousting of Ethiopian leader Magistu Haile Mariam, he set on implementing his long planned ambition of toppling Dr John Garang. As the new leader of SPLM/A Nasir faction he informed the world that John Garang was a dictator, human rights violator, and a believer of unpopular ideology of New Sudan. A well planned political and military strategy that brought Khartoum to the negotiation table, yet Dr Riek and his supporters still do not get it and believe it was his strategy that brought about our independent, separatist ideology. So beware with his ascension to power our proud history will be distorted and cooked to Riek’s liking! In 1991 Dr Machar unleashed his long held belief of toppling Garang but first clearing out the Dinka Bor. The results were devastating and the livelihood and rights to life were thrown into the fire of tribal war in the name of ousting John Garang. Machar showed that he was a bowed believer of the so- called prophet Ngundeng by forming the white army to help his cause. Dinka Bor were uprooted and butchered in thousands and their presence in Equatoria is an evident itself. They did not just left their home for Mundri, Kotobi, Angutwa, Magalatoria, Nimule, Lobone, kakuma you name it, for opportunities. They ran away from their home because of Riek Machar not Arabs. Like the Dinka Bor, Lou Nuer also suffered greatly because of Riek Machar’s treacherous act as their area became a battle field and consequently they died in thousands.
Let’s be clear Riek Machar is not Nuer and Nuer is not Riek. These are two different things and our voices must be well understood and respected that our opposition to Riek’s leadership is not synonymous to opposing a Nuer’s presidency. I would have no problem with a Nuer being a president even to Angelina Teny or one of Riek’s children. Dr Riek Machar has been done a favour to hold the position of Vice-president when in fact he is genocide criminal worthy of indictment. I believe there are handfuls of capable Nuers who might lead this country if we forget about the self-claimed saviour, Dr Machar.
Dr Machar has more than three times proven himself to be a bad manager. He split with Dr Lam Akol after they disagreed and believed he can handle everything by himself since he had the Nuer on his side. Secondly, he disagreed and parted way with late Lt. General Paulino Matip Nhial. As a result of their split, from 1998-2000 the Nuers died in numbers. Riek learned nothing but keeps on dreaming of becoming a South Sudan president one day by all means. I believe he has bowed to stop his ambition for South Sudan leadership only and once on his grave floor. And not until then there will be no rest he promised himself! Riek Machar came back to SPLM/A in 2002 empty handed and that is a prove itself that Riek cannot manage South Sudan since he could not managed a Nuer faction, the SPLM/A Nasir faction. How can he manage a country so complex in culture and traditions with long held tribal animosities? I believe Dr Riek Machar would contribute to this nation by peacefully retiring from politics for teaching. And it is the same call I will do to Dr Lam Akol, another failed academic turned-politician.
Thirdly, under President Kiir Mayardit he has been running a government within a government. He is on record either privately or publicly denouncing Kiir’s presidency. I believe no one will buy these cheap shots from Dr Machar except tribal sympathisers. His pre-CPA records aside, there are few clean politicians in the SPLM rank and he is not one of them. From 2005 to 2008 when he was a minister of Housing and physical planning, in addition to his vice presidency, land grabbing and looting was ripe and consequently the locals were angered and wanted that Capital relocated somewhere. It is no secrets that he and some close friends have allocated themselves chunks of land in Juba. It is not surprising to hear some youths saying that Machar deserves a chance because he has been busy buying them off with jobs in his capacity in the presidency. But these jobs should have been given to southerners through a fair and transparent recruitment process not through the vice president’s office. Believe it or not Machar is more corrupt in many aspects! Panthou the so-called heglig went to the North because of Riek and his Abyei boys. They presented Panthou as part of Abyei and by default Riek was selling our land to Khartoum just to secure Abyei’s politicians support in the SPLM. He is a dictator in waiting believe it or not, he worked hard for the SPLM-DC to be outlawed saying that it was a rebel party or that it has links and support rebels. After the demised of Lt. General George Athor he was the first government politician to lie to the World that George Athor was killed in action in South Sudan. Moreover, when president Kiir sent letters to government officials in 2011 on allegation that $ 4 billion have been stolen from the public purse he disagreed that it must have been exaggerated. But audits found the president right later.
So what has Riek got to offer South Sudanese? There is nothing we can trade with his criminal records. The SPLM/A promoted him to the third position after his come back to assure the Nuer and other rebel groups that the SPLM/A was for all and to pursue together our cause. The result was CPA but what is it that Riek Machar must be forgiven and made president? When the time comes it will be upon us all to close our eyes to Dr Riek Machar’s past records when he has nothing to offer to the people. As for his alleged apology to the Dinka Bor, I would not comment on it much but I believe it was not genuine and politically motivated. First of all, it was not directed to the victims of Riek actions but to the politicians who wanted to trade that inhuman genocide for political agenda. Second, if there was a will to apologise it should have be done publicly not in private places with no media and at the wrong place. Dr Riek Machar did not kill the Dinka Bor in Juba at John Garang’s home so people should not take this apology or give it a thought. And whether Riek Machar will get away with it or not we may one day forgive him but history will never forgive him. However, forgiveness will not be followed by support to his ambition for leadership but to leave him to die alone retired from politics and public offices.
Dr Riek is so mad that he wants to replace Kiir now before the election in 2015 and he mean it. I believe Kiir has not met people’s expectations but to attribute all failures to him is mind boggling. As the president he bears all the blames from the public but for people like Riek coming out publicly to criticise him left a lot to be asked. They should be a team not otherwise thus, presidency and party. Politicians like Kosti Manibe, former minister of finance and economic planning, Taban Deng, former Governor of Unity State, would like to call their dismissal as political. If they were unfairly dismissed why would they not talked in details about what led to their removal? Yes, they must know that politicians are replaced or removed from their portfolios for political purposes. It could be because of their performance or a desire for change. I think they do not know that their first appointment to their respective positions was political anyway, thus removed using the same methods that took them there. They were in the first place given those positions based on merits and allegiance and if their allegiance has changed then the president will have to replace them. It’s a simple common sense! I would not be surprised if he replaces Riek Machar, as they are already opponents. The government is, in essence, non-existent. Riek is proving to be a hypocrite he on one hand wanting to unseat and elected president and on other hand condemning the president for sacking and elected governor. In addition to that, South Sudan constitution confers upon president powers to remove Governors and ministers by decree and they should first attack the constitution not president himself.
As a Southerner, I fear Dr Riek Machar presidency that it will gives a bad signal for the future generation. That you can commit genocide and war crime, kill, violate human rights and still be president in South Sudan. His presidency will promote tribal politics and rebelling. And to avoid such happenings we must stay away from his paranoiac dreams and work hard to get other candidates if Kiir has to go. Riek is not an option and I prefer going for Kiir for a war criminal. There are other people who are the alternatives and Kiir, Riek, Wani and Rebecca Nyandeng must give them way.
Paulo Bilpam is a concerned South Sudanese living in Australia
Bilpam80@gmail.com
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