Achievements and Failures of Kuol Manyang Juuk, the former Governor of Jonglei State
21 min readBy Malith Alier, Australia.
Historically, this country called South Sudan had a shortage of education unlike other neighbouring African nations that attained independence much earlier leaving current South Sudan in the doldrums of subjugation of colonialism masterminded by the self-confessed Arabs further north to the Mediterranean Sea.
South Sudan had no shortage of leaders on the other hand. The traditional leadership had the authority to deal with internal and external matters that arose at the time. At this point, it is fair to say that the level of sophistication to deal with international matters was a drawback that handed this territory to those who subjected it to more suffering longer after total independence of similar nations in the region. The traditional authority is still evident today in the countryside and even in towns in the form of Chiefs. Leaders, traditional and modern are described as good or bad depending on what they do once they were in authority. The former leader of the SPLM/SPLA was described as charismatic and visionary characteristics, to which he is still remembered. Other leaders lack vision, uncharismatic, brutal, dictatorial, unpredictable, inconsistent, faint hearted, greedy or corrupt. Leaders identified with these negative attributes may not rise to the challenge that comes with leadership. Other leaders behave like fire but, fire is a bad master and a good servant so goes the saying.
This article is going to examine the achievements and failures of the former Jonglei State Governor and the prospects of more failures or successes in his new assignment as Minister of Defence.
It was late 2007, like this when the first Governor of that State was exchange with a minister in the GoNu or Government of National Unity as it was known in the former Sudan. That minister was none other than General Kuol Manyang Juuk and the Governor was Philip Thon Leek. Among the reasons given for the relieved of the first Governor included; inability to curb cattle raids, children abduction and rampant killings. This was a state of lawlessness. The new Governor was therefore, sworn in on the 17 December 2007 in Bor before Salva Kiir Mayardit as a security Governor. Below are his major failures and achievements as security Governor of Jonglei State. This is the period from 2007 to 2013. Note that this is not his biography.
1. Waves of massacres from 2008-2013. Everyone in Jonglei, the whole country and even abroad can testify that the State security worsened from 2008 up to the time of departure of the security Governor. The issue of cattle raids evolved and included aspects like barbaric killing of travellers, pregnant women, abduction of children and shooting dead those found in their sleep. What became peculiar was the killing of young abducted children who used to be taken alive in the past. Something must have gone terribly wrong in the psyche of those raiders. They grew more and more hostile and inhumane to the point of having no qualms for killing masses of those raided. This is what the world called massacre. It happened in a village in Padiet on the 18 Jan. 2012 where 86 were killed and 33 injured ST. It happened in Jalle, Bor County in the same year where over 40 individuals were killed and many more injured.
Uncountable other massacres happened in the other three counties of Akobo, Uror and Nyirol.
These happened on the watch of the saviour Governor and the other organs concern with security in the State Government.
People became helpless. Up to this point, local youths contemplated taking the law on to their-own hands for their communities’ survival. The Lou Nuer youth under their spiritual leader Dak Kueth who mobilized a group numbering over six thousand (6,000) volunteers to invade Pibor County where the sustained attacks and raids were thought to be emanating from.
This was the time the little known UNMISS waged an ardent campaign to save the aggressive Murle invaders who now were the victims. The UNMISS chief, Hilde Johnson was heard over the radio warning the government and Pibor residents to move away from harm’s way. Those UNMISS actions prompted the country’s Vice President to go to Pibor to confront his fellow Nuer youths to move back to their Counties. The irate youths did not heed the VP call to back off. They insisted that they came to clear the malicious cattle rustlers and people smugglers. They questioned why the government intervened now but did nothing when the Murle burnt down Nuer villages. On the other hand, they wanted guarantees that their villages will not be burnt, children and women abducted and their cattle will never again be stolen. The VP could not pledge those guarantees but returned to Juba unsuccessfully. After a few days, the youth combed abandoned villages for UNMISS had warned and helped evacuation of those villages.
The strong UNMISS reaction raised many voices for UNMISS has been there since 2007 and the conflict has been raging without its involvement. The UNMISS has a mandate to protect civilians but chose to be a bystander. Each time the Murle steal, abduct and kill the UN kept silent contrary to when the Murle is targeted for revenge. UNMISS impartiality came under scrutiny.
2. The Anyidi incidence. This is actually a Koth-Char – Anyidi incidence. Some individuals about four of them from Bor County went to Koth-Char in Pibor County in August 2012. They raided and returned with a number of cattle in the direction of Anyidi Payam. Once in Anyidi Payam, the cattle raiders were ambushed at dawn by the military and two members got injured according to Sudan Tribune. One of the injured was arrested while undergoing treatment in a clinic run by SMC (Sudan Medical Care) while the other two were later caught in the village.
What happened after all this was unimaginable in a country that professes democracy and the rule of law. It was also disgusting to the community as a whole. The chiefs of Anyidi Payam were arbitrarily arrested as if they were the culprits. The SPLA soldiers were waiting for such opportunities to strike the cattle camps. It was reported that the very soldiers who purposed to execute the law and order became lawless by taking oxen for feasting, a kind of rewarding themselves as they meted out punishment without law. The governor who has long been accused of behaving like he was in a metal engineering workshop was yet to execute the best of the jungle laws, some people in Equatoria referred to Jonglei State as Jungle State perhaps because of lawlessness there.
To come to some compromise, the Murle leaders arbitrarily asked for 418 heads of cattle to compensate themselves for robbed animals. “This figure was dismissed by people of Bor as unconfirmed” Sudan Tribune. Here, the case was shifted from individual criminal act to a collective domain of communal punishment as was the case during the days of struggle. Ironically, no single leader protested against this kind of injustice. Even the MPs went mum. But one of outspoken MPs from Bor North retorted that they were buying peace. In addition, the Governor himself concurred with the assertion that the cattle had returned to Koth char, but he was punishing Bor People for the errand.
One question remained unanswered. How long will the defacto rulers (Kuol Manyang, Muonyaciek Deng) of Bor continue to punish their subjects albeit arbitrarily? The State Security Council chaired by the Governor pressured the three Payams, Anyidi, Makuach and Kolnyang Civil Administrators, CAs and Chiefs to collect the 418 heads of cattle to be handed over to Murle owners. These animals were handed to the owner on 23rd September 2012. Few people questioned the number of animals taken by only four people. They also questioned the way justice was administered. The governor was gratified because this was his usual way of doing things. He had no regard for the courts of law. What happens the next day was unbelievable. The Murle whose one of their fellow members was compensated the other day attacked Pamuom cattle camp and looted about three hundred sixty (360) according to Sudan Tribune report.
The compensation that was done the other day was in vain. Everybody became a liar including those who were buying peace and those who were punishing Bor people worked in vain. One more note on this was that the compensation was a Bor Gok issue, but the 23rd September attacked was Athooc issue where the Governor and peace-buying MP come from. This issue was clearly a failure of parliament which should have intervened and pass a no confidence resolution in the governor for not implementing or upholding the State constitution particularly the separation of powers.
3. Depopulation of three Counties of Bor, Twic East and Duk. It has never happened before, in the history of the three Counties of former Bor North and Bor South Counties for the villages to be depopulated like the scale seen today. Not even after the destruction of 1991 meted out by rebels within rebels of Riek Machar and Lam Akol. Villages are now complete ghost habitats and travelers are fearful of passing through them. On this scale, it has now become a blame game amongst the people on who is responsible to protect civilians in those Counties in particular and in Jonglei in general. There exist the SPLA. The Police, Prison wardens, Wildlife officers and even the fire Brigade who should protect civilians and keep law and order. All of these are trained, armed and should be ready to provide protection whenever and wherever the need be.
What is lacking is the leadership and planning necessary to solve the Jonglei crises once and for all. The former Governor was heard on many occasions crying for nonexistent security roads. He thought that only roads would solve this complicated situation to which he was tasked by the president. He was thought to be such an invincible character that would unlock the secrets of insecurity in his home State and beyond. Alas, he was however, reduced to lamenting the absence of roads and motor vehicles to fight the insecurity.
This was simplistic and hypocritical at most. There were lots of construction equipment and trucks left behind by AYAT Construction Company at his disposal. If he were serious about these claims he should have used them to construct those security roads for security personnel use. There are also the main roads like Juba-Bor-Malakal Highway, many feeder roads joining the three Counties of Bor, Twic East and Duk and the Bor-Pibor-Ethiopia Highway. Why he did not make maximum use of these roads is a question answerable by him only. On the other hand, there was no need to cry for what is nonexistent and virtually unachievable in a short term. There are always alternatives in every situation no matter what.
Despite all these failures and blunders, the president maintains his confidence in Kuol Manyang Juuk Chaw. There are two explanations for this. It might wrongly have been thought by the leadership of the SPLM that if the last hope has failed then nobody else was capable of unveiling a coherent strategy for solving the devastating crises in Jonglei. Secondly, the former Governor was thought to be the power behind the throne. Therefore, whatever, weaknesses or failures he has could easily be overlooked. Otherwise, his State was the worst in terms of inter-tribal killings, cattle theft, child abduction, revenge killings and active rebel activities capable of threatening national security and possible destabilisation of the whole country. The double standard by the President not to act in case of Jonglei explains the sacking of Lakes and Unity States Governors who were less incompetent than Jonglei State Governor.
4. The cattle rustling rampage. In the past, the conflict among Jonglei communities was about cattle unlike what we see today. It was a simple animal theft involving one to a few heads. Sometimes there used to be large-scale group robbery but limited in scope and frequency like those of Anyidi, “Paluer”, “Amuometh” cattle camps just before the SPLA war. There were also attacks during the war but are less compared to the scale witness immediately after peace. The SPLM government often accused Khartoum of instigating a policy of “destabilization” but failed to do something about those perpetrators of destabilization.
The increased frequent attacks of cattle camps and even of those cows in byre(s) (luak/luek) made the cattle owners to abandon their original places for safer places in other parts of the country. This was a disaster because the youth left behind vulnerable elderly people. The elderly are unable to till the land and were susceptible to attacks. The other remaining youth moved to town in search of schools and business opportunities available. The Governor, who had acquired big swathes of land and built a cattle pen on one of them in Bor town, was not happy with those survival reactions by the youth and the community. He blamed youth for running away from the countryside where they could farm and to be idle and play games in town. The youth in turned blamed him instead for failure to provide security in villages as this was his responsibility to which he replaced the first Governor, Philip Thon Leek. They further, blamed him for bringing cattle and his mother who had been residing in rural Baidit Payam. His administration was therefore, marred in blame and counter blame in Jonglei at large and in Bor County in particular.
5. Failed peace accords. Hundreds of peace accords have been signed among the warring communities from the past. Most of them were not honoured. This was the also the case after CPA where hope for complete peace was high on the agenda in the country. In Bor Town, five Counties; Uror, Duk, Ayod, Nyirol and Twic East held a four day peace conference ST May 10 2009. The Governor called on the conference to reach an agreement to realise the elusive peace in the State. Like many previous agreements, it suffered the same fate of dishonouring.
The Agreements between Nuer and Bor Dinka are far better in implementation than those between Dinka and Murle or Nuer and Murle. The reason is that Murle is the most hostile trouble maker among these communities with multifaceted interest in cattle, children, guns and physical elimination of innocent souls. It was even blamed (Murle) during the conference of Murle, Jie and Kachipo (Suri) held in Bor City in 2012. The Murle leaders acknowledged this fact after that conference as the position held by even their close cousins in the State. It was also reported however, that the Murle leaders failed to condemned violence perpetuated by their members on many occasions ST Dec. 31 2007. Numerous organisations tried these peace building approaches committing communities to make peace but failed miserably. If one was looking for an axis of too many dishonoured agreements, then Jonglei State was that axis. Nobody could alter this fact though many peace-loving people still profess hope to call for those conferences of which as many lost hope. Some observers remarked that the sponsoring organisations are playing the devil’s advocates.
6. Bungled disarmament campaign. The tribal instability in Jonglei State caused authorities in Juba sleepless nights since CPA. The first attempt at solving the crippling crisis in Jonglei was to change the first State Government in the hope that things will change for better as a result. The waves of death, cattle theft and child abduction proved the authorities wrong on Governor exchange notion. The problem was deeper than that.
The second action was a voluntary or forceful disarmament of civilians initiated by the Federal Government in Juba. This was to be done by the SPLA, the country’s national army. It was not made clear prior to this exercise what methods the army will use to collect lethal illegal guns in possession of civilians. Later, it became clear the army resorted to its old tactics of forcing civilians by intimidation and torture to confess those with illegal arms and their whereabouts. No sooner had the orders been given than the army started torturing women, children and younger people to concoct evidence of gun ownership in the State. This approach however, did not work throughout the Counties. Many peaceful Counties, whose law and order had not broken down reported voluntary surrender of guns unlike the most belligerent County of Pibor where only six hundred guns were reported after several months of disarmament exercise ST 2012. This was disclosed by disarmament Commander in Bor Town in the same year. He further, stated that the army personnel carrying out the exercise were being killed, and the youth ran to the bush to avoid the disarmament in Pibor County. After these adverse reports however, the government failed to make attempts to do something different to make disarmament a success in the trouble County. The same disarmament Commander was seen roaming the streets of Bor Town with full escorts avoiding giving the necessary support on the ground where the experienced difficulties.
The failure to carry out effective disarmament campaign in the State later evolved to something of a national threat, the rebellion of David Yau-Yau. He recruited the youth who churned disarmament and became a readymade fodder for his ends. It was now difficult to differentiate the combatant from noncombatant in the rebellion. Every attack was now blamed on him, and his rebels who largely come from his Murle tribe. The question here is should a failed disarmament campaign be blamed on the Governor? The answer is absolutely yes. This is because he did not provide adequate leadership-guidance to the troops and the Commander-in-Chief. He was sitting in Bor, and most of the time commuting between the Bor Town and Juba without touring the Counties to see for himself how the campaign is progressing. He further, failed as Governor to request Murle leaders to condemn violence as mentioned earlier around and help persuade their people to surrender all lethal guns and munitions to the SPLA and other security forces. This time as always, the president turned a blind eye against this chaos. Some people were of the view that the failed Governor should have been removed before the commencement of disarmament. How can you be part of the solution if you are part of the problem? The exercise would have been done successfully had the President taken this approach.
7. Nepotism. It has been alleged that the former SPLA strong man was less corrupt compared to his peers in the Movement and that he was more of a selfless nationalist. This is far from the truth. During the olden days of the Movement, there was nothing anyone could lay their hands on except priceless weapons and munitions.
The fact that he appointed his son’s brother-in-law to head the Ministry of land talks allot about him. It has been argued that even if one is a close relative to the one appointing authority but is qualified she/he deserves that position like everyone else. After all you are all citizens of the same County/State/country. This argument in South Sudan has been abused and will continue to be abused if action is not taken now. Appointing close relations is what is termed as nepotism. It later breeds conflict of interest. For example if the wife of the former Governor is a land dealer. She will go right to her son-in-law and request for any piece of land anywhere in the State, and you know what the request will be granted. Consequently, in case of issues arising because of that land, the Governor will be there to defend the indefensible leading to a cover-up and kleptocracy. The predecessor to the son-in-law was accused and dislodged from the Land Ministry simply because he did not enjoy any nepotistic relationship with the Governor of the day. This act of appointing a relative attracts criticisms justifiably because the links are apparent there. May be because of this, the former Governor was accused of owning large swathes of land in Bor. True leaders or those in charge of government institutions must avoid appointment of close relatives to head strategic government institutions because of unintended outcomes.
His wife is also rumored to own two markets in the City apart from numerous real estates in the same City. Ironically, the Governor was not happy with some communities because they resisted his land schemes. He in particular singled out the three Payams of Bor County i.e. Anyidi, Makuach and Kolnyang Counties that hosts the State Government. People of Anyidi Payam insisted that land must be distributed on first-come-first-serve basis. That is to say if you are found on a piece of land then that piece should be allotted to you but not someone from elsewhere. This argument is logical on all occasions considering the urban settlement after the CPA and more importantly the movement to towns because of displacement in rural Jonglei. This argument further, curtails massive displacement of poor residents who can hardly afford simple construction materials leave alone modern construction materials. Due to these developments, the former Governor unleashed “cold war” on the residents in Machuor suburb (Hai Machuor) because of resistance to force land acquisitions. They have been denied clean piped water channeled to other parts of the City. Second, the suburb was not surveyed. Thirdly, they have been denied power available to all in town. In short, the land became a Governor’s family issue.
8. Expulsion of MSF and Moldovans running Bor Civil Hospital and Dr. John Garang University respectively. One of the appalling things is the chasing away of a friend in deed. This was allowed to happen in Jonglei under the watchful eye of the former military Governor of that State. Both the MSF and ASCOM were doing a job no one was able to do effectively.
MSF, as many know is a humanitarian organisation dealing with health matters around the globe. It was instrumental in Bor Civil Hospital where its Doctors performed surgeries and treatment of other diseases not taken care of by the State government hospital. The hospital has two sections one for MSF and the other for State Government. Some Doctors with conflict of interest were believed to have orchestrated the expulsion of this vital organisation. They operated private clinics thought to be in competition with MSF. As for ASCOM, some people from education side with self-gratification motive agitated the takeover by the ministry of higher education. This was a kind of early indigenization albeit haphazardly executed. Many independent watchers thought that this kind of takeovers were too early particularly for those institutions founded and fully funded by foreign investors. This is one method of scaring away investors in a country as young as South Sudan among others.
9. Disorganized and stalled land distribution programme. The land distribution process was well before his time as second Governor after CPA. It only became apparent that this distribution was carried out without law in place (2007-2011) because land law was only passed in 2012. Nevertheless, the distribution stalled for political reasons during his term.
The Minister of Physical Infrastructure, John Amuor Kuol was dismissed because of the some quarters were not satisfied with land distribution programme.
Land allotment was now a clandestine business after the first land Minister Vacation of office. At this juncture, those who wanted land had to use unconventional means to acquire it. The former Governor further allowed the scramble over land jurisdiction and ownership among the State, County and Payams to flourish. Many may argue that the emotional land issue is not only confined to Jonglei or Bor County. It’s all over South Sudan. The inhabitants or indigenous people believed that they should have more say over land particularly where Capital Cities are located. This argument seems logical because they should be compensated in the event of displacement. Their holy sites must be respected like other citizens whose lands are not accessible to the government. In case the above land related issues are not adhered to or ignored, the local inhabitants may turn violent and reject expropriation of their land without consultation. This was true during the tenure of the first State Governor who was told to relocate the State Capital to Gediang by Bor County communities. The State government was rumoured to be support of the relocation idea, but there were many reasons why it was left in suspense till today. Gediang is a remote area unlike Bor which is well served by river Nile and main roads from Juba and Malakal. Hence, the relocation was shelved indefinitely.
10. Lacking coherent political philosophy. The current SPLM leaders are by any measure default leaders. Everyone knows and understands perfectly what happened on “The Long and Painful Road to Freedom” as captured by Arop Madut in a book with the same title. The past Southern leaders during the twenty or so years did not go to the bush for various reasons; the potential misunderstanding in the bush, lack of guaranteed victory over the enemy, education imbalance, the generational gap and many more. These scared off the intelligentsia and after Addis Ababa accord leaders like, Gen. Lagu, Alier Kwai, Aru Bol etc. who ruled the South until the second rebellion. It has been rumoured that some shrewd professors and doctors argued rightly that the most ignorant rebel officers will likely eliminate them once they join the legion in the bush. The few who went to the bush along with the rebels were not accorded leadership chance because of fear. They were also considered the bourgeoisie. In the middle of the war, it was apparent that it was led by crazy guys who grew dictatorial and fragile in mind so that some returned to the enemy back in Khartoum and verse versa. These events of acrimonious divisions and defections to the enemy further exposed the movement to be run by a very few with scanty leadership qualities.
The former Governor is among this bunch. He is a no nonsense man with poor political and philosophical sophistication. The guy is addicted to commanding methodology to the point of neglecting other skills in other professions say politics. This phenomenon was confirmed during his time as Governor by a lady was quoted by the media that she blamed herself for voting for a Governor who failed to deliver. She blamed insecurity, unemployment, poor roads, disorganized land distribution among other campaign promises on the Governor. Because of his forceful nature and lack of political sophistication, the former Governor became more and more unpopular with his Bor Dinka communities. He was perceived as great liability particularly for failing to tackle destabilizing insecurity in the whole State. After all he was a security Governor by all accounts of his appointment and subsequent backing by the SPLM during 2010 election.
11. Cleaning the State payroll from ghost workforce. The former Governor took it upon himself to clean the State payroll that was full of ghost names as one of his objectives. The government of his predecessor was barely two years since the peace accord. It inherited a payroll that looked like a charitable affair. It contained all sorts of names of those not in a position to perform their duties together with nonexistent personnel. This crippled the State government activities. It was a war on corruption though in a small scale. He received a presidential award for it.
12. Keeping Bor City cleaner relative to other States Capitals. Juba, both an administrative and a commercial Capital of South Sudan have been variously described as a big village. Juba City was thought to be the standard bearer of cleanliness in the whole country however, it failed that test. In the case of Bor City, the former Governor descended on plastic bottles and bags to keep Bor Town clean. He banned their importation and sale in Jonglei in general and Bor Town in particular. Many people around the country were impressed about Bor Town cleanliness relative to other similar towns.
He is not the only one who deserved praise here. The Bor County Commissioner was actually the implementer of this policy hence deserved the accolade. This is a typical local government area of jurisdiction and was below the functions of the State Governor.
13. Construction and rehabilitation of the State Civil Hospital. The State Civil Hospital was built using government as well as private contributions from individuals and other institutions. This was through his direct initiative having witnessed the State Hospital in dilapidation after the departure of the army of oppression. Some organisations which offered basic health needs had no funds to rehabilitate this only State referral health facility. This work was later on furthered by IMA World Health.
14. Encouraging Youth to join government and development efforts. This was seen in the way the Governor tried to lure the returnees from abroad in to his government. Notable, is the appointment of Bor Mayor in 2013 who is a Youth returning from Australia to take part in development efforts. However, this appointment has serious shortcomings constitutionally. A Mayor according to the National and State constitutions should be directly elected by the city residents. This constitutional requirement had never been fulfilled in the whole country. It also been alleged that a serious lobbying took place at a political level to appoint him with such little experience useful for the work of a mayor.
15. Conclusion. Leaders come and go, but government and the area of administration remain. History however, is the one to either judge past leaders favourably or unfavourably.
It is okay to lobby for leaders to be brought to certain situations, but it is something different altogether whether those leaders will live to the challenge. What people have not realized is that, leaders cannot be solely judged by their past highly rated performance. The former Jonglei keeps on riding on past performance without regard to present and or future. The former Governor was tasked to bring solutions to an already volatile situation, but his past achievements were hardly replicated there. The security situation in Jonglei morphed from bad to the worst contrary to expectation. No one at that stage was able to do something differently perhaps many thought that the end of the road was reached. The rafts of fundamental failures of the former governor dwarfed his small achievements. His achievements were too thin to do good for dear Jonglei. This is the likely scenario even with new assignments in the future. The guys are too old to learn new tricks.
You can reach the author through his email: alierabe21@yahoo.com.au
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