The ‘Prophet of Doom’ has Defiled Bor Again in the Name of Democracy
9 min readBy Malith Alier
The Prophet of Doom has Defiled Bor, other Towns Again in the Name of Democracy
The 25 Dec. 13 is our humblest Xmas ever in the world’s newest nation, South Sudan. The Christmas day is very important to all Christians around the world including South Sudan. The average South Sudanese usually organises elaborate Christmas celebration by purchasing new set of clothing by November and early December. Homes are decorated with new paint and flowers. The family then prepare particular food, cookies, sweets and refreshment for kids on the 25th day, the supposed birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ. All this has been disrupted by the attempted coup ten days earlier.
15th December was like the twelfth anniversary of the 1991 massacre of Bor people if ever this day was commemorated.
Though it began in Juba, the South Sudanese capital as an attempted coup, it went all the way to this unfortunate city inhabited by the most peace abiding people, the greater Bor People. By any standard, nowhere in the world is the phrase ‘‘history repeats itself’’ more apparently tragic than Bor, the capital of Jonglei State. The massacre of 1991 had touched everyone’s life in many ways. The orphans still enjoy disarray in their lives to date. It is insignificant to talk about lost property because life is more precious. Any living being can gain when peace is first established.
The talk of professionalising the SPLA has been discussed many times but little is done so far. What we see in this vital security service are rebellion by spending a few months in the bush and later be reintegrated in to the army with various acquired ranks in the wilderness.
This is a catastrophe in the supposedly guerrilla army with little room for professionalism. What remains of the SPLA as a result, are indiscipline and side switching as was the case after that failed coup attempt. Two Divisional commanders, both Major-Generals, switched sides instantly on hearing the rumours of ethnic cleansing. One of these commanders may be paranoid. He had been a notable dissident and had more than ten side switches to his name. The other one had not been linked to any rebellion prior to this.
It is often said that the truth, is the number one casualty before, any war and this coup attempt that might develop into a senseless war was no exception.
South Sudan may be on the brink of war. This was the opinion in and the beyond the region. The IGAD foreign Ministers of Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan arrived in Juba on 22nd December to try to initiate dialogue between the government and the coup plotters some of who are arrested.
The government insists on detaining them despite calls for their release by human right activists and their supporters. The ring leader or the mastermind behind the coup and the rebellion is also urgently calling for the release of his accomplices’ colleagues before, any meaningful talks to negotiate their return to power.
This is premature and is unsustainable in the current situation. The arguments of who started what and who kills who are also irrelevant but the solution of the matter is crucial to stop more bloodshed and sliding back to civil war.
As things stand, the solution is a kind of compromise that maybe in form of power sharing between the key antagonists or tribes.
The power sharing, accommodation and the policy of appeasement had been in play since CPA. You never know what the human mind is made of. The Dinka people believed that the hyena does not touch or eat a human head/brain because it had no knowledge of what it contains. This is apparently true because human relations are complex when it comes to dealing with one another.
Once a human-being has achieved a certain stage he/she is no longer motivated by it. This explains what is currently happening in South Sudan.
The former Vice President was no longer motivated by his position and the kind of wealth and resources he had accumulated. The same to the rest of those behind bars who have been in the government since 2005 in various capacities.
This group is the one now crying foul against corruption in the government and lack of democracy in the party, SPLM. Notably, all of them were part of the rot in the government of Southern Sudan and the government of the Republic of South sudan but they can’t acknowledge their part of the rot in the system.
One South Sudanese commentator blamed them for failing to accept their share of wrongdoing and clearly articulate the new path they would take during their news conference on December 6 2013. Instead of bringing forth higher ideals that day, they remained as simple as ever before. The talk of corruption, anti-Garang, NCP and other parties’ members taking over the SPLM led government, liberation generals have been dismissed from army and President surrounded by bad people are nothing new. What did they failed to articulate these points while in government.
This is the reason why some of us are sceptical of what this group can offer now and in the future. Most of them are as dirty as pigs in the mud of incompetence. I suppose all of them have been served with letters to return loots to a government chest but failed to do so. They are among the notorious 75 who misappropriated funds from the government. Here, we lie in our misery caused by the insatiables.
On this stage, I partly agree with Princeton Lyman that the failure to democratise by the SPLM has brought the current crisis. But this is not the simple matter of democratising the party, it is something more. There are many other political parties operating in the country. This group should have simply exited the SPLM and form their democratic party they can run as they wish. For if one cannot form and run a party how can he claim to democratise an undemocratic party. There is no way. The events of 1991 and formation of SSIM and SSDM are a testimony.
The president after quelling the coup and unrest needs to crack the whip this time round. We all have seen the fruits of unsuccessful democratisation. This ideal is not the most important currently in the new nation; service delivery is the most important. Some of us have been critical of the policy of appeasement and open-ended amnesties. Taking up arms and coming back for positions received undue praise in the past. However, this is what is killing democracy and therefore, the country. Our view is that, South Sudan is not ready for liberal democracy. Check South Sudan Feigning Democracy and Human rights by this author on Southsudannation.com and paanluelwel.com. There are many other alternative suggestions to liberal democracy by South Sudanese on the net and other publications.
There is an urgent need to stop too much focus on democracy. It was tried but less was achieved. There is need to do away with elections because there are no resources to manage them. People can be appointed like what the president had done in parliament and that of some State governors.
It is observable that many commentators want the old system of posting individuals to different locations in the country regardless of their ethnic origin. The Jonglei state government already implemented it. County and Civil Administrators are the case in point in that state.
Democracy is really blackmailing this country. Individuals can do some nasty things but invoke the name of democracy. This is the second time now for Riek to kill civilians in the name of unknown democratic ideals.
The Citizen Chief Editor proposed that the country be led by a military leader for ten or fifteen years after which democracy can set in gradually. Many misinformed people blame the president about lack of democracy but it is actually our misunderstanding of democracy that should be blamed.
You can see why those against the so-called liberal Western democracy couldn’t be more right. They clearly perceived that our people are vastly illiterate. They can be cheated in the name of democracy they don’t understand. They even don’t understand very well their customs that have long been handed down by their great ancestors. These customs have never been firmly put in to books and are not even properly explain to posterity. They are therefore, subject to manipulation by those in charge to suit their needs.
Dr. Riek Machar is not even an average leader South Sudan wants. Many South Sudanese voiced this concern in the past and the calls will only grow louder this time with these events.
What we know of this prospective president is diabolical smile most of the time in public arena. What we don’t know is how much is the hatred or love behind the monotonous smiles. I was of the opinion that the guy must be an action oriented man because he is highly unconvincing when it comes to articulating matters through speech as a political leader. On one instance, when he was quiz by journalist why he accepted another position when the constitution was against another appointment besides that of VP. His answer was that, his bodyguards advised him to do so. You can see the kind of a leader he is. He is neither action oriented nor comprehensible politically.
Dr. Riek is a tribal leader in every sense of the word. He endeavours to articulate one thing, but does something different altogether. The events of 1991 illustrated this point. He purported to fight for greater democracy in the movement but nobody can remind you that he failed miserably and ended up in Khartoum. He let loose his Nuer tribesmen to lynched Dinka officers under his command. His atrocities culminated in the invasion and annihilation of Bor Dinka.
This is clearly the case in 2013 in an independent South Sudan. One can’t comprehend why some folk like Rebecca and Dr. Agot follow him. They were not aware that the whole saga will end up in Bor as usual. This was a blackmail disguised in the fight for greater democracy in the SPLM party. The two not only have erred to be disciples of someone who wields a tribal card but also accepted to be part of a team assembled through quick and dirty methods.
Riek is now firmly back in his tribal fiefdom. For how can someone explain his escape to Leer, his birth place and then to Bentiu were he commands massive support. He will now negotiate on behalf of unwanted militia dotted with many generals outnumbering foot soldiers. Many militias have already benefitted through reintegration since CPA. This is nothing new but how long shall it continue. It is done on the expense of faithful SPLA soldiers. It will be too much to integrate self promoted militias and promote other officers who have been faithfully in the service at the same time. The budget is prohibitive.
You can see that Dr. Riek has miserably failed the test of democracy the second time. If elections are held today, the knowledgeable Doctor can hardly garner Dinka vote particularly if Dinka vote as a block. However, Dinka has never been known to be a solid single vote block. it is not difficult to distinguish a tribal leader despite other gestures they make.
For these reasons, neither liberal democracy nor dictatorship is the ideal form of government for South Sudan. The warring leaders for positions should endeavour to stop the ongoing bloodshed and move quickly to defuse tensions they have helped tribalised.
The leadership of this country should be modelled on our traditional forms relevant to South Sudan. Give peace a chance once again.
Remember to play without your too much reliance on a tribe for you will not succeed on this shaky ground. God bless South Sudan and a happy new year 2014.
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