Uphill Battle and Roadmap to Peace in South Sudan
7 min readBy Manyok Mabiei
I think and I think what will be a solution in South Sudan from a recently crises. The war between South and North took nearly 22years of struggles and left 2.5 million dead, and until the International Communities involved in peace talks. The International Communities was helped to design a roadmap solution to support both north and south to accept a peace and move forward of separation in the meantime. North and South were being monitoring by International Communities through the peace dialogues within 7years. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) took South Sudan almost 7years from 1998-2005. As we know the CPA took many years to frame by many people around the world to end conflict in South Sudan and North Sudan.
However, recently conflict in South Sudan and the future of South Sudan, how will it end? The country need short term solution to bring those two leaders in South Sudan to justice and prevent them in leadership in South Sudan. By forcing these leaders out of power, it will be solution to make this country better nation for a while through International Communities involve through action. To enforce a peace agreement between them, it will be difficult to work and help the South Sudan to stand without crises at this moment. It is a good idea to deal with Kiir and Riek from South Sudan as the gate way to bring solution to the nation. This crisis was affected thousands of thousands of people in South Sudan and diaspora in many ways.
In additionally, South Sudan needs a frame work to create Interim Leadership in the nation as a gate way solution and avoid peace dialogue between these two leaders. Dr. Riek Machar will not win to take nation over through violent and second to that President Kiir will not defeat him through violent. It was even difficult from President Kiir Mayardit to defeat Militia David YauYau from small minority community in 3years conflict in South Sudan. Evenly, President Kiir will defeat Dr. Riek Machar through military action there be still Riek Machar loyalties will engage the government without development. The South Sudan need to think big without delay the best action before it become waste and make nation venerable for long term.
Therefore, military solution will not end the conflict in South Sudan, rather than sit down on the table and discuss the solutions through dialogues. The root cause of problem was developing in 9years during Kiir leadership and they were not addressed within those years. President Kiir wasn’t elected through political admiration by citizens of South Sudan. This is a thing the world can look at it the current president wasn’t elected to be president through his ability of leadership. President Kiir was exceeded power after the death of Dr. John Garang, while the Southerners were waiting referendum. From 2005 to 2011 Southerners were united well and vote overwhelmingly during referendum between the North. President Kiir wasn’t motivating the Southerners through politic or ability to win them, but they were admired by CPA to have the nation.
What we can see on this case the problem of South Sudan is not the issue who will go to benefit next to other. It is the problem how the leadership functions in the nation. When I think about the situation of South Sudan it comes back to President Kiir as a root cause of the problem. This crises is one of thing that humiliated Southerners in the globally than anything. And to clean the image of the nation, it will take generation to generation to be respect in the global. For sure all the speeches President Kiir made to the public there is nothing made some of the citizens, they have a leader in South Sudan. In my own thinking a leader can address the public with confident and awareness of their lives. There is one of his speeches on December, 14, 2013; he was descried that there were some of people who defected away in 1991 without take full responsibility to protect the civilians. President Kiir was a leader in the SPLA almost three decades, and many people were expected that he should know everything in day one. It is a horrible thing to wait any danger come close to you without defends. The root cause of problem still go back to him, because he don’t prepare ahead to confront the situation to keep the nation safe.
More important, the rebel groups need to stops aggressive violent and use none political violent. Former Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar Teny needs to bear in mind that the seat of presidency is not ration-card from UNHCR usually given to refugees in the camp. If you are looking for leadership you can shows the qualities of leadership, but not violent. Well, using Nuer innocent civilians alone as tool to fight the current government it does help him and civilians. Looking for high position in South Sudan, it is better way to win other communities to get a gate way to power, but not violent.
Dinka are majorities, but they still need other communities in South Sudan to get to power. Dr. Riek was almost won some Dinka in term of politic, but he made a wrong U turn. On August, 28, 2005 was a death of Dr. John Garang de Mabior some people were exfected there will be conflict in term of leader in South Sudan. Honorable Kiir Mayardit was appointed to take over of the SPLA leadership. I remember the time Dr. Riek Machar was said, “I thought it was me” that time there were two Southerners were thinking they were supposed to be appointed to take power in the SPLA leadership, people like Dr. Riek Machar and Dr. Lam Akol.
Well, Honorable President Kiir did not use his Cabinet and his party as the sink tank to solve a growing problem in the nation. The problem was developing slowly and president wasn’t take attention to call his party and cabinet to address the issue on time. Dr. Riek Machar was trying to manage to challenge the President Kiir in the party before 2015 election. Southerners are aware that President Kiir will run in next year election. This problem was growing for many years without being address within the party and the cabinet or country level. There was threating and splitting in the party and cabinet.
More to the points, there are a lot of lacking in the government of South Sudan things like security, constitution, education, military disciple and etc. And there are two things challenge a currently situation as well as mentioned above military disciple and lack of education are the root cause of the problem in the nation. It is difficult within the SPLA because military was not integrated in the national level. Some of the other states were not represented in the national level in term of military. Also, some of the rebel groups were joined the government of South Sudan and remained without integrated into military level.
Well, what is the solution the South Sudanese citizens can see themselves as the part of the nation, but not the tribes as national identify? I think a better way to draft National Constitution with all procedures to follow in the national level. This is a tough thing and South Sudan need International Communities for what to be done because there is lack of justice in the nation and that is a part of problem. Also, the SPLA party needs better structure to organize the party because it will be ruling party for many years.
The question remain in darkness where is the United States stand in this recently crises, while the United States was devoted a high potential of energy and money to help the South Sudan to succeed for long-term struggle with North? I believe the United States still help the NGOs to help the country. I prepare the United States should take a better stand to confront these two leaders leave power and let the nation go under interim leadership for short period. I know it will take a lot of time to do so, but it will help the nation. It was took long time to draft the CPA into national level.
Finally, I believe the short term solution should be done between these two leaders Kiir and Riek by involved the International Communities to form short term interim leadership to function for now in South Sudan. There is nothing can bring these men together on one table for now.
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