Things to Know About Riek Machar (The Prophet of Doom)

By Kuai Biar

Things to know about Riek Machar (Dr. Doom)
A profile of ruthless man who became the nightmare for people of South Sudan; his rise to stardom and his final fall to mediocrity of sectarian (tribal divisive) politic.

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I was old enough to witness the ultimate revolt or rebellion in my home town of Bor on May 16th, 1983. I became a part of the great revolution that spun for a period of two decades all the way from front line, village, refugees camp and a privilege of sitting in front of computer, watching live news on TV and have access to international media out lets…etc.

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The man called Riek Machar Teny Dhuorgon, was not a known figure in the old Sudan and South Sudanese politic at national stage. Apparently, Riek Machar was never a part of the underground movement that led to the formation of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLM/SPLA). The movement was inspired by the Anya Nya I movement officers who were very dissatisfied by some of the contents from Addis Ababa agreement; mainly the absorption or the integration of their forces into the Sudan Armed Forces.

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The other instigating factors were the abrogation of the Addis Ababa Peace Agreement of 1972, the division of South into three regions of Upper Nile, Bhar El Gazelle and the Equatoria to weaken South Sudan, and the decision to drill and refine the newly discovered Oil in the Northern Sudan. More outrageously, the declaration of the controversial Islamic Sharia Law. All these erratic political changes were orchestrated by Nemeiri regime.

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When the political situation in South Sudan was very tense and uncertain in the late seventies and early eighties, Riek Machar chose to go for his post graduate studies in England. When the revolt started in Bor on May 16th, 1983 when the 105 Battalion mutinied followed by 104 Battalion in Ayod garrison on June 6,1983, Colonel Dr.John Garang, Colonel Majur Nhial Makol, Major Kerbino Kuanyin Bol, Major William Nyuon Bany, Major Alier Nhial Mangardit, Captain Thon Ayii Jok, and many other junior ranks and civil servants followed. These groups made their way into the Ethiopian borders all the way to Itang camp. A lot more officers and senior politicians started joining in big numbers. Everybody regrouped in the camp. The SPLA started to mobilize and form their leadership. During this process, the feud began between the founding members.

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The differences were ignited by who should be leader of the movement and the direction of the movement. Some people like Akuot Atem and Samuel Gai Tut wanted to fight for the independence of South Sudan. Other people wanted to fight secular united Sudan. Another hidden plan since the movement started in the height of cold war, was the matter of alliance. Should the movement alliance itself with the eastern bloc for support from socialist countries or should it alliance with the western countries. Those of Akuot Atem and Gai Tut were Anya Nya I veterans and veteran politicians were interested to lead the movement with the separatist objectives. The younger officers wanted Dr. John Garang to lead the movement. The stronger supporters of John Garang were Kerbino Kuanyin and William Nyuon.

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These discussions caused a huge tension between the rival factors. During those tensions, Kerbino Kuanyin shot and killed one individual in the camp according to Arop Madut’s book; “The Painful Road to Freedom”. The situation became chaotic and tense. Akuot Atem and Samuel Gai Tut group suspected that the worse was yet to come. They fled to their original camp Bilpam. The SPLA forces pursued them into Bilpam and into the Sudanese borders. The SPLM/SPLA made Bilpam as their permanent headquarters. Akuot Atem and Gai Tut continued with their pre-existing Anya Nya II movement. They alliance their movement with the government to lead a counter rebellion.

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They began to set up road blocks to target the new recruits into the movement. People began to die in thousands before they reached the training camps. The Nuer land became inaccessible for recruits from Northern Bhar El Gazzalle and Abiei which was their short cut. That was due to a great number of recruits drawn to death in a place called Wangkeech pathway. The renegades or Nyageet ambushed people there and trapped them in the Nile where they got executed or drawn into the River Nile. Due to those brutal incidents, people from Northern Bhar El Gazalle and Nuba Mountains began to take a longer walk Southward towards Lakes state and eventually crossing in Bor area pathways which were more receptive and more hospitable passages. The movement managed to train its first three Battalions; Jamus, Tiger and Timsah respectively plus the original first two Battalions of 105/104. The SPLA was now ready to launch operations against the Khartoum regime and to do mass recruitment all over South Sudan and extent its wings to the rest of Sudan.

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The counter insurgency didn’t make it easy for the SPLA to achieve its mission and to have a smooth ride. People began to die in big numbers whether they were the trained soldiers or the new recruits. The renegade leaders were using the tribal propaganda that the Dinkas were coming to dominate the Nuers and the mission was the Dinka domination and not likely the liberation of the Sudan from the Arab Northern injustices towards Southern Sudanese. This propaganda and rhetoric was working well in Nuer areas. There were defections even within the first five battalions. The individual Nuer members were deserting to join the renegade fighters.

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Due to the bad publicity and the confusion of the movement and its objectives in the Nuer’s land, Dr. John Garang sought out the help of Nuer sons intellectuals. Riek Machar was the only known Nuer with a post graduate education at the time. John Garang thought of recruiting him. While in London, England, John Garang contacted him to invite him to join the movement. Riek was stunned as he had no desire to join the people’s liberation. Riek resisted the call to join the movement but John Garang was very adamant in his intention to invite Riek arguing that the Nuers have been confused about what we are fighting for to achieve. Riek finally accepted the call reluctantly with condition that he didn’t want his children to suffer in the bush.

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Dr. John Garang promised Riek Machar not to worry about his kids well being. “We will find your kids a first class asylum in United Kingdom and you will be visiting your kids every six months.” Said John Garang. Riek then accepted the invitation to join the movement. By 1984, Riek was in the movement. Dr. John Garang first assigned him as his office manager to train Riek how the business of liberation was done. Later he was sent to political school of the movement where the elites were taught political military training. Shortly after, Riek was assigned as a battalion commander- a battalion that consisted from the majority of his Nuer fighters and he was also posted to his area of Bentiu or Unity state.

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By 1986, the SPLA promoted Riek to the second highest ranking group of the Alternate member of Political Military High Command. His promotion came on the same day alongside; Commander Kuol Manyang Juuk Chaw, Commander Daniel Awet Akot, Commander Martin Manyiel Ayual, Commander James Wani Igga, Commander Lam Akol Ajawin, and Commander Yussef Kuwa Mekki. The movement boosted the ranks of the movement in the remote areas of South Sudan from the Ethiopian borders. With the help of the veteran officers in the zone, Riek was considered a successful military commander. Riek had many officers from Dinka in general and Bor Dinka in particular in his zone. I know some of the officers personally who spoke honorably about him as a good person. Some people even thought out loudly in speculations that if anything happened to John Garang, Riek could have been a clear successor to the leadership of the movement. That was the eighties wishful thinking.

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The fall of Riek Machar began when El Beshir and the National Islamic Front (NIF) took power in Khartoum through the coup’d tat on June 30th, 1989. Another instigation factor was the fall of communism and the break up of (USSR). This shook up the host country and a strong ally Ethiopia under president Mengistu Hailemariam which was suffering from its own political problems. The legend said that the Khartoum regime targeted Dr. Lam Akol who was somewhat a powerful political figure in the movement then. Lam Akol, was the SPLM spokesman and the foreign circle person in charge at the movement at the time. The Khartoum regime sent a secret committee including Lam’s own brother Yohannes Ajawin Akol, a lawyer by profession.

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They paid Lam him an undisclosed lump sum of money somewhere in one of the European countries. The deal was to kill or capture John Garang when ever they possibly could and take over the command of the movement; then they would sign the peace agreement with the Khartoum government where they would share the power; they were literally going to be appointed as leaders of the autonomous South Sudan. After Lam sealed the deal with the Khartoum government, he then recruited Riek Machar using the tribal card that you are the leader of the second largest tribe with PHD just like Dr.John Garang; you could be the next leader of the movement/South Sudan. Riek apparently agreed to the conspiracy. In early 1990, Riek and Lam became best buddies.

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They were seen to be hanging out together everywhere when we were still in Ethiopia. Lam intentionally failed the Maban garrison operations in 1990 because he didn’t want any success of the movement under John Garang and also because the Khartoum regime had already neutralized him as a paid agent. At that point, Lam was acting as enemy from within. On the other hand, Lam and Riek were the main suspects on the assassination attempt on John Garang around June or July 1990 at Tharpam training camp near Itang where they were exempted from prosecution due to a political cost to the movement or to John Garang. They got away with that. Their plot was also inspired allegedly by the CIA and other western spy agencies due to Riek’s mistress Emma MacEwan’s factor.

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The British billionaire Tiny Rowland who wanted to invest in bass South Sudan Oil reserves and other business opportunities. More over, America never trusted John Garang who they considered a socialist if not a communist. They allegedly wanted him out along with his friend and loyal ally Mengistu Hailemariam. Riek’s best opportunity came in May 1991 when the president Mengistu Hailemariam regime fell. I was in Bonga Unified Training Centre at the time. Riek and Lam came to Zinc garrison near Bonga. They addressed our small contingency of commandos there. They took the artillery which they needed and took off with them. They then fled to Nasir garrison in central Upper Nile State.

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Itang, Bonga and other areas were later evacuated. Some refugees fled towards Jokou on route to Nasir. Our group went to Panyudo, to Gilo and then to Pachalla escorting our future president Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit. Our forces continued on to Eastern Equatoria and I stayed behind in Pachalla for family reasons. While we were in Pachalla garrison, the movement was learning to restructure itself from impacts of loosing our strong ally Mengistu Hailemariam, trying to recuperate from the burned out of fleeing Ethiopia, on August 28th, 1991, Riek and Lam shocked South Sudan and the world with the declaration of the Nasir mutiny which they called a coup’d tat against Dr. John Garang.

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Their slogans were: Fighting for the independence of South Sudan, that John Garang is a dictator, John Garang is a human rights abuser, John Garang is a communist. The list goes on. The most ridiculous allegation was that: John Garang is a tribalist. When we were listening to their announcement over the radio (BBC FOCUS ON AFRICA), in our small political understanding at the time, we thought the idea of fighting for South Sudan independence was great.

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Riek and Lam also used deception to mislead the people of South Sudan and the world that they had no intention to fight with the people of South Sudan and against the SPLA forces. The first act Riek and Lam did was to invite all the officers who were in their controlled Zones for an alleged meeting. Majority of those officers were coming from Pagak- a new training camp led by Alternate commander Kuereng Akoi Jurkuch. Both Lam and Riek made their intention clear to officers during the meeting. Most of the officers were shocked by the declaration. As a military tradition, you cannot say no to your senior commander openly but to obey the orders.

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The officers later on made a secret plan to kill both Riek and Lam during the parade where they were going to declare their plan to the public in Nasir garrison and surrounding areas. According to the legend, one of the officers went to Riek and Lam and leaked the officers’ secret plan to assassinate them. Riek and Lam ordered their loyal forces immediately to arrest the officers. Contrary to their human rights claim, they began brutally torturing and killing the officers who did not cooperate with their plan.

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It boggled my mind when I learnt about the way in which these officers were brutally killed. The sources said that some officers had their teeth removed, forced to eat sand, boiled crops or boiled maize. Some were thrown alive into the boiling water in the barrel to die there. Some officers were shot dead in execution style. The killing of the officers was tribally motivated in kind. Even the officers who took a neutral position and the other ones who pledged their verbal support to Riek and Lam were later killed. All the officers who were executed during this national tragedy were all members of the Dinka community. At least 95% of them were from the Greater Bor Community areas.

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Here is the list of them the ones I can remember on top of my head:

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1) Alt. Commander Kuereng Akoi Jurkuch
2) Alt. Commander Daniel Chol Riak
3) Alt. Commander Maguet Dhaal
4) Alt. Akhim Aluong Kang
5) Alt. Commander Peter Panhom Thanypiny (the only Nuer in area who refused to buy into Riek and Lam rhetoric)
6) Capt.Kuol Deng Kuol (Kuol Deng Majok)
7) Capt. Magong Deng Ayom
8) Justice Manyuon Anyang Duom
9) Capt. Welly Chol Riak
10) 1st LT. Majok Chol Ajak

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I may have forgotten the names of some officers and there are officers whom I never knew at all. The officers killed were very many to count anyway. I apologized if I missed the name of the loved ones you know as victims of that tragedy caused by power and greed. On the other hand, Riek and Lam said they didn’t have intention to harm the average citizens. That was a big lie and dishonest remark to alter people’s thinking. They ordered their notorious White Army to invade Bor community in September 1991. The SPLA repelled their attack in Duk Padiet. They went back and re-mobilized in massive numbers of 45,000 in December 1991 thanks to their faults traditional prophet called Wurnyang who deceived the White Army warriors that they will be resurrected even if one of them was killed during battle leading to the Bor massacre.

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This huge number of militias eventually overwhelmed the SPLA forces in Bor area that was lacking youth due to an intense recruitment prior to this invasion. While Bor Dinka youth and veteran fighters were prepared to capture Juba, the Southern Sudanese capital from Jalaba but we got stabbed in the back by Riek Machar and Lam Akol. The first Bor massacre just occurred. Thousands of people lost their lives. Tens of thousands of children and women were abducted and some killed inhumanely. I over heard the western reporter saying: “This is the first time in my life to find over 40 young boys lying dead in one location.” Thousands of bodies of elderly, women and children were lying everywhere. They looted our cattle in millions. They left our community in starvation mode for those who survived. Hundred of thousands of people died in the few years that followed the Bor massacre.

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On his controlled areas, Riek was starving children to death so he could receive the relief services. That’s how cruel Riek Machar is. For those who do not know what led to the Bor massacre, the idea came from Khartoum regime; apparently given to them by the senior central Equatorian politician, one of those who campaigned for the dirty politic of cockroach (The policy that divided South Sudan into three regions) . They knew that Bor community was the back bone of the movement due to its wealth, human power, peaceful nature and its strategic location. More importantly, it’s the home community of Commander in Chief of SPLA Dr. John Garang de Mabior.

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With the destruction of Bor, “Dr. John might go crazy or quit”. They thought.That did not happened. John Garang did not resign or go nuts but the major damage was done to our community. A damage that’s still felt today. The defection caused a drawback in the movement and caused the movement over a decade to get back on its feet to achieve its objectives and goals. Another contradiction to Riek call for the independence of South Sudan was fact that he turned his weapons and his mighty Nuer militia against the SPLA held areas and against the Southern Sudanese populations. They started handing over the areas which were controlled by the SPLA to Khartoum regime.

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Dr. John Garang put it this way, “I know now what the Bible says; beware of the faults prophets. These people talk about human rights! They don’t mean it. They talk about democracy; they don’t mean it. They talk about the independence of South Sudan, they don’t mean it. Instead of fighting the Khartoum regime, they come and fight me in the areas I have already liberated.” The Khartoum regime started to gain an upper hand in the first time in the SPLA eight years history. Riek Machar and Lam Akol ended up signing the Khartoum agreement with the regime in 1997.

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Riek became the part of the Sudanese government. Riek was appointed to what was called assistant to the president. He started to feel a total neglect, humiliation and isolation. By 2002, Riek was finally frustrated. After the Khartoum government used him and felt that they didn’t need him anymore, they started mistreating him just like any other Southerner living in Khartoum.

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Riek rejoined the SPLM leadership. He was re-appointed to the third position in the movement. After signing of the (CPA) and untimely death of our charismatic leader Dr. John Garang, there was a power vacuum in the SPLM hypothetically. Riek Machar became the vice president of the Autonomous South Sudan during the entire interim period plus the two years of post independence. Riek even had some of the president’s duties during those times. He was only stripped of them last year in 2013 due to misconduct and abuse of his privileges. Speaking about corruption, Riek was one of the key players in corrupt practices in South Sudan.

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Riek brought in lots of Nuer militias and he stalled them around Juba. As vice president, he had a huge budget for his entourage. That budget ran out fast. Riek would come back for more. One former Southern Sudanese police official told me that they were in their weekly security meeting when the president suggested to Riek; “could you possibly reduce the size of your entourage “. Riek responded furiously. “Noooooo”. Pointing his finger to the president across the table in a swing. Everyone in the meeting just looked down in disgust.

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While in the government, Riek was bullying his way into the government institutions; knowing that nothing will touch him because of his legendary as the Nuer Ph.D holder with hundred of thousands of followers. Riek was making frequent visits to the United States on government missions and usually went to Minnesota state and Nebraska where majority of Nuers stay in United States of America. Riek would make these ridiculous speeches intended for his followers that you go to school and get masters and Ph.D’s. “When you don’t have these post graduate degrees, we don’t have jobs for you.” I was outraged when I heard these kinds of advises. What country is run by people with masters and Ph.D’s? While academic credentials will make our country savvy, I don’t think realistically you would expect the civil force of a third world country to be post graduate educated.

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More over, Riek Machar was would criticize his boss publicly with western media to discredit the president with incompetency. If Riek was dissatisfied with the performance of the president and the SPLM ruling party, he would have resigned and formed his own political party just like his colleague and former partner in crime Lam Akol did. He would then campaign for a change as a distinct political party. That is what I would do if I were him. It’s very unethical anywhere in the world for a sitting cabinet member to scrutinize the political party that he/she is a part of even in western democratic world with establishments.

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Riek’s behavior in the government was not acceptable. President Salva Kiir eventually made a bald move in July 2013 by sacking him and dissolving the entire corrupt cabinet as well as suspending the very vocal SPLM Secretary-General, Pagan Amum Okech. Riek again used his normal deceptive nature by saying: “We will resolve these differences politically.” Riek did exactly the opposite of what he said publicly. He began to mobilize his notorious and ruthless white army Lou Nuer militias plus his militias around Juba capital. Also, Riek tried to utilize the Nuer majority in the national army and their massive numbers in other organized forces like the police, prisons, and the wildlife.

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Riek was confident that he had a grip on power. Riek had pledges from self interest groups including some Dinka communities due to individuals who alliance themselves with him as a political coalition in pursuit of government positions and favors. With height of the tensions in December 2013, Riek was ready to execute his plan of taking power through force. As we all know that on December 15th, 2013, Riek attempted a coup’d tat on the elected president when he did not get what he wanted with his political allies. The country was thrown back to chaos as the political crisis turned into a tribal violence. Most of the disgruntle politicians were thinking of resolving the crisis nationally but Riek was building his Nuer mighty army.

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This insurgency did not come suddenly nor it was imposed on Riek’s group. This was a premeditated plan to pair up Dinka and Nuer against each other just like it was done before and it had its roots somewhere else. According to an article from former Bor county commissioner; Mr. Maker Lual Kuol, “Peter Gatdet Yak, a division 8 commander station in Bor town, the highest records of defections, sent his troops to survey all Payams of Bor county to draw their borders just a week before December 15th, 2013.” Bor county was a targeted enemy zone to the coup plotters.

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The two reasons were: 1st, it’s home community of two powerful government ministers; namely Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk, the defense minister, Mr. Michael Makuei Lueth, the Information, Communication and Broadcasting minister. 2nd, it’s pathway for the white army to march into Juba. We all know what atrocities and brutal killings that the white army committed in Bor city and its five payams, the target killings of Dinka populations in Bentiu, Pariang, Biemnom, Malakal, Bailiet, Akobo. What occurred is the act of genocide, war crime, crime against humanity and mass killings. Killing innocent people in hospitals, churches in discriminating tribal targeted ruthless behavior should not go unpunished.

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The purpose of this article is to highlight the facts about the man who brought chaos into our beloved country. Certain measures have to be considered to punish these leaders who almost doomed our new nation and shook up the region in this twenty-first century era. My recommendation is that:

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1) Riek Machar and his warlords should be indicted for war crime, crime against humanity, Genocide and sparking tribal warfare between Dinka and Nuer communities.
2) Riek should be banned for life by South Sudanese constitution from any future government participation
3) Anyone with criminal intends or records on his name should be punished by law
4) It’s time the Nuers who are followers of Riek Machar to start supporting another leader within them who is a uniting figure than a repeated dividing figure like Riek who will potentially cause Nuer extinction. South Sudan require a uniting political leader who has national strategists to bring all 64 tribes together.
5) We all need to inform the international community of what’s at stake for the benefit of our national identity collectively.
6) It’s time for South Sudanese politicians to come up with a better political system which will encourage the harmony between the 64 tribes of the nation. I suggest the United States style of democracy. All members of parliament should represent their tribes or regional constituencies just like it’s presently designed.
7) The national government minister should not be both MP and the minister at the same time. He/she should resigned the parliamentary seat and takes up a cabinet post.
8) It’s about time to introduce the system of political ideology. There should be left, center or right political spectrum rather than tribally based political system. It should be based on your political beliefs.
9) Any political party or organization should be banned from participation in the national government.
10) The president should be elected through popular votes or who ever believes in his/her political agenda just like it’s done in United States with limited terms that should be agreed by the parliament.
11) The cabinet appointments should be made from experts all around the country without favoring one region or tribe.

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Thank you for taking time to this article. God bless you for reading this long article and may God bless South Sudan.

About Post Author

PaanLuel Wël

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PaanLuel Wël is the founder and editor-in-chief of PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd, a news website that covers news, opinions, analysis, history, culture and literature of South Sudan and the world. Founded in July 2011 by PaanLuel Wël to create a platform for free expression and constructive dialogue, the website features articles from various contributors, including columnists, commentators, poets, authors, activists and academics. PaanLuel Wël believes that media can play a vital role in informing, educating and empowering the people to participate in nation-building and social transformation. He also believes that media can foster a culture of dialogue, tolerance and diversity among different communities and groups, and hopes to inspire and mentor the next generation of South Sudanese writers and journalists.

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