South Sudan 3rd independence anniversary: What makes it gloomy?
By Mapuor Malual Manguen
The Republic of South Sudan marks its 3rd independence birthday on July 9, while its citizens are mired in a vicious civil war following violence that broke out last December, pitting loyalist soldiers supporting President Salva Kiir against pro-Machar faction of the elite Republican Guard, accused of an attempted coup. This set off the rebellion being led by former vice President, Dr. Riek Machar.
Unlike previous independence anniversaries, the 2014 celebrations are gloomy and unfortunately boring. This year commemorations came at time when the country is highly embroiled in bitter conflict that started as political rivalry within the ruling Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) before degenerating into a full blown civil war with ethnic undertones. The celebrations are overshadowed by a situation where thousands of South Sudanese will mark the anniversary in UN or refugee camps. And of course, some other groups may celebrate the day in their trenches.
With the birth of the republic of South Sudan on July 9, 2011 when its citizens resoundingly voted for separation from the North, the world welcomed the youngest nation in East Africa with spectacular pomp and fanfare, hoping that it would end the long sufferings and war in Sudan, especially the suffering of the downtrodden people of the then Southern Sudan. The people of this region fought two long bitter civil wars of independence (between 1955-1971 and 1983-2005), with various successive oppressive regimes in Khartoum, Sudan. South Sudan’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party through its armed wing, the SPLA, led the struggle that ended with a 2005 peace treaty that ultimately led to South Sudan’s secession from Sudan.
But a few months after hoisting its flag in Juba, the euphoria of independence celebrations began to wane as the young nation entered a new page; a phase of reality of nation building, service delivery, and protection of territorial sovereignty of its hard won nation began. There emerged the question of who is capable to run the new nation and effectively undertake the daunting task of nation building while at the same time holding at bay, the traditional enemy of South Sudan which is non other than Sudan. This was the early stage of shifting disputes from an external common enemy to the internal front.
The divisions that have been quietly plaguing the SPLM took center-stage of the politics of the young nation. Barely two years after secession, differences between Kiir and his then vice president, Dr. Riek Machar, erupted into all-out conflict, with both of them claiming to represent the SPLM.
Since last December, when Kiir accused Dr. Machar of beng behind a failed coup attempt, the country has been shaken by violence. The conflict has already claimed more than 10,000 lives, with the UN estimating that some one million South Sudanese have already been displaced by the ongoing turmoil. Majority of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are housed in United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) camps across the country. These camps, whether in UNMISS compounds or refugee camps, are in their squalid conditions with threats of flood and diseases like malaria, typhoid and cholera visible.
New setbacks
Last June, the two principals met in Addis Ababa under the auspices of regional Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) where they pledged to recommit themselves to the two previous signed peace deals, which were expected to end the conflict. Under this deal, the government of the republic of South Sudan and rebel’s Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army/Movement in Opposition (SPLA/M-O) agreed to cease hostilities including media propaganda against each other, to give unrestricted humanitarian access to people affected by conflict, embark on an inclusive peace process, and the formation of a Transitional Government of National Unity within sixty days.
However, within a week after the meeting of the two SPLM rivals, new setbacks emerged. The government delegation suspended its participation in the peace talks for few days when IGAD Executive Secretary, Amb. Mahboub Maalim allegedly referred to President Kiir and Dr. Machar as “stupid” if they thought they would win the war in the frontlines. The government backed down later and allowed its delegation to return to the negotiating table. But the rebels boycotted the talks because they accused the mediators of being biased against them during the selection of stakeholders, particularly the civil society groups. Consequently, the peace talks have stalled; and the 10th August deadline for a transitional government to be in place is increasingly unrealistic.
In its latest report on July 8 titled, Conflict Alert: Halting South Sudan’s Spreading Civil War, the International Crisis Group highlighted that the three cessation of hostilities agreements have failed to halt the war, and time is of the essence to expand the current process to address existing and future challenges. The government is borrowing heavily against oil futures to fund the war, its troops are often unpaid, and thousands have deserted the national army. Any transitional government will inherit a bankrupt state. The report also raised the question of “who is funding and arming the opposition and how this outside support may be undermining mediation efforts”.
As South Sudanese celebrate 3rd independence anniversary of their country in amidst deep political and ethnic divisions, the question that needs to be answered is this: what went wrong after July 09, 2011? Are South Sudanese anarchists or unable to govern themselves as per the claim of Arabs of Sudan? Is it a result of bad governance or wrong system of governance?
The South Sudanese themselves must take the lead in finding answers to the above questions. In other words, the fairer settlement of the current conflict shall come from the South Sudanese themselves. All foreigners that are hovering in Addis Ababa and Juba are there to push their national interests down our throats.
The author is journalist, blogger, political and social commentator based in Juba. He can be reached at mapuormalual@yahoo.com
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