Mr. Deng Athuai Mawiir: A Latter-Day Dr. John Garang to the South Sudanese Nation

South Sudan Civil Society Alliance: When an Apology is no Apology

By Malith Alier, Juba

The current South Sudan Civil Society Alliance under the leadership of honourable Deng Athuai Mawiir is a vanguard for the rights of those who do not speak for themselves.

The trade union is nonexistent. The church, together with other religious bodies is not vocal enough on the rights of the silent majority. The human Rights Commission is a government functionary. This has left us with the now besieged alliance to articulate issues on the suffering of the people in this sharply divided nation.

Honourable Deng Mawiir has been the Alliance Chairman for quite a long time now. He has endured for the sake of vulnerable people of South Sudan. He endured unspeakable suffering under unknown foes for years. Abducted at gunpoint, beaten and left for dead and shot and wounded in the middle of this year here in Juba is he. All this has not dampened his spirit and love to serve this nation in his chosen field.

The daggers are now drawn for the final assault on Mawiir for his courage to fight the invisible and visible wars on behalf of civil society. The current civil society under Deng is a coalition of angels and demons. The demons are there to spoil the good fight by angels.

Those who are now baying for his blood won’t do a better job as he will surely cave in under their pressure.

The statement by Mr. Mawiir that the war Protagonists, Riek and Kiir have no children on the front line has been taken by some people as enough reason to dislodge him from power. They first but ostensibly asked him to apologise to Kiir which he did. However, it didn’t please them. They want more as if they are Kiir and Riek families who might have accepted the apology.

This writer has never seen a country where an apology is no apology. Wonders will never cease in this country. Nobody from the government has formally apologised to those who suffered the most during the long Sudan civil war. This is one reason why corruption thrives. Those with guns think that they owe everything unto themselves and no one else deserves anything.

The categories of people who the government owe an apology are the thousands of innocent civilians who were killed for revenge attacks at various times during the conflict. Older people who are now past their prime also owe an apology for other hosts of war related atrocities and suffering. Even the red army or child soldiers are owed the same apology for cutting their educational opportunities short.

Deng Athuai Mawiir has done more than enough and deserves rest. The question is, will those who are all out for his removal fill his shoes? As per now, they are acting like government agents. The role of the civil society alliance is not to sing praises to the government for not doing enough.

The parliament has failed to hold the executive accountable. The trade unions are weak and can’t fight for the rights of workers. The only body that seemed to be effective is now on the way out and be replaced by those who will comply.

Deng Athuai Mawiir is a hero whose shoes will never be filled by those who are making noise. He is a later day Dr. John Garang to many underdog people. Everybody should give him a hero’s farewell.