The Conundrum of Achieving Peaceful Coexistence in South Sudan (Part 2)
4 min readPAINFUL FACTS BEHIND ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE PEACE AND COEXISTENCE IN SOUTH SUDAN
Dut-machine De Mabior, Nairobi, Kenya.
February 20, 2015 (SSB) — Allow me remind you that David YauYau’s rebellion was quelled through peace. No matter the less political impact because the cobra Agenda was only confined to Jonglei state especially Bor and Nuer-Lou and insignificant numbers of less than five thousands army men; the solution was found through creation of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA). If finishing a human being is ever a possibility, the few men of Cobra Faction would all be dead by now. So we must stop cheating ourselves that we shall finish a particular group that peace automatically comes.
Mind you readers; even mortein doom does not kill all the flying and crawling insects when one sprays it directly on them despite closing the door and all windows. It’s impracticality of the highest degree to cheat our minds that one side of the conflict is getting finished anytime soon.
How do we achieve this peace being talked about then? Like it has happened in major and minor conflicts, no political problem is ever solved without political appeasement. I don’t write this to entertain us or perhaps to nauseate others but to rather prepare our minds for what we must expect to end the insurgency. Political appeasement is the only way to bring the rebels back to towns. This appeasement is strictly followed by compromise and sacrifice of political interest. Someone must pay the ultimate price of peace.
Drawing my example from the CPA between the SPLM and the NCP of the Sudan, the Arabs had to pay the painful price of peace by losing their bread in the South. So when we talk about paying the price of peace, it’s something that once worked in our favour. This time round; maybe yes, maybe no, we could be victims.
The political insurgency will have its solution around the following painful resolutions. Just like I said, someone in our country’s top leadership must compromise.
1. It’s either the president compromises some of his constitutional powers to a would be created position of the premier; this has happened in Kenya and Zimbabwe in the past and therefore South Sudan may not be the first country to use this method. It’s too unfortunate that African’s solutions are being copy-pasted but we need peace anyway;
2. The vice president and us the supporters compromise and create a position of the First Vice that can be occupied by the rebel leader. Others have put it rightly that it’s wrong for Machar to kill lives in order to gain a political job as the revers could be true for those who say that Kiir doesn’t have to fight to retain his seat. It’s morally wrong to always accommodate him back into the system using James Wani as the scapegoat but we need peace anyway;
3. The rebel leader Riek compromises (this option has very minimal chances) to come back since the reforms agendas have been inked in the SPLM reunification agreement. No matter how difficult it is, we need peace anyway.
4. Or finally the position of the vice president is retained and given to the rebel leader (it has minimal chances too) this resolution may see off Hon. Iga to somewhere else senior in the governance. It can be a very poor solution but we need peace any away.
Others will question the legality of this expected solutions but the constitution is always suspended in any country during the time of crises. I once said and can be reiterated again, the legal document of South Sudan must be suspended just like it has been done already to pave the way forward for inclusion of solutions beyond its content. The example of suspending elections shows it well that the law must not be followed strictly during the times of parallel needs.
In every negotiation, we do not do so to the extremes and that’s why there must be a compromise to end any political turmoil that bleeds the innocent people. It’s too unfortunate the people suffering do not even know how the Juba administration has been managed. Who did what to nail who, why the political contest through the war, why they have been uprooted from their matrimonial homes, the basis of who gains in peace if agreed.
These questions will be answered thereafter if our leaders tend to care.
Be on the standby for part 3
The author is a student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in Kenyatta university; Nairobi Kenya
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