Troika and IGAD: The Unholy Alliance Working to Invade South Sudan in Pretext of Bringing Peace
By Simon Yel Yel, Juba, South Sudan
“No Nation has the right to make decision for another nation; No people for another people” Julius Kambarage Nyerere, from his ‘A Peaceful New Year’ speech given in Tanzania on 1 January 1968.
August 14, 2015 (SSB) — In politics, as in medicine, a cure based on a false assumption, diagnosis, is almost always worthless, often worsening the condition that is supposed to be healed. Sometimes the new disease may arise because of the wrong medicine prescribed by the doctors and hence aggravating the condition of the patient more than ever before. Therefore, doctors are required to listen careful to their patients before attempting to diagnose the sickness and prescribe the medicine.
The recent proposed modus vivendi by the IGAD-Plus as the “diagnose” to cure the 19 months old conflict of South Sudan is a cure predicated on false assumption and wrong diagnose. Therefore, it will not bring peace in South Sudan and hence it is a waiting bomb that can explode in less than three weeks if this deal is signed. This proposed deal clearly shows that the IGAD and Troika want South Sudan to be in category of the failing states like Somalia and Palestine or a country in existential conflicts threatening to tear the nation apart similar to that of Syria or Iraq.
The intention of Troika is thus to disintegrate South Sudan like what the US did to Afghanistan because of the resources of South Sudan. The IGAD-Plus mediators should know that the citizens of South Sudan do not welcome this deal and that is why the protests were organized in almost every part of the country condemning the IGAD-PLUS of being bias by demanding to dictate the peace on South Sudan, which is purely favoring the rebels of Riek Machar. This truce is so dictating—New World Disorder at best—it portends the disintegration South Sudan.
Many people have oppugned the neutrality of the IGAD-plus and particular the US given the way the deal is framed to advantage the SPLM-IO. “When we first received the IGAD proposal we were puzzled. This is not a proposal negotiated by the two parties. The role of the negotiators is to bridge the gap, not that the mediators come up with a peace plan,” argues Ateny Wek Ateny, President Kiir’s press secretary.
According to Jackline Naciwa, the legal advisor of the SUNDE, “ This proposed deal is more dictate and thus it will not bring the everlasting peace to South Sudan,” further adding, “the IGAD-Plus shouldn’t force peace on the parties.” While General Bona Bang Dhol, a head of legal affairs committee in Warrap state legislative assembly says, “The actions and the behaviors of some IGAD member countries in supporting the rebels of Riek Machar are not just adding tension to the region but the reasons for which peace talks have not been able to make progress.”
Methinks that the political philosopher, Hannah Arendt, coined the praise very well when she writes: “Moreover, if we inquire historically into the causes likely to transform engagés into enragés, it is not injustice that ranks first, but hypocrisy.” Yes, hypocrisy is the chief principal cause of violence, transforming the “engaged” into the “enraged. I have no doubt on my mind that though the US claims to be the powerful nation in the world, still South Sudan is not scared to go into war with it if it still continues with this hypocrisy in its foreign policy on South Sudan.
Obama is hypocritical holier-than-thou in engaging the government and rebels to sign peace as he made it visibly clear when he came to Ethiopia. He refused to meet South Sudan government officials to discuss the issue of peace talks with them but he barefacedly selected some countries to discuss the issue of South Sudan with them. In that meeting, Barack Obama acted simply like a colonial headman threatening and lecturing South Sudan government to Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan and told them: “If we (US) don’t see a breakthrough by the 17th, then we have to consider what other tools we have to apply greater pressure on the parties”. What conclusion can one draw here? How much pressure will you apply on South Sudan yaa Mr. President? I guess you are going to apply pressure exceeding 50,000 PSI of AK-47 bullet on South Sudan. But mind you, still it won’t work.
Anyone that can vividly remember how the US reckless military interventions start with a shred of objectivity knows that the U.S. government is just a pretext away from invading South Sudan. American history, after all, is teeming with flimsy provocations that created an opening for military intervention. Here’s an instructive example of it—on the 4th of August, Obama issued an opening military intervention provocation after he met with Ban-ki Moon in the White House. Obama told the VOA news, “If they miss that target, then I think it’s our view that it’s going to be necessary for us to move forward with a different plan and recognize that those leaders are incapable of creating the peace that is required.” No wonder that is how the US aggression starts. Obama takes the peace talk for football that can restrictedly ends in 90 minute no wonder he doesn’t know additional minutes or extra time in football.
How many deadlines set for P5+1+EU and Iran to reach agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)? The deadline settings commenced since 24 November 2013 until the final agreement was reached on 10 July 2015. Over 10 deadlines passed without agreement being reached. Was Kerry or U.S. incapable to sign the deal with Iran? This is a single standard not a double standard! What is that gist that Obama considered as “necessary” to propel him to move forward with a different plan? It would be unnecessary, not necessary, Mr. President to interfere into our internal affairs! If I can ask you Mr. President, did American government under Abraham Lincoln sign a deal with Jefferson Davis, the president of Confederate States of America, to end the deadly American civil war? Jefferson was fighting for slavery and Riek is now fighting for tribalism and regionalism, they are two faces of the same. Riek Machar must be fought, defeated and captured like Jefferson. No two ways about it!
We are all aware that Obama wants to implement what he said on 24th March 2014 in Brussels when he addressed EU leaders: “And for the international order that we have worked for generations to build. Ordinary men and women are too small-minded to govern their own affairs. That order and progress can only come when individuals surrender their rights to an all-powerful sovereign.” This is surely what Obama wants us to do: surrender our rights and hard-won sovereignty of South Sudan to the US to govern us. But it will be next to impossible and it shall only happen if we, the patriots of this nation, perish first in the battlefield fighting against the U.S aggression. We are not small-minded Mr. President to govern our own affairs as you think! Leave us alone!
Walai, I think in the course of any year, there must be relatively few countries on this planet on which the U.S. soldiers do not set foot on, whether with gun-blazing, humanitarian aid in hand, or to fight the so-called terrorists. Soldiers not only arrive, but also stay interminably, if not indefinitely. And Obama wants to extent this imperialistic, military adventurism to South Sudan. Hence, it will not be a big surprise to see Obama ordering in the U.S. soldiers to fight South Sudan government and permanently establish the military base here in South Sudan. But, I am certain this will be their waterloo. South Sudan is South Sudan, not Southern Iraq!
Everyone now knows that the IGAD-Plus is experimenting on South Sudan colonially, the proof of which is how they are working to make US conspiracy of the” New World Order” work as “ NEW SOUTH SUDAN DISORDER”. This is clearly shown in chapter two, article 5, in the said compromised proposed agreement. Sub articles 5.2 and 5.3 respectively say, “Juba shall be demilitarized 25kms in radius from the centre of the city and the demarcation of the area shall be agreed upon (as per attached map) during the PCTSA workshop in terms of latitude / longitude,” and 5.3 says “All other military and paramilitary forces shall vacate Juba in accordance with the boundaries established during the PCTSA workshop with the exception of:
5.3.1. The Presidential Guard: A company consisting of four platoons of 65 soldiers, each (65×4=260 soldiers) in total.
5.3.2. First Vice President’s Guard: A company consisting of three platoons of 65 soldiers, each (65×3=195 soldiers) in total.
5.3.3. Forces required to protect military barracks.
Look walai, the New World Oder is in the Making!
What does it mean if the SPLA forces can move 25KM away from Juba city? Definitely the IGAD-Plus is telling the SPLA forces to go back to the bush again and be a guerrilla movement. There are no nearby towns here should the SPLA move 25KM away from Juba city. This is invasion dressed in suit and tie. Where is the sovereignty of South Sudan if the foreign forces are to remain in the capital city alone and protect the national government? It is invasion dressed in suit and tie or sandwiched trusteeship. Can anyone imagine how many soldiers are in one battalion? A battalion composes of 800 soldiers, so multiply it with 3 battalions, that is 800 x 3 = 2,400 soldiers. Contrast it with 455 presidential guards of the president and first vice president. What shall come into one’s minds? One may smell a rat and senses that there is a conspiracy in cooking.
It doesn’t need a rocket scientist to know it. Don’t forget that the current UNMISS forces will still maintain their present in Juba city. There are now estimate of 12,500 troops, and a police component of up to 1,323. Now 8,000 troops and 956 police are currently in Juba and they will maintain their presence. This makes total of over 11,000 plus foreign forces that will be inside Juba compare to 455 of presidential guards, how can one call this: disaster in the making? Definitely it is a crystal clear military invasion. Where on earth did the Troika ever apply such imbecile deal to settle any conflict in the world? Why does the IGAD-Plus want to begin the US conspiracy theory of “New world order” with South Sudan?
Why didn’t the IGAD and Troika mention the number of presidential guards that would protect president Bashir and late Dr. John Garang in CPA? Why in South Sudan now? Which country in the world did the Troika ever use such kind of proposal to bring peace? This is totally imperialism in the making and South Sudanese shall never allow the US to extend its imperialistic empire to South Sudan. South Sudan shall never be a tributary state. We are independent nation and we shall never relinquish our independency to any nation even if it threatens us at gunpoint or even bomb us into oblivion.
Unashamedly, still the IGAD-plus felt that it didn’t do enough to make the American imperialism conspiracy work properly on South Sudan. They cleverly avoid calling a spade a spade but called it a big spoon by perverting to mention that the forces that shall protect the TGNOU are called “foreign forces” but cheatingly coined a phrase and called them “Transitional Third Party Security Units (TTPS)” with an intention that South Sudanese will not recognize that their country is being invaded by the IGAD-plus. The IGAD-Plus should be ashamed now because we recognized their plot.
The imperialism of the IGAD-Plus didn’t stop on bringing in just the troops but they went further to describe their job in article 6.2 giving the work of national police, SPLA and National security to the said foreign units:
“The Transitional Third Party Security Unit shall among others; secure and protect the leadership of TGoNU such as the President, the First Vice President, the Vice President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, parliamentarians, civilian population, personnel of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), and any other person/institution identified as deemed vulnerable either because of his/her position in government or the nature of his/her/its duties/functions. The Unit shall provide office and residential security, close protection and mobile security, quick reaction and emergency response and advance party responsibilities in order to ensure the implementation of the Agreement.”
The IGAD-Plus really brought to us a big JOKE-PLUS. Where on earth can foreign forces protect the president of the country? IGAD-PLUS, tell me which country did such kind of thing had happened in before? Tell me the reference now yaa Seyoum Mesfin! What are the duties of the National security and national police if the said Units are to protect Ministers and their deputies, MPs and civilian populations? Where can foreign forces provide security and protection to the government offices? The IGAD-plus is telling President Kiir to retire all the SPLA soldiers, National security, and National police personnel and give their jobs to the foreign forces. Hell is really breaking loose. What a 21st Century imperialism in making!
I would like to ask the people of the U.S, the people who, since the foundation of their nation and adoption of the Declaration of Independence, have been proud to cherish democracy above all else; which country had the demilitarization happened in capital city before as a perquisite to bringing peace? Which country had the international community fixed the number of the presidential guards and tells the president to move the national army 25 KM away from the capital? Which country had the foreign troops protected the president and government before for even a period of just a month? If the answer is NO country, then tell your Obama that you are at the WRONG side of American imperialism history.
We fought against Arabs for over four decades because of colonialism, though we lost 2.5 million lives, still we have children that can take up arms and fight against whoever wants to colonialize us again. We shall never give a damn to whoever wants to colonialize us, be a white or yellow man. Gone are days when White men tortured and killed our grandfathers without any resistance. We are now in 21st Century.
In conclusion, South Sudan is not an American colony, but a sovereign state, of the 21st century. If there is any doubt about that, then the futility of August 17th deadline will make it abundantly clear to all doubting Thomas’s whether in Addis Ababa or in Washington DC. We can’t be dictated upon, mind your own businesses and leave us alone. Go to Somali, go to Libya, go to Syria, go to Yemen, go to the Central Africa Republic or go to Iraq if you must be somewhere else. Otherwise, stay at home and solve your own home problems. Western Missionaries carrying the Bible heralded colonialism; today, it is the so-called peacekeepers carrying guns. Fool me once, not twice.
Simon Yel Yel can be reached at simonyel55@yahoo.com or 0955246235.
–
The opinion expressed here is solely the view of the writer. The veracity of any claim made are the responsibility of the author, not PaanLuel Wël: South Sudanese Bloggers (SSB) website. If you want to submit an opinion article or news analysis, please email it to paanluel2011@gmail.com. SSB do reserve the right to edit material before publication. Please include your full name, email address and the country you are writing from.
About Post Author
