To be or not to be – South Sudan on the balance (Part 1)
8 min readJoseph Lino Wuor Abyei, Juba – South Sudan
“The Ugandan government knows how strenuous it is to achieve peace between belligerents, especially when the belligerents have big egos and when those belligerents put their personal egos above national interests,” Ugandan spokesman Shaban Bantariza said in Kampala – Reuters: by Elias Biryabarema August 19, 2015.
August 21, 2015 (SSB) — Mr. Shaban Bantariza has stricken two cords, “personal ego” and “national interest.” Ego and ethos are the reasons the people of South Sudan rose and struggled like no any other people have done to free themselves from the Arab Islamic bondage. To achieve independence and free themselves from Arab Islamic slavery millions died.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni emphasized this fact in a speech in Juba marking the fourth anniversary of the independence of the people of South Sudan, that he congratulated the people of South Sudan for having freed themselves from slavery. That was a very strong note of egoism that explains why there is a country called South Sudan today. This explains why some people who felt over egoistic gambled to cross oceans and deserts to occupy other peoples with lesser ego. That is how people with less or no ego find themselves in slavery. That is why the people of South Sudan, like other free peoples, rose against the Arab slavers as mentioned by His Excellency Museveni.
Along the road personal interests come in and that is why South Sudan, like many other countries, is experiencing this “crisis,” and that is why near and far away concerned countries have come in to find a solution. Some of these countries may have come in driven by self interests and some may be involved out of good intentions.
This writer is concerned and would like this “crisis” to be ended today because it is endangering lives of ordinary people and it is dissipating resources and obstructing development and is tarnishing the image of this “young nation.”
What happened?
The government of the republic of South Sudan announced several times that it foiled a coup d’état in the night of December 15, 2013 masterminded by Riek Machar, but this declaration seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. And all of a sudden the case was taken to the UN and then referred to IGAD. Immediately IGAD, the UN, US, UK, Norway expressed great alarm and decided to sideline any other urgent issue of humanitarian suffering especially in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and so on and concentrated on South Sudan and began to ignore the fact that Riek Machar tried to grab power through a failed coup d’état, and that he has been leading a bloody tribal struggle to reach the Presidential Palace. Then the government in Juba began to realize that the rebel leader enjoyed more respect with IGAD than that accorded to the sitting president. This has never happened before. Why?
The reason given by the UN, US, UK, Norway, IGAD was that the level of crisis in South Sudan is “catastrophic.” But compare with the continuously existing more catastrophic crises in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Central Africa Republic, DR Congo…however, since then South Sudan has been daily on the international media.
In the turn of events, this writer and many other concerned people fear that South Sudan is targeted by the UN, US, UK, Norway, IGAD to plunder and loot its resources, i.e. see conditions in DR Congo which has been in “turmoil” since 1960 and Somalia since 1990 and so on. Assume that the UN, US, UK, Norway, IGAD impose themselves to occupy South Sudan, can they succeed to establish the rule of law, good education, a sound financial system, capacity building and establish a corruption free admin within a few weeks. And should they fail to deliver, who shall be blamed, who are we going to ask for reparation, how long shall the self-imposed foreign occupation last?
In addition to this there are thorny outstanding issues; claimed border areas with Sudan like Kafia-geinje, Hofrat El Nahas, Mile 14, Abyei Area, Panthau-Sudan calls it Heij-liej…., and there is the issue of inequitable oil revenue sharing ratios with Sudan. Are they going to resolve these issues?
Let us come back to the issue of “ego” and “personal interest,” mentioned by Mr. Shaban Bantariza. What does Mr. Bantariza expect if the elected government was attacked by night by a rebel leader, and why the International Community and IGAD shy away from condemning Riek Machar?
Another problem of conflict between “ego” and “personal interest” is seen as follows: Riek Machar was removed from the seat of Vice President, then he staged a coup in the night of December 15, 2013 which failed next morning, then he insists to come back to power on the back of IGAD and the International Community horse. This is a classic case of putting personal interests over the interests of the country.
Before and after his removal from the post of Vice President, it became known more than before that Riek Machar was in deep corrupt practices reported known by the Americans. Unfortunately, such is the man some quarters in the International Community would like to deal with, and this is where fear arises that they want to install Riek in order to loot and plunder this poor country and render it completely powerless. Another fear is that because Riek Machar is a close friend of Khartoum there is fear that with the help of the International Community, he may attempt to reunite South Sudan with Sudan thus bringing South Sudan under slavery again. Riek Machar is the kind of a man the International Community is in love with.
Another reason why there is distrust of Riek Machar among the people of South Sudan is that the wounds of the massacres his renegade tribal forces committed against the Dinka in Bor Area in 1991 have never been forgotten. With this “Comprise Agreement” people have been reminded afresh. Again Riek has repeated the same grand scale of massacres against the same Dinka sector in greater Bor Area since December 2013.
That is why Justice Ambrose Riiny Thiik wrote on behalf of “the Council of Jieng Elders” in their website paanluelwel.com on August 4, 2015 condemning the Proposed Peace Agreement. Of course, Jieng (Dinka) elders are for peace just like the president of the republic who does not sleep but is in deep soul-search for that peace that can unite the people of the republic of South Sudan and make them live with dignity and share their resources equally.
So far, the International Community and IGAD have failed to explain why they are so in love with Riek Machar, is it because they have found a very wise man with a magic wand, or is it because they have found a weak character and through him they can be able to loot and plunder South Sudan with impunity? Why is the International Community turning a blind eye on more trouble hot spots and focus on South Sudan? Why is IGAD not focusing on the massacres Khartoum government has been committing against the African groups in Sudan for years, what about the situation in Somalia, Dr Congo, Male, the Central African Republic, …..?
Like any other country in a similar situation, South Sudan is in dire need of assistance to restore peace and stability, but not at any cost that involves diluting sovereignty and dignity of the people of South Sudan and not at the cost of re-enslavement. People have just got emancipated and lack the experience to run the state machinery, give them chance and assist them to achieve the desired performance.
Who to blame
South Sudanese are to blame for the first place, why?
- Our president has been too quiet. This might have given wrong signals to some of the neighbors near and far, and might have encouraged them to try to experiment with South Sudan. Look at what a president of an Arab country – Omer El Bashir for example – would do in a similar situation, or see how Excellencies like Robert Mogabi, Vladimir Putin or the Chinese leaders brace in the face of the intruding International Community.
- For the last four years this writer has never heard the voice of the South Sudan Ambassador to the UN objecting to any act against the republic of South Sudan as routinely done by any Ambassador of any country to the UN.
- The Representative of South Sudan to IDGAD, if there is anyone, has not been heard since.
- What are the Ambassadors doing in their respective posts?
- The intellectuals of this country have left their country to the whims of the International Community and IGAD. No one has ever confronted the International Community, IGAD or Khartoum on any issue of contention or that touches our national dignity (ego).
- Then people are not accustomed to demonstrate or stage spontaneous (peaceful) processions. The government should encourage people to do so as a routine. This helps to develop nationalism and a sense of belonging to the nation and galvanize their ranks in the face of any intruder. Last week Kiir could have been tumultuously received by millions at the foot of the airplane.
- The sense of belonging to “tribe” is dominant. This is a common characteristic in all third world countries, but this has to be discouraged by all means. Example, if I am appointed minister or ambassador, members of my tribe come and dance blissfully at the door steps of the ministry. These people think that this ministry belongs to them. That is possibly how Nuer tribesmen came to believe that their son was removed from their God given post. Unfortunately IGAD-Plus would like to restore the lost Nuer tribal kingdom. South Sudan is my “home and my tribe,” full stop.
- Till this moment South Sudan seems to lack an international strategic friend, a country you rely on in such situations, a country(ies) that can serve as safety valve and help to confront any unscrupulous intruder(s) This is the case all over the world.
- There is no strong media that could have exposed all this on behalf of the government and educate the public on the issue(s). Encourage responsible journalism.
The future of this country is on the balance, either to be or not to be. This requires consensus, wisdom and courage.
God save the people of South Sudan.
Joseph Lino Wuor Abyei
Juba – South Sudan
August 20, 2015
josephabyei@yahoo.com
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