South Sudan crisis: what to do when a pig invites you to wrestle in the mud?
By Mading Abraham Majur, Kampala, Uganda
November 8, 2015 (SSB) —- There are two ways of making sense of the chaotic nature of 2013 failed coup attempt in South Sudan. The first is to see the fighting grambling and dismiss it for the incompetence and coos that has now come to be expected.
A more charitable way, and are that admittedly tries to find a silver lining in this thunderstorm of ineptitude is to take a more historical view of the form and nature of military and political mobilization in the country and see what the current drama in SPLM/A tell us about peace, development, politics and democracy in South Sudan.
Political military and pressure groups in South Sudan tended and still tend to coalesce around tribal identity. With wrongful and talented leadership exhibited in Jamus Division under command of Maj. Gen. Stephen Buoy Rolnyang, some elements are beginning to criticize.
I have seen the articulation of people’s interests and grievances have eventually taken the form of tribalism, ethnic sentiments that have heavily tinged with the cry and hue of tribe.
When our democratic experiment collapsed back with the attempted coup into militarism, different militias reflected these tribal sentiments, first within the arm of SPLA and in the personal, ethnic militias that emerged including those who vote for unity during referendum of South Sudan, however, whether it is unintended consequence or not, and regardless of the long-term impact on political pluralism the country’s political space must evolve.
It is good that peace negotiations have to a point of yielded something good and that those who have in the bush or government opposition are coming back home with a point. Shame to criticize Gen. Buoy, biblically they have eyes but they do not see, they have ear but do hear and have nose but do smell.
We should not criticize because so and so is of this tribe but he is a peace loving of South Sudanese, developmental share with others world views and can improve other people’s lives in term of security.
This where things get interesting and disappointing, on the one hand Gen. Buoy, has contributed to the leveling of the ground for peace and security and has worked with everybody irrespectively of the tribe.
What it all means is that anyone wants to rise to a higher office but because it has become such a dirty, corrupt and violent process only the fittest and ruthless survive!! Up to when should this happen?
As a result of continued war and internal backbiting South Sudan has remained behind development, what then is the point of wining several battles if you will ultimately lose the war over genuine democracy?
Asking smart and honest men and women to jump into this political arena is like receiving a mud wrestling provocation from a pig; if you are smart enough you first wait for the mud to dry, then you decline.
The author can be reached via majur20155@gmail.com
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