South Sudan: A new country on the brink of new revolution
20 min read“The Revolution is all about bringing positive changes, and that positive changes cannot be brought in a Nation by bad minded people; therefore, the New Revolution will start with ideological changes of selfishness, to broader sense of Nationalism”
By John Sunday Martin, Jungle, South Sudan
May 30, 2016 (SSB) — We are in the era of new revolution which begins with personal attitude, and state of mind of the individuals, that control our feelings and reasons toward our nation; and once we developed strong positive feelings and reasoning towards our nation; these very positive feelings, and reasoning will influence our actions – to do good things for our Nation – both as individuals, and as group. The era of liberation is over and therefore, we cannot talk of liberation struggles as south Sudanese because liberation carries certain ideologies – which are dangerous for National Unity and coexistence. Liberation in most cases, impacts certain negative doctrines of sectarianism in term of ethical, or religious as well political philosophies. Thus, even when the so called liberation is over, true unity and reconciliation remains always far away from being achieved because of the negative legacy of doctrines of the word “liberation.”
Of course, if things don’t go well for some people in our community; rebellion will be perceived, which will give birth to revolution. If some of us are in struggle, and starts to complain about certainties; it means some things are not well and therefore, don’t rule the possibilities of rebellion. Some people have been complaining for long in our society, but we were not willing to listen to their grievance with intention of finding solutions to their problems, so that before what was to be their problems, because our disaster. As matter of fact, when things are not going well, people will be unhappy and when people are not happy, they will become rebels and strive for their happiness and that is the foundation of revolution in society, and thus is in our nation to date. Therefore, do not blame rebels in our society, but try to find solutions to the problems of rebellion in meaningful manners because no rebellion without any serious reasons.
However as a nation, we cannot call any rebellion as liberation struggle because the struggle for liberation is over, we are now in era of revolution which is a total struggle of the people for meaningful change to enhance their happiness. To date, most south Sudanese are not happy at all with the state of governance in South Sudan under SPLM which has sparkled loud outcry from every society as we all are looking forward for redemption from the regime of the SPLM. The unhappiness amongst the people of south Sudan are angered by the problems of lack of development, and democratic principles in the Country; which has been the main reasons for every struggle before for decades between North and South, and now, between us, south Sudanese against the Regime of SPLM – which has put many innocent souls to perish and suffer.
Lack of democratic principles; as well development in term of socio-services deliverance and the general socio-economic hardship we are facing can be rate as partial our very own problems because these are the contributing factors. However, the real problem of South Sudan is our erroneous individual ideologies that has manifestation on forms of political corruptions where power is misused by individuals’ cadres of SPLM, and SPLM as political organization for illegitimate private gain of the individual officials, or SPLM as organization; which undermines democratically principles; and to bring the failure in delivering social services and justices to the public.
Our immoral ideologies are our national problems because it starts with spirit of tribalism, and lack of patriotism. Hence, to bring meaningful changes in South Sudan for enhancement of national unity and sustainable socio-economic development and democracy; that will rescue south Sudan from the foreseen factional ethnocentric system of governments on regional bases; there is a need for New Revolution a revolution that will have to target immoral ideologies – ideologies that are the has become our problems as a nation. The new revolution in fact will start with targeting the:
- Spirit of tribalism which can be defined as a free will of behavior, thinking and attitude which attract one to his tribe’s determinations than to his social-group and Country. The spirit of tribalism normal corrupts our moral conscience and impacts an ideology in us which then limits our reasoning to only tribal values that produce behaviors, thinking and attitudes that are negatively toward other ethnicities within our societies – which in turn, affects spirit of unity and peaceful coexistence.
It is real hard for us south Sudanese to coexist anywhere, without tensions being caused by behaviors, thinking and attitudes of certain kinds that are normal influenced by our ethnocentrism. Thus, tension amongst south Sudanese seem to be spreading faster than before, though the rate of inter-tribal marriages as well inter-regional settlement has increased since south and north civil war – due to massive internal displaced by the war.
While some people may attribute the increased in high inter-tribal as well National tensions in south Sudan to some kind of behaviors by certain group of people, but the truth is that, individual or group behavior is not the manufacturer of tribalism. On contrary, tribalism is the manufacturer of some kind of behaviors, attitudes and thinking that is odd to accommodate in some society.
It is becoming even clear that, south Sudanese seemed to be willingly to stay in peace and unity with other foreign nationals within south Sudan, than with themselves – with fellow south Sudanese from other tribes because of tribalism, and the question is where are the seeds of tribalism in our society nowadays is coming from? And what is causing tribalism to be spreading faster in our nation than ever before? The most plausible answer could be because of the past events that we never tried to address through true justice, and reconciliation mechanism. In this regards of the past events that manifested tribalism in our society, tribalism can be taken as systematic making of the SPLM and this started during SPLM’s guerilla era – or warfare against various regimes in Khartoum. However, what is well known now as tribalism was not clearly in early days of SPLM until in 199, with internal leadership crisis – that openly divided South Sudanese into tribal lines, as well manifestations of inter-tribal alliances. The 1991 leadership crisis turns to be almost a struggle for tribal supremacy between Dinkas and Nuers and its’ legacy is continues tribal tensions that South Sudan as nation is victim of.
The current spirit of tribalism in our society can be attributed to the legacy of SPLM/A to the south Sudanese because in first place, SPLM/A never involved in any pure national politics than political propaganda and racism, – sliding the struggle to be between Muslims and Christians, as well Arabs and black south Sudanese. SPLM/A misused the word liberation for the misunderstanding of its’ cadres and supporters as the word, “liberation” became widely posed amongst SPLA cadres and supporters as liberation from Arab-Islamists; which made unity and reconciliation very convolution even after designing of peace deal.
Due to dangerous political propaganda by SPLM/A in the countenance of misuse of the word liberation, most south Sudanese and in particular SPLM members and supporters developed stronger hatred towards the Arab-Islamist. This stronger hatred towards Arabs-Islamists manifested in the use of Word “Moharais” which means “blood agent of the Arabs-Islamists Government in Khartoum.” By then, if you are not in support of SPLM/A, and if you are considered Moharis, without any evidence, or reasons – whether you work for Khartoum government, or neutralist, than you will be tortured, or even summary executed. Special with the 1991 leadership struggle between Riek Machar and John Garang, the supporter of Riek Machar which consists mainly of his tribesmen, the Nuers are taken as “Moharaiseen” and this developed into deep tribal hatred between the Dinkas and Nuers and it soon broadened to other tribes; which will take not only a time, but true national sacrifices to bring unity and reconciliation between the south Sudan’s 64 tribes.
SPLM/A’s implantations of deep hatred amongst her supporters against Arab-Islamist, as well those against the principles of SPLM/A and leadership of John Garang; developed into tribalisms, – after SPLM/A failed to impact ideology of revolution in the heart and mind of the people. The failure of SPLM/A to implant ideology of revolution amongst the SPLM/A members and supporters is the foundation of the problems of South Sudan to date, and it will continue to be problems of south Sudanese, until ideology of revolution transplanted in the minds and hearts of south Sudanese.
In plate manner, one can say that, the politics of propaganda is what we are suffering from to date because it made SPLM to remain focused on the Central Government in Khartoum which is dominated by certain characteristics – while forgetting how to change the systems – which is the core of National Revolution that south demanded, for National integration, Peace and socio-economic development.
Therefore, when people talks of liberation than revolution, and regime change than revolution, the job of building good governance and rule of law which is the trademark of democracy remains untouchable; – because democracy is functionalized by revolution. Thus, SPLM since its’ guerilla establishment, until it accented into power, it never experienced spirit of revolution that the nation is longing for; which is the ideological changes of minds, and attitudes from power creep and domination over others, and corruptions of any kind that undermines both collective, and individual rights, and values.
The manifestations of lack of revolutionary ideology amongst the cadres of the SPLM, thus SPLM was not able to bring any changes in the Nation than to transform racial discrimination of the black afro-Sudanese by the Afro-Arab Islamists into tribal discriminations in South Sudan; as well inheritance of authoritarian rules, which is systematical lending Republic of South Sudan into fully sectarianism on ethnocentric.
Today, we have developed deep spirit of hatreds towards other ethnic groups, and attempted to categorical blame those tribes for every problem the nation is experiencing while regarding our-tribes to be better, which is the spirit of tribal dominances, the foundation of nepotism in Government sectors in term of employment where some tribes are found majority in Government while others are not. Because of tribalism, the real ideal of deployment on bases of individual merit is disappearing very fast in South Sudan. In South Sudan, you can only get better position with the government if, you are known by some influential individuals within the structure of the Government, and in this regard, tribal affiliation plays great roles too.
Because of our tribalism, we are morally corrupted and therefore, we no longer care whether one is competent for the position to deliver services of high standard as might be required of him by the Nation, as long the position bearer is from our tribes. Even if we do not benefit, but only to see that, that someone is from our tribe and all that we enjoy is the name my tribe, and nothing else, in term of services and development.
The issue of tribalism has taken deep root in the nation and therefore, almost every national political cause in South Sudan never takes heed on national interests, but sectarianism and as a result, many people have been innocently killed and tortured on bases of their tribal affiliation in south Sudan and this can be traced from start of the leadership crisis in 1991 between Riek Machar and John Garang, throughout the history of any power struggles in south Sudan, to the moment of Riek Machar, and Salva Kirr in 2013.
The problem of associating politics with tribalism is very dangerous because whenever there is Political crisis, some tribes become soon victims – which always ember bad memories, and spirit of retribution, and is hindering national unity and reconciliation in south Sudan – special some ethnicities. In despite of these experiences, we are not able to learn and we continue to allow ourselves to be used by individual power hungry politicians for their goal while it is we the ordinary citizens that are sufferings and dying while those politicians and their families are enjoying and scoring their political and economic goals. We are to some extent unable to understand so easily that tribalism is the greatest enemy of the south Sudan nation which is putting the nation at the edge of destruction because most of us are moral corrupted by tribalism and therefore, could not even know that, they are tribal in their attitudes and actions, and that tribalism is deep inside them because those who are decrying tribalism in south Sudan to date, are the same people who turns to practices tribalism in fight against tribalism. Thus tribalism is growing faster in south Sudan the ever before; and if solution are not found quickly, then South Sudan as a Nation will soon, in the nearest future never exist, but disintegrated factional ethnocentrism.
It is real painful to see the national socio-political leaders that are in better positions to eradicate tribalism, becoming instrument for spreading of tribalism in their own communities and the nation at large – simple to reach their political and economical goal – not minding the danger of their doctrines on the national unity and coexistence for the next generation of south Sudan. As matter of principles, a national position is not a tribal position and therefore, a national leader is not the making of a tribe but that of a nation; so to use tribalism for clipping or to sustain one in National position is dangerous political game because the tribe that made you into a national leader, will have some feelings of ownership of the Nation, and attempted to consider other tribes of inferior through your position. It also develops an ideology of tribal domination because the tribe that put you there will interfere in every aspect of your activities as they owned you and the office and therefore, you robotically become there for them and fulfillment of their interests. Therefore as it is part of your strive to sustain yourself in power, then you starts to became tribal too, and the danger of becoming tribal while holding public office are that, the other tribes becomes marginalized and it is start of national crisis.
We cannot us tribalism in fight against tribalism, because tribalism cannot be eradicated by tribalism as some politicians are practicing by mobilizing their tribe in fight against tribalism in south Sudan to date. The use of tribes in fight against tribalism only creates fertile grounds for wide spreading of tribalism. Therefore, we cannot talk of regime change without focusing of ideological changes of the people in our society because every problems that we encounters in our societies which are resulting in political corruptions and dictatorship, crimes and social injustices, these are simple productions of ideologies of some individuals in our societies. Thus, the ideologies of the people in our societies like south Sudanese must be the target of revolution if there are to be any meaningful socio-political and socio-economic development in our nation.
Therefore, any meaningful new revolution will not ignore ideologies of the people – but target these ideologies that pose threats of any kind in our society – thus, the new revolution in our society will be the great revolutionary warfare the nation will experience because it will target the ideologies of individual citizens where seeds of tribalism and lack of spirit of patriotism sprout. It will start by targeting those in power positions, and those having such ideologies in any society of south Sudanese which has become the manufacturer of evil policies, and attitudes that is affecting the national unity and development. The mission of the New Revolution is to target the demolitions of the current systems of the Governance in south Sudan, which is associated with considerable tensions on ethnocentrism and social-injustices that has resulted in the failure to deliver social services and development to the population; and to focus on installations of functional systems that will address the national problems; – to make South Sudan a socialist republic without discriminations of any kind, so as to attain its’ sustainable peace and development; and this requires:-
- a) Ban of tribal politics by discouraging use of tribalism for any political purpose where politicians are taking advantages of their vulnerable tribesmen, and politicize every politics into tribal lines to gain tribal supports to achieve their own individual political goals which again result in political corruptions where nepotism are practices which systematical develops into domination of government and politics by other ethnicities as it has been before that brought ideal of KOKORA in 1983. The problems of KOKORA according to the Pamphlet titled “Decentralization: A Necessity For The Southern Provinces of The Sudan published in 1981,” “Political leadership, with a strong tribal orientation having satisfied themselves that the only way to remain in power is to fan tribal loyalties from their tribe, which they believe must dominate because of sheer numbers are now turning around to point a finger at those who want to correct the situation as power hungry politicians; and the basic problem that bedevils any heterogeneous society like ours is how to attain unity. In most cases unity is attained by recognizing and accepting the principle of living in diversity”.
KOKORA indeed reflects bad memory in south Sudan’s history, because it was division amongst us – where one is required to go back to his home region (province) and all these was because of tribalism that penetrated the self-government of south Sudan brought into existence by 1972 Addis Abba Peace Agreement. The problem became when certain ethnicity become dominated the government and made regional government of south Sudan as tribal government, which caused general feelings of marginalization some ethnicities – special the Equatorians.
As matter of facts when politics are done on tribal sectors in a multi-tribes nation like south Sudan, every tribe will have to take their positions to defend their values and interests which can, to some extent be a threat to the national unity, peace and development. We south sudanese were afraid from power of domination by Arab-Islamist in north that caused us to fight for our rights, thus we are even now, as well in future, will still be afraid of being dominated by any ethnicity, and to loses our dignities, and values; because where there is tribal domination, there are cultural suppression of tribes; and in same manner, where politics is played on tribal line, democracy fades away faster as majority tribes becomes the dominance force, and threats to other ethnicities, hence problems start to emerge in Nation on ethnocentrism.
- b) Ban of urban settlements in large ethnical settings because this influences spirit of tribalism and hinders inter-cultural integration and coexistence – as locals may feel a systematic crabbing of their lands by that specific ethnicity through such settlements and this is actual the feelings of many south Sudanese –special the Equatorians to date toward other ethnicities who have settled in greater Equatoria. The fear is simple because land is the not only our heritage, but also rich resources, and to take the land away from people means to leave people without roots and natural possessions. The ideal of systematic land crabbing start with when settlers settles in large group and start to name the areas they settled in, in their own foreign languages after their rich histories such as when the Dinka Bor in 1990s settled in Kotobi and named the area “the New Bor” which spark worries and almost inter-tribal tensions between the hosting community, and the settlers; the same fear of land crabbing is now deep inside the Bari tribesmen because of such large settlement in Bari-land on ethnocentrism and thereafter renaming some of the areas by the settlers such as “”Jebel Dinka”.
- c) Encourage Inter-State Civil Servants Transfer Programs on fixed term bases to facilitate spirit of coexistence and cultural unification as the civil-servants will be agents of peace building and promotion of multi-cultural integrations in south Sudanese societies to enhance the national peace and unity in the Country through installation of the spirit of coexistence.
- The Installation of the Spirit of Patriotism, in this regard, Spirit of Patriotism can be defined as will of civilized affection toward national causes, which embrace one devotional to his Country at all cost, and time. A nation is build by the patriots and it is made a better as well safe place for all law-abiding people by the spirit of patriotism. However, most South Sudanese – specifically the so called “cerebral” seem to be losing the spirit of patriotism nowadays – where they no longer treat South Sudan as Home but “working field” and the only attraction they have to south Sudan are “employment” and “financial” opportunity for their sustainability in their countries of residences abroad and the three major social indicators to show South Sudanese are losing spirit of patriotism it has to do with ideologies as they lost interests in the Country and this including social and social services as Health and Education as:-
- a) The first indicator that south Sudanese are not having spirit of patriotism is because it is now becoming ideology of every financial able south Sudanese to have “a Home” in abroad – special East African Countries like Uganda and Kenya. Those that cannot afford to sustain themselves in towns will prefer to voluntarily have their families to stay in the refugee camps in Uganda or Kenya as they remain in South Sudan to earn some cash to support their families in the camps.
It is because we no longer treat South Sudan as our home Country, therefore, we no longer even mind to build it and improve existing infrastructures, and provide services of high quality despising the Country’s riches to meet the demand of services by the citizenry.
It is real surprise but it is fact that, south Sudanese in their very own country, yet became as visitors as they prefer to stay in hotels and not even thinking have having a plot or rent a house in the Country. When I came in the Country, it was real surprise for me to see people who have been in South Sudan some years ahead of me and have stable business and employment in Juba; they have no home and stable properties in Juba, not even mentioning the Country. They stay in hotel and have their permanent rooms in their hotels, and eat from restaurants as their immediately family members, spouse and children are abroad. When they say I am going home, it simple means they are travelling abroad to a country they call home while they are true south Sudanese. Even when they spouse comes on visitation to the Country, they also end up in hotels and most are not even thinking of bringing their families in south Sudan, rather they themselves are the one going for holidays in their countries of dual citizenship to join their families.
- b) The second indicator that south Sudanese are losing spirit of patriotism is in the Country’s Health and education sector: The health sector has suffered the most brutal damages, since the era of Islamic regime in Khartoum, until the era of SPLM. The population of South Sudan is estimated to be around 11 million as of 2013, while there has been no increase in infrastructure development necessary to provide services to South Sudanese as the last batch of hospitals were built by (at least) the former occupying regimes in the North Sudan. Hospitals lack equipment, sufficient staffs, and recurrent expenditure to provide services effectively. As a result, there are no drugs; patients sleep on floors and medical staffs are demoralized and under paid. It is not therefore surprising as political leaders, senior public servants have lost confidence and interest in their own medical services, and instead, they prefer to be flown abroad with their families for medical treatment at taxpayers’ expense, while leaving the taxpayers themselves to die from treatable diseases.
The education sector has seen the decline of standards in the government owned or aided institutions of learning. This institution has been starving of educational resources and their infrastructure deteriorated which is discouraging more of our potential people from joining teaching professions. There are no clear policies defining the roles of the public and private sectors. The existing policies are never fully implemented. As a result, the standard of education in South Sudan has fallen drastically and the quality of graduates at all levels is not able, to effectively serve the country.
Therefore, it is not a bombshell to many citizens to see SPLM elites and senior government officers dispatching their immediate children and family members to study in better institutions of learning outside the country on taxpayer’s money, while the financial able south Sudanese also does the same by sending off their children out of the Country for educational purpose – leaving the poor south Sudanese children to study in poor equipped schools, without proper systems in place. This shows clearly how the SPLM is a visionless regime, has no interests in human development of the citizenry, and have never treated all citizens the same in term of services. In fact, any good regime, will never serve the interests of its officials highly, than the interests of the nation and its ordinary citizen as in the case of the SPLM regime today.
There is no quality education in the Country, therefore, it is becoming dreams of every south Sudanese to send off their children to other countries for studying purpose and this is not for the high institution of learning but starting even from the preparatory schools such as kindergarten to primary schools till Universities. As a nation, we spend millions of United States dollars on sending off our children to foreign countries and if these cash can be used to improve and provide adequate educational facilities in the Country and only send off selective high institutions students to other foreign High Institutions of learning for academic exchange programs, would have saved our economy and provided better opportunities for poor south Sudanese who are unable to send off their children abroad for studies.
- c) Properties and Funds: the third indicator that south Sudanese are losing spirit of patriotism because instead of building and owning properties in South Sudan. We are fond of owning properties such as Houses abroad, including saving our money in foreign Banks than in South Sudan.
- d) Dual Citizenship is the fourth indicator that south Sudanese are losing the spirit of patriotism because even if the person is a politician or government employees, they still maintain dual citizenship – those that have dual citizenship are the most so regard “cerebrals” of South Sudan that the Nation looks upon for, as National asset to enhance the development of South Sudan.
Therefore, when we talk of the New Revolution, we are talking of desired changes that will first target the ideologies of every citizens because even if there are regime changes, or general change of leadership and political system in the Country; if the people remains with the same ideologies, then revolution has not taken place because never will there be any meaningful changes in the nation to faster the spirit of the national identity as one people – which starts from individual ideological realm – to enhance sustainable eradication of ethnocentric South Sudan is facing.
Besides; any meaningful changes in the Country that will enhance sustainable peace and development starts from individual changes of ideologies toward his Country, to enhance their positive contributions for sustainable peace and development of the Country. People do not depend of their Government to develop their Nation, because it is not the Government that develops the Country, but patriotic citizens dose develop the Nation through positive contributions in socio-economic investments. The role of Government in the National development is to create socio-political and socio-economic as provide socioeconomic infrastructures atmosphere for facilitation of development by citizens – in substantiate partnership with other foreign investors.
Therefore, the new revolution will target to eliminate the ideologies of tribalism that is first problem of south Sudan, and then it will inspire the installation of the spirit of patriotism in south Sudanese – which is very difficult tasks for of all, because it will in some case affect both individual and collective rights. However, if it can bring national coexistence and development, then it will have to be pursued – because there is no revolution without intrude on some people within any society – special those that are abstract to the revolutionary agenda and goals.
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