James Wani Igga vs Riek Machar: Who is the better leader to replace President Kiir?
7 min readBy Malith Jongkuch Kur, Ontario, Canada
July 15, 2016 (SSB) — The events of the last few days in South Sudan call for some reflections on the contributions of those who are now active on the political scene and have been influencing South Sudanese politics since 1983. But we shall leave out President Kiir for now and pay attention to two politicians, Wani Igga and Dr Riek Machar.
A brief examination of the political careers of these two politicians is important because it allows us to understand assess their contributions to peace building, political stability in South Sudan, and their capabilities to lead our country in the future.
The purpose of our focus on Wani Igga and Riek Machar is twofold. One of these men is likely to succeed Mr Kiir should he decide to retire. In addition to that, the political decisions these two men have made as members of the SPLM is of greater interest in South Sudanese politics and in the future of South Sudan as a nation.
Let us begin with Dr Riek Machar. As most South Sudanese may know, Dr Machar joined the SPLM/A in 1984 shortly after graduating from the University of Bradford in England. He quickly became a prominent member of the SPLM/A for two reasons. His academic background played a major role in his rise to high position in the movement. When he joined the SPLM/A, the movement was already facing stiff resistance from Nuer politicians such as Gai Tut and others. The members of Nuer community were the majority when the struggle started.
They felt that since they were the majority, they had the right to lead the SPLM/A. As a result, there were constant armed confrontations between the SPLA guerrillas and members of ethnic Nuer in the areas lining the border between South Sudan and Ethiopia. When Riek Machar joined the SPLM/A, John Garang saw that as an opportunity to win Nuer’s support and avoid using his soldiers to fight the unnecessary battles. This is how Dr Machar rose quickly to a high position in the rank and file of the SPLM/A.
As a member of the high command, Machar led the SPLA fighters in Western Upper Nile for some time. But his position in the SPLM/A leadership did not persuade some members of Nuer community to stop hostilities against the movement.
Machar’s commanding of the SPLA fighters in Western Upper Nile was the only positive contribution he had made toward the liberation of South Sudan before he gave in to the demands of his ethnic interests in 1991. The coup that he led against John Garang in 1991 and the subsequent attacks of his forces on civilians in Bor have defined his political career among South Sudanese. It became clear to most South Sudanese in 1991 that Riek Machar had decided to undermine the aspirations of South Sudanese for a stable, independent state.
In fact, he turned all his efforts into fighting to eliminating the SPLM/A faction led by John Garang. His forces ensured that the SPLA forces led by John Garang did not capture Juba in the 1990s. Those actions led John Garang to suggest at one point that Machar and his group will be remembered as people who “stabbed South Sudan on the back” while fighting the enemy.
When he failed to oust Garang from the leadership of the SPLM/A, he signed a bogus peace agreement with the National Islamic Front in Khartoum in 1997. He was promised a referendum that never happened. As part of the regime in Khartoum, he facilitated the demolition of villages in Upper region to clear the way for oil companies to extract oil on behalf of Khartoum’s government.
In 2002, Machar returned to the movement he once tried to destroy. Two things precipitated his return to the SPLM/A in 2002. He saw that the SPLM had made a concrete progress in the negotiations with the Sudanese government, which later brought the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) into being. In addition, he never won the trust of the government in Khartoum. The Sudanese government trusted Paulino Matip Nhial more than Machar. Based on these perspectives, his political future was already in jeopardy. The best option for him then was to return to the SPM/A to benefit from what the negotiations in Naivasha would bring to the then Southern Sudan.
We all know that the Naivasha negotiations guaranteed the self-determination to the people of South Sudan, not the Khartoum Agreement of 1997. Machar and his supporters, however, have attempted to claim credit for the self-determination process that occurred in South Sudan in 2011. But this claim makes little sense. The clause of self-determination was inserted in the CPA because it was a persistent demand of South Sudanese. It neither had anything to do with John Garang’s political vision in the Sudan nor has it anything to do with Machar’s recent claims.
What we are all aware of is the fact that Riek Machar, in his political moves between Khartoum and the SPLM/A, had tried to form several militia groups. But they all failed. He began with the SPLM/A Nasir faction, which he later abandoned in favor of South Sudan Independent Movement (SSIM). It was not long before he formed another group known as South Sudan Defence Force (SSDF). Once more, before returning to the SPLM/A led by John Garang, he established another militia group called Sudan Democratic Front (SDF). All of these groups are now debunked. That is the glimpse of what Riek Machar has done for South Sudan.
Looking at Machar’s political undertakings above, he lacks national leadership principles. All he wants is power at any cost including violence, which has shed more blood than anyone can imagine. Machar is not, therefore, a kind of leader who can lead South Sudan into a better future. He needs to leave South Sudan alone.
Now let us take a look at Wani Igga’s political career since he joined the SPLM/A in 1985. Igga is an economist, with a modest background. He has been the member of the SPLM/A for the last 31 years. I believe he will remain a loyal member of the SPLM for the rest of his political life.
As a member of the high command of the SPLM/A, Igga led the SPLA fighters who liberated many towns and villages in Equatoria in the late 1980s and in the beginning of 1990s. Besides his unwavering support for South Sudan’s independence, he is a staunch advocate of unity among South Sudanese. For instance, he openly deplores any form of division among South Sudanese. After the split of 1991, he tried to convince Riek Machar to return to the movement.
Indeed, Igga is an effective peace ambassador, but he will always be remembered for his ability to make compromises for the sake of South Sudanese national interests. He has made two important political decisions—you may compare them with Riek Machar’s political decisions to see the difference— to give unity and peace a chance in South Sudan.
In 2002, when Riek Machar rejoined the SPLM/A, Igga relinquished his position to accommodate Machar in the SPLM/A hierarchy. This move allowed all South Sudanese to pursue their independence under one banner. Again, Igga has taken the same step in 2016 to give peace a chance by giving up his position as Vice President to allow Riek Machar’s return to the country to end the current crisis.
Given the political backgrounds of Mr Wani Igga and Dr Riek Machar, South Sudanese have a clear choice of who may lead them should Mr Kiir decide to retire from politics in the next few years, I think Mr Igga has what it takes to unite South Sudanese and lead them to a prosperous future. Igga can do this because he is not a man after power or political fame. He believes that the success of South Sudanese lies in their unity and their coexistence as one people. His political slogan is “one country, one people.”
Vice President James Wani Igga is the man who can possibly succeed Mr Kiir and build a new South Sudan where tribal identity may become less important.
Malith Kur lives in London, Canada, and can be reached via his email: mkur@uwo.ca
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