Hidden business interest or liberation struggle. The challenges of political rebellion in South Sudan
7 min readBy Longar Mathiec Wol, Nairobi, Kenya
January 7, 2017 (SSB) — Rebellion in some part of the world is seen as a terrible crime. People involve are either destroyed or taken to court of law to answer charges against them. In south Sudan the term rebellion took the different dimension, rebels see rebellion as project of attracting funds from sympathizer and support from the citizens. We have seen how the rebellions award the people with positions and ranks leaving the loyal citizens vulnerable to these powerful militias. It mean, in south Sudan when you rebel you expect something good or return instead of punishment when you come back.
Other people start to gain from their business, rebellion even before they go back to the country in term of the so call government buying the rebels leaders. These rewards come in term of bribes, ranks, positions and so forth. In that sense it motivate the people left behind during the rebellion to be a members of next rebellion because it is awarding nicely. If the government stop this long time ago by becoming harsh to the so call rebels I don’t think it could have flourish like what we are seeing today.
The evidence is that we have seen how people who called themselves rebel leaders have struggle to take control over rebellion. The one good example is SPLM-IO that has divided itself into three groups now. The first is SPLM-IO in government under the leadership of current 1st vice president Taban Deng Gai, SPLM-IO in bush under the former 1st vice president Dr. Riek Machar and the SPLM-IO that join Dr. Lam Akol under his newly created movement, National Democratic movement (NDM). All these faction emerge in the name of exerting control over the movement. Every leader is trying by any mean to hijack the movement for his personal gain.
That shows clearly that those rebellions are found on no goals and objectives whatsoever. If they have reasons why they rebelled there could have been no need to cause division within their movement. But since the movement becomes a business every one think controlling it mean wealth. If that was not the case why do you need to struggle to take control of the movement you think was mean to achieve certain goals and objectives.
Now, it has exploded in SPLM_IO in bush that they are fighting themselves over control. That is a clear sign that these people have no vision and mission. That struggling to hijack this notorious business led to the death of one commander we all Know, Gabriel Tanginye. Did they really know why they rebel? If yes, why are they fighting themselves?
It mean now who ever become victorious will be a leader regardless whether it represent the people view or not because he is a strong man. The guerilla within guerilla happens only in south Sudan where people rebelled against the same enemy and rebel with in against themselves. Therefore, rebellion has become a hidden business not longer a liberation.
If there was a punishment to give to the people who rebel and make its own people suffer and later come back without achieving anything. Subjecting your own people to destitute and you claim to a representing a certain people is not bringing any good but total suffering to the citizens. The real opposition don’t represent the view of certain people but the view of all people.
If the regime was really brutal then why do some one think the brutal regime is marginalizing specific people? It should be all the people even some of the people who are in the country not all of them like or enjoy what is happening perse but the reason they don’t react is the manner in which the opposition is conducting itself made people not to think of joining it.
I will one day be glad to see the strong opposition that oppose the government within during my life time. There is no one who need single party rule in south Sudan but the opposition that represent the view of the people of south Sudan has not yet come to existence. The day when it comes to existence people will feel change not to be told about change. You don’t need to educate me bout change but I will see myself. Good opposition is the eye of the people because it keeps the government on check and make the people aware of what the government is doing.
People need change if it exists but the means which this change is brought is what bring difference. But what I know for sure is that nonviolence is what the people of south Sudan need not the change you want to kill me today and tomorrow you deceive my child that you brought change. How do you expect that child to perceive your change when he or she is an orphan? That child won’t enjoy that painful change he or she will feel betray.
People are tired of these rebellion who claim to be representing the people but representing their own person interest. People who represent people interest don’t kill them. Take an example of some of the leaders who chose nonviolence way to liberate their people. Those of Mahma Gandhi of India, Martin Luther king Jr, USA and many other leaders who sacrifice for the freedom of their people without taking up arms. Change cannot only be achieve through rebellion even nonviolence or peaceful means can bring change.
Therefore, it is up to people of south Sudan to know those who claim to be fighting on their behalf are misleading them. It is time for us to take up our problems on our own. If the government is not doing what it supposed to do, then let protest on the streets of Juba and see how the government is going to handle that protest. But the Junubin problem is presumptions and unnecessarily calculations.
The author, Longar Mathiec Wol, is a South Sudanese student at United States International University-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, where he is pursuing Bachelor degree of Science in International Business Administration and Minoring in International Relations. He can be reached through email address: longarmaxiech@gmail.com.
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