People of Ruweng: The Victims of Power Politics and Appeasement Policy in Juba
By Daniel Juol Nhomngek, Kampala, Uganda
March 29, 2017 (SSB) — I was really touched and shocked when I came across the news on Sudan Tribune News-headline March 29, 2017 (JUBA) screaming at me that South Sudan president sacks Ruweng state Governor. Sudan Tribune points out that South Sudan Salva Kiir has issued an executive order removing the Ruweng state Governor, Theja Da Adwad Deng, a day after the latter shifted political allegiance from the armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO) under the country’s First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai.
What made me angry and at the same time disappointed is that fact that I wrote about the same issue the previous day calling on the president to confirm the Governor, Theja, after defecting from the SPLM-IO. The reason I wrote about him was because he is a good leader and people of Ruweng State deserved good governance, therefore he should be reaffirmed. However, I was terribly shocked and disappointed to find out that Theja had been sacked from the post of Governorship.
The action of the president removing the governor of Ruweng State has confused me and I have lost all hopes that I had previously for any little reforms in South Sudan. It appears that President Kiir is an anti: reformation and good governance.
In fact, any true peoples’ governments and president would have not even imagined of sacking Governor like Theja Da Adwad Deng. This is because Theja was a governor of the people. I have been wondering since I received the news trying to term with the fact of his removal. But what crime has he committed? Is it because he has shown to be a good administrator or what is the problem?
The sacking of Governor of Ruweng State leaves more questions than answers. Some of the questions are those I have asked in the above paragraph and also some are: what does the President want? Who is running the office of the President? Does the President think before issuing the decree or does he just issue all decrees like animated object? What was the main purpose for liberating South Sudan? Were South Sudanese liberated so that the SPLM use them as project for getting resources?
The above questions and others that you may add are the ones lingering in everyone’s one mind in South Sudan when the President acts unreasonably like what he has done in the case of Ruweng State. A normal president could not remove a person like Theji in Ruweng State unless there is a hidden agenda. It appears that the President does not care about the welfare of citizens of South Sudan.
In addition, the SPLM as a party is dead politically because the President who is the head of the party is not interested in the future of the SPLM. What is the future of the SPLM? Like all other parties, future of the SPLM is the people and good leaders.
However, I doubt whether the SPLM values citizens and good youth who will be good leaders in future. If SPLM cared about good leaders and people, the President would have not removed Theji from the Governorship of Ruweng and also disobeyed the will of the people of Ruweng.
This is because Theja Da Adwad Deng is one of the people a party like SPLM P would have brought up with the aim of preparing him for bigger post even the Presidency because little time Theja Da Adwad Deng spent in Ruweng proved that he would have been John Magufuli of South Sudan in future.
However, the President does not care about the future of South Sudan and her people this is because he never takes time to study the character of the people and also think about the future of the country.
A person who thinks about tomorrow and also thinks about the welfare of others is the leader for tomorrow. Nonetheless, where a person lives for today only he or she will always think for what is good for him or her based on today. In the same way, the only concern of that person is power and how to retain it.
In fact, the president of South Sudan is the type of the person I have just described above. This is because he is using anything to ensure that he remains in power even if it means sacrificing the citizens of South Sudan, which he has already done. As many as over 50,000 have died in the three-year conflict of South Sudan just because of power.
As seen above, south Sudanese are sold as they are being killed on daily basis just because they are made to kill each other in defense of power of one person who does not even care about their welfare.
Hence, it is not surprising to see the President removing the Governor of Ruweng State. This is because he wants to appease the Taban Deng Gai at the expense of the people of Ruweng State who have become the victims of power and appeasement policy of the president.
The removal was done just to appease Taban not the fake reason given that the removal was done to ensure the power sharing deal stipulated in the peace 2015. The government and Taban should not continue to hold people hostage with lies that there is still peace agreement: no peace in South Sudan.
If there is peace, then why did the rebels still capture Kajo-Keji on March 27, 2017as it was reported by Sudan Tribune? Again, if there is Peace, why did the Sudan Tribune report that the AU on March 27, 2017 said that “the President, Salva Kiir, has accepted to declare a unilateral ceasefire?” Why do we need cease-fire if there is no war and who are fighting who and who control those rebels”?
The fact is that there is no peace in South Sudan and government should not continue relying on Taban Deng because he does not have control over rebels in the bush. If he insists that he is the leader of the SPLM/A-IO, then he must be ordered them to stop his rebels from fighting. I doubt whether he has any influence over rebels and power to stop them.
My overall assessment is that there is no capable government in South Sudan. The Government which is there is the government for power in Juba not for people in Rural areas of South Sudan. Hence, the people of Ruweng should know that there is no government in South Sudan because things have fallen apart and it is upon them to be prepared and protect themselves against Taban in case Taban uses the just appointed governor to their disadvantage.
Besides, the people of South Sudan should be prepared for two options either they will get finished defending the presidency of president Kiir not of South Sudan or they have to come out and tell Kiir that it is the time for him to go and a new leader who is capable comes in.
In summary, what I would like to tell the people of Ruweng State is that with the appointment of the new governor who will be controlled by Taban, they should be prepared for the worse because no one is sure about him. But there is a likelihood that he will not serve the people of Ruweng as if he will do that he will not be a fire to Taban unless he will dance to his tone.
NB// the author is South Sudanese human lawyer and can be reached through: juoldaniel@yahoo.com;+256783579256
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