Can anybody win war without peace in regard to South Sudan conflict?
By David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan
May 28, 2017 (SSB) — National dialogue which is now rejected by oppositions is the only solution in South Sudan conflict. I have putted clear in many articles that even if rebels win war and come in power, the national dialogue is still a way to iron out burning issues, but as rebels couldn’t manage to win war against government, and government against rebels while lives are losing everyday on both sides, it is better to see this narrow gate of national dialogue as a way to bring back the country to normalcy.
Rebel groups are calling national dialogue as Kiir’s dialogue, and ceasefire as Kiir’s unilateral ceasefire and they are rejecting national dialogue to participate especially those who called themselves group of former vice president Dr. Riek Machar, political detainees, Dr. Lam Akol group, Gen. Cirilo group, former governor of Western Equatoria: Bengasi Gakasoro group, Johnson Olony group, and many other opposition groups in the country.
If you ask them, what do you want? They can simply answer you that they want peace but peace is not one way determination to achieve. Peace and stability come unbelievable environment, so why rebels don’t look on the interest of the people than government, why can’t they see how many people in the country are looking for national dialogue than Kiir’s government?
Imagine, if any of the above groups lucky to win the post of presidency today! What will they do to unite the people of South Sudan than calling for unity of the country? I think process of national dialogue can come in as a way now under leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, because those who lost family members will not keep quite whether which leadership can take up affairs of South Sudan, and the only answer to millions of South Sudanese who faced this horrible situation in South Sudan is national dialogue.
Rebels in South Sudan are the problem, why? They started the war in 2013. They have extended mandate of President Kiir which would have ended in 2015 by choosing war in the country as a way of changing leadership. They have caused suffering of people in the country as millions are outside country. They thought International Community will fight Kiir on their behalves and give them seat of South Sudan for free without conscience of the citizens.
They are thinking that President Kiir will just go in order for them to return in country without a piece of question. They are ignoring national dialogue as a way to bring back the country to normal and make transformations.
They are still hoping for Kiir to go by all main regardless of what types of sufferings can cause on citizens provide that they go through changing leadership, it is up to citizens, but I want to tell rebels that it is a long way to go through this process, accept the national dialogue, and changes may come about in that narrow path.
I don’t think International community can fight Kiir in Juba in order to bring in somebody although we accumulate foreign troops in Juba as proposal extent in hands.
We need national dialogue because problems among people of South Sudan deserve national dialogue apart from conflicting parties. Within one tribe, problems are on highest peak than unity. Among the tribes, hatred and bitterness overcome unity. From the individuals, co-existence, forgiveness, peace, and unity are less practice. Human lives become nothing, and violence is regarded as an option to solve problems.
If you look around as south Sudanese, there is no hope since war has covered period ahead children’s future, and development of the country. Nobody who can win this war among the conflicting parties, for example if rebels and those who are fighting win the war today, and sit on the throne in J1, then tomorrow those are chase away in government will fight against those in power from ten kilo metres away from Juba and return to power, and nobody who can be saying defeated, but as rebels are refusing national dialogue, they are now our problems, not government.
Who caused the war? Rebels! Why? They want to rule South Sudan. Who are refusing national dialogue? Rebels! Why? They want to defeat Salva Kiir, When? It is uncertain. Who want the national dialogue? Citizens! Why? They want to stay in a peaceful and stable country. So what is a way forward?
A way forward is to come together, accept one another, go for national dialogue, lay down arms, and use possibilities of peace against war toward dignify end, and then call for interim period, and finally go for general election in the country for new dispensation.
It is not a matter of joking with lives of people and learning for exchanging proposals with bloods of innocent South Sudanese every day, it is a matter of concern about the lives of millions of South Sudanese people in the country and outside country. So please choose national dialogue than war.
The author is a co-founder of South Sudan Mental Health care Organization, (SSMHCO). He holds Bachelor degree in Social Work and Social Administration from SSCUST, Bachelor of Theology from CLT, Bungoma, Kenya/Kalispell, USA, and a fellow researcher. He can be reach at david.matiopgai@gmail.com.
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