Pres. Kiir and Dr. Machar: Two antagonists with un-achievable desires (Part 1)
By Bol Khan, Kampala, Uganda
June 1, 2017 (SSB) — It’s high time for Pres. Salva Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar to end South Sudan’s current civil war with the same old opposed desires that they have been striving to achieve all along. I can recall, Kiir and Machar failed to curb their ideological and political differences in 2013 because they both possessed those two parallel desires towards 2013 SPLM’s unsuccessful National Convention.
As a result of that failure, soldiers from Presidential guards unit on 15 Dec 2013 could officially cut the company, the SPLM/A, into two fighting factions. Where Pres. Kiir’s private forces (predominantly youth from Warrap/Awiel) and SPLA soldiers combined would change the nature of what supposed to be SPLM/A-SPLMA political or domestic war by executing targeted killings against one ethnic group in Juba.
Those ethnic targeted killings widely committed first in Juba could forthwith cause the widespread of the violence conflict to other states. The genesis of today devastating civil war in South Sudan was what happened on 15-20s December, 2013 in Juba. Since then, Kiir and Machar having been of working hard to end 2013 erupted civil war but with the same opposed military and political desires/goals as it was initially the case in 2013.
Kiir and Machar’s practical and opposed desires—the evidences. In a nutshell, the two men’s opposed desires are:
First, Pres. Kiir’s elongated desire has been an organized crackdown on all his main political rivals; promote tribal hegemony, control national resources, install a policy of divide and rule the country for life and then impose a military solution to South Sudan’s current civil war. And it’s now in action! He does not want PEACE!
The following are two practical evidences that show Salva Kiir should have done if the later desires peace to come back South Sudan: One, though acting as an illegitimate President, Salva Kiir is a final decision maker in the country who should halt the current civil war or decide for final peace in South Sudan.
President Omer El Bashir of Sudan ordered Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in 2005 to stop military offensives against the SPLA, he ordered the SAF to sit in their military barracks, worked for peace until peace was signed and successfully implemented between Khartoum and the SPLM/A.
Salva Kiir should have done it in the same way if he needs or desires PEACE in South Sudan as Bashir of Sudan did, unless the former is not in full control of his forces currently fighting in his name. Two, Salva Kiir should stand down from Presidency in order to save millions lives of South Sudan’s citizens facing death and humanitarian catastrophes both in and outside the country.
Especially, if he sees the SPLA recently updated SPLA Defense Forces (SS or JCE’s DFs) aren’t in his full control or not listening to his orders. Otherwise, the fact remains that Salva Kiir is striving hard to give the South Sudan’s current civil war a military solution. Salva Kiir’s intention in South Sudan is to bring peace through military mean; divide and rule for life policy. Period.
To ascertain this, ask yourself a question of which side’s forces have been launching offensive attacks against other forces, the SPLA-IG or SPLA-IO’s forces? I think John Garang was not being blamed for not restoring peace back to Sudan from 1983-2005, was he? Bishop Lukudu Loro on 10th May 2017 in Juba asked President Kiir to ‘Go into the room, pray to God and then decide for peace not for evil and not for war’.
Has he, Salva Kiir, gone into the room and decided for peace as he promised the man of God and the people of South Sudan on that so-called National Prayer day he initiated himself? That’s it; peace cannot come to South Sudan now unless Salva Kiir sincerely decides for it.
Secondly, Dr. Riek Machar’s initial desire was first to get elected as unified SPLM’s Chairman but when this was blocked in 2013; then he alternatively continued striving hard to bring about an inclusive political settlement in the party, democratic and peaceful solution to South Sudan’s current civil war.
Below are two to three evidences that show Riek Machar has indeed been desiring a democratic and peaceful solution to the conflict in South Sudan: One, he stopped the SPLA-IO advancing forces and White Army recuse mission at Sudan Safari-Magala-Juba road in December 2013 and ordered their instant return to Bor without reaching Juba.
Two, in the first SPLM/A-IO’s 2014 leadership consultative conference in Pagak, Riek Machar turned down the former SPLM/A-IO’s top generals military takeover suggestion that “the SPLM/A-IO should organize itself and fight to overthrow Salva Kiir militarily”.
Unlike Salva Kiir, Riek Machar became the first person who signed Compromise Peace Agreement in August 2015, to him he did this in an attempt to find ‘a political, democratic and peaceful solution to the conflict’. When below generals saw Riek Machar’s seriousness as he had already signed peace by the time with Slava Kiir then they could one by one start defecting from Riek Machar’s SPLM-IO in 2014/5.
They were all calling Riek Machar a failed rebel’s leader without a ‘clear military and political objective to fight the war’. Those Generals include,’ Gen. Peter Gatdet, Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth, Gen. Chuol Gaka, late Gen. Gabriel Tanginye, James Gai Yoach to mention but a few.
All those generals could defect from SPLM-IO simply because Riek Machar did not accept Salva Kiir’s deposition from power militarily. This is evidently true. Third, after July 8th, 2016, Riek Machar actively turned down again the SPLM IO’s PB resolution released on 23th Sept, 2016 in Khartoum, Sudan.
In the said SPLM-IO’s PB resolution in Khartoum, it was agreed that the ‘SPLM/A-IO’s would reorganize itself after Taban Deng defection to IG. That the SPLA-IO was set to team up with other South Sudanese emerging opposition forces so that they collectively overthrow the dictator, Mr. Salva Kiir Maryardit from power’.
Only reorganization could be done but an action—teaming up arms with other anti-government forces was not taken agreed upon. Instead he, Riek Machar finally decided, went and exiled himself in South Africa now waiting there quietly for an ‘inclusive political settlement, peaceful and democratic solution to South Sudan’s current armed conflict’.
Let’s wait and see a peaceful and democratic solution, in Africa’s younger nation will he, Riek Machar bring. Riek Machar does not lack regional and international friends who could flight him back to Pagak and/or do whatever is necessary if he so wishes. Therefore, it’s not partly true that his being in South Africa now is because Juba and Pretoria are preventing him from coming back to South Sudan.
Anyways, my question is, when and how Dr. Riek Machar and the movement are going to bring about peaceful and democratic solution to South Sudan’s current civil war, while Salva Kiir Mayardit is still in J1? Dear readers; I am not encouraging violence to go on in the field of war against Kiir as only way of attaining nation’s freedom being held hostage for all these four years.
I am a part of civil society structure; I cannot therefore encourage the war to continue against Juba because in war people die, displace and suffer as they are now dying or suffering both inside and outside South Sudan.
However, what is so strange and should force even the nation to consider acting against Juba violently is Salva Kiir’s current relentless intransigent towards permanent peace in South Sudan. South Sudan as we read this piece is at a point of bold action!
South Sudan has reached a similar point like that one which forced even the Savior, Jesus Christ, chased out the business people who turned a temple or his father house a commercial Center.
The author is a South Sudanese concerned Commentator, Civil (Rights) Society Activist. He can be reached at bolkhan39@yahoo.com
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