Unviable national dialogue and partial implementation of ARCISS is prolonging suffering in South Sudan
4 min readRef: Proclaimed National Dialogue and Partial Implementation of Peace Agreement with Taban’s group prolongs South Sudanese suffering
By Mabior Atem Kuir, Winnipeg, Canada
July 5, 2017 (SSB) — Dear President, the Agreement of the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCRSS) was signed to bring peace not to continue war or bribery of hopeless politicians and generals that switched sides for personal gains.
Millions are displaced internally and externally, millions are at risk of declared famine, hundreds and thousands have perished because of hunger; diseases, orchestrated killings and more rebels are emerging.
Still, there is no sign of realizing, understanding and considering that ARCRSS is the only way forward to bring that situation under control as the nation has lost it fundamental objective of sovereignty; protections and provisions of essential services.
The intention of this letter is to document my humble opinion that proclaimed the national dialogue and partial implementation of August 2015 peace agreement with Taban’s group both prolonged South Sudan’s suffering. The current peace agreement is not holding since the war is continuing in expenses of ordinary citizens’ lives.
The truth is that if the IGAD and international community brokered peace agreement with a timetable and a promised resource has failed. What will make your overcrowded national dialogue committee’s recommendations work? What difference would it make since it will be the same president presiding over the national dialogue committee’s recommendations?
What has changed since Taban took office in what IGAD head of states referred to as controversial replacement of legitimate First Vice-President? Mr. President, honesty is neither a sin nor guilt. JMEC, the body that oversees the ARCRSS implementation with promised resources has failed miserable to live up to the tasks set out in the agreement.
The region (IGAD), AU, and international community particularly US has missed the point to support illegitimate cause of the Jieng Council of Elders’ conspiracies without studying and evaluating its objectivity and viability. An example is that when “the US Secretary, John Kerry visited Nairobi and Addis Ababa where he made statement that the ARCSS was not violated”.
From then, IGAD and AU went numbed and you (president) took advantage claiming that peace is being implemented. Where is that peace while country is on the verge of collapse politically and economically?
Mr. President, achieving peace is a scarified and compromised. It is not an easy task as you think. It requires one to share the same table with his/her enemy. An example was when Dr. John Garang died; Bashir and you shared the same table to implement the CPA that led to an independent South Sudan. Making a peace with your friend Taban Deng Gai will not salvage that nation unless you are applying a DON’T CARE approach.
Mr. President, in a real world situation, conflicts require a peace agreement not dialogue especially when warring parties are in active war. The opportunity of first national dialogue was missed in December 2013 when the SPLM leaders call for a dialogue within the party something that you and your circle fabricated as a coup attempt to silence political opponents.
One would argue that national dialogues can work either if you really want to bring peace but not buy time to continued destructions in expenses of innocent people whom you liberated as they are dying in an alarming rate.
However, full implementation of ARCRSS will supplement the national dialogues when public regain a “lost trust” as laminated by Honorable Michael Makuei Lueth.
The concept of national dialogue is a noble idea but present situation opposed due to rapid insecurities, disable economics and ethnic divisions. Implementing peace agreement will make us become one (South Sudanese) instead of Kiir vs. Riek’s people.
For record, I applauded and supported the national dialogue particularly three stages outlined on page 10 of your speech dated December 14, 2016. Its reaffirmed my view that I envisioned in an open letter sent to Dr. Riek Machar in 2013 titled: “Start Peace and Reconciliation at the Grassroots Level” published at this link: http://newsudanvision.com/columns/2683-start-peace-and-reconciliation-at-the-grassroots-level-open-letter-to-h-e-dr-rick-machar
David Mabior Atem Kuir is a Co-Chair of Dialogue on South Sudan/Sudan an Advocacy Group in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. He can be reached at: mabior4@hotmail.com
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