A proposal for a polity government at the Revitalization Forum in Addis Ababa
5 min readBy David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan
February 2, 2018 (SSB) — My opinion please about peace agreement rebirth: Peace, and so peace Junubians, we want peace. We want peace in a right manner that may not return us back to war. When two or more parties want to battle against war in peace and conflict resolution, there must be “lost and “win” approaches, you give in and take in hand what you want, that is the right way of resolving conflict. Revitalization means, restore, resurrect, redeem, betterment, improvement, redefine etc.
Therefore, the amendment of 2015 peace agreement should allow a post of Prime Minister and I proposed a new polity government to accommodate peace and stability in our country. It is my opinion and it doesn’t affect any party, because I am not imposing it on any party by force, but I am selling it if it is necessary for us to use it anyway.
A polity government although it is a form of government design according to its constitution and it is not in our constitution, this politically organize unit government can resolve our political long tensions during the IGAD High Led- Revitalization Forum, (HLRF) which will take place on 5th February 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
I agree with polity government to be design but I also disagree with South Sudan National Alliance of Political Parties on two issues: Exclusion of President Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar in government, and creating Executive Prime minister. If we excluded President, it is total mess up, if we excluded Dr. Riek, his supporters will not come, and if we create executive prime minister, then where are the official duties of the president and his two deputies?
In my opinion, I want polity government of President Kiir and his two deputies, and ceremonial Prime Minister for the duration of two years to organize scattered armies along tribal lines in South Sudan while those who want to become President should prepare themselves for election. The reason for maintaining President Kiir and his two deputies is the fact that 2015 peace agreement holds President and his two deputies in positions.
Therefore, in order to accommodate the other rebel groups, and silent guns in South Sudan, the revitalization of peace agreement should also create Ceremonial Prime Minister. A Ceremonial Prime Minister will be responsible with other internal and external issues mandated to him, while President and his duties will be responsible to organize South Sudan Army Forces and other issues mandated to them.
All along, war and peace have complexity in South Sudan. There is a government of National Unity in the country, but rebels loyal to Dr. Riek Machar said, peace is dead. President Kiir was pressurized several times by international community to resolves conflict in South Sudan and he(president) had issued number of ceasefire and cessation of hostilities since 2016-2018) and all his decrees were been violated.
Last year in Dec 18-19, 2017, the IGAD High Led-Revitalization Forum took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the second round for talk will nearly take place in February 5 of the year 2018. It seem like the claims of the rebels becomes true, or on other hand, the government wants to resolves conflict for good and bring in peace. It is eventually clear that rebels in all different groups, former political detainees, and other unarmed opposition parties are football players on the football field against each other.
Although Government of National Unity (GoNU) exists according to 2015 peace accord, rebellion and fighting never ceased in the country. And by observing issues of war and peace in South Sudan, you may surely notice that South Sudan is being politically intricate by region and international community. Probably, South Sudanese politicians are divided alongside lines of regional interests and international community interest, and so the young nation becomes a commercial field of different interests.
This chance was a window opened by South Sudanese politicians. Some of them call for UN to take over South Sudan for ten years, others call exclusion of President Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar, and still others replace themselves as good shepherds, and better angels with reveal colours of traitors and betrayal against their own people.
The other dangerous trap is the issues of two armies in one country. The problem of two armies in South Sudan is a copy and paste from Dr. John Garang Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, (CPA) which has no ground at all in this peace process, and if IGAD don’t look into this matter properly, mind you this is what let war broke out again in 2016.
So there must be one army in South Sudan, otherwise if anybody insists of two armies, let him/her declare which part of South Sudan wants to becomes a separate country that need an army of its own? And then issue of how many states supposed to be in South Sudan?
Should be maintain for popular consultation on streets of South Sudan because it is the rights of citizens to hear their voice, or polity government will agree or disagree, the choice belong to them, until they get a solution. God bless South Sudan.
The author is a co-founder of South Sudan Mental Healthcare 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 reached at david.matiopgai@gmail.com
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