What can South Sudanese learn from these African leadership & Historical facts?
By Emmanuel Ariech Deng, Juba, South Sudan
Tuesday, July 03, 2018 (PW) — When a white advisor told the great African leader Maumer Gadafi of Libya to relinquish power, Gadafi ignored the demand of his people and insisted not to even hand power to his son, Saif El Islam. We are all aware of how the political climate ended.
The other African leader and a renowned orator, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe for over three decades and half with an iron hand, had the nature speaks and the professional not (influential military) of Zimbabwe transferred power in a much more smarter way than anybody could appreciate or criticize.
Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast accepted the defeat after the myriad of lives was lost just because of madness to hold on to power despite election defeat. He now ended up behind bars of ICC lacking both the national and international legal defense.
Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desaglen willfully decided to quit the office to spare lives of his people. In fact, more people could have died but he resigned and now lives with dignity and respect. Any other political conflicts that cause the death of people will not be tainted on his name again. He served short time but he will be remembered for yonks. He remained with unwavering political reputation.
Yahya Jemme of Gambia ruled Gambia for two and half decades but he ended up with unbelievable political behavior to the extent of airlifting the presidential motorcades with him thinking that he would still be escorted with motorcades in the country of destination. It was shameful to the brim for 27 years of rule with bad ending.
The three decades Bashir of Sudan and Museven of Uganda with their imposed political intricacies, is another being keenly observed and awaited how it would end-by the region and the world over. The aftermath of their rule and departure remain unpredictable and uncertain. And the fate of the political future in each of the two countries depends on the next leader’s leadership qualities and strategies. Only God knows!
Nelson Mandela of South Africa, who served 27 years in jail for spearheading the apartheid politics, served only 4 years in power and said his political objective has been achieved. He handed power to another in his party without pre-conditions. The African political icon remained the continental exemplary and true reference for African leaders and their retarding democracies. Very few African leaders scarcely constitute his qualities of leadership and majority of them have refused to go his path. He entered into the world history- Mandela had his statue built in front of West Ministers Abbey, London, UK.
In South Sudan, the man who branded South Sudanese as insects in 2012, and again in 2016 insulted South Sudanese leaders that “they are using tusker in the day time and using tiger in the night time” in arabic scripts” um shakalin tusker benar uu tiger beleil” , is our new master in the oil fields with no border demarcation along the two sisterly countries. He is currently the regional trusted supervisor of South Sudan political culture. It seems the regions and international community is frustrated with the ongoing conflicts in the country with negative results from negotiating tables.
So compromising the sovereignty and unrecognizing South Sudan in the regional position and international level is being polarized so that the architects of all these hatred could capitalize on South Sudan. The leaders who initiated the conflicts are not giving in either and save their country.
The public propensity on leaders both in Government and opposition is fading at an alarming rate more especially attached to the suffering of people under hardship of the economic turmoil in the country. It is time for the RMTs and the SKMs to respect the sovereignty of South Sudan and rescue the country from slipping into a quagmire.
Now, I personally want to re-cry the death of South Sudanese real leader, Dr. John Garang De Mabior, seeing how are being bullied by the group of actors with hidden agenda and interests.
The author, Emmanuel Ariech Deng is a graduate of Kampala International University-Uganda with Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Bcs-IT). He is also Windle Trust Trained Teacher in Kakuma Teachers’ Training College and a long time freelance and opinion writer with the then Khartoum Monitor, now Juba Monitor. A co-editor and extensive contributor with PaanLuel Wel Media Ltd. The author can be reached via his email: ariechemmanuel2015@gmail.com
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