Formation of R-TGNOU: I Got my Position; the Rest are None of my Business

By Gatkuoth Jal Gatluak Nyak, Juba, South Sudan

Saturday, March 14, 2020 (PW) — To hell with the complainers complaining is the inner voice of the day among the appointing authorities. The undisputed titans of South Sudan politics had just recently announced the 34-cabinets ministers to serve in the much-awaited R-ToGNU televised in the state’s TV- SSBC. This move to an outsider is kudos but to an insider is a nightmare. The announcement to some greater degree has attracted a lot of uproar from both sides of Governments-SPLM/A-IG and SPLM/A-In Opposition led by Machar. Recall that there is this simple and deep adage which I thought is a very important maxim to note and be internalize by all reading here that,” once beaten, twice shy” is to my understanding critical and live saying that need to be kept in mind by the people of South Sudan and the appointing authority unless they collude to beat the rest who felt betrayed right now because their names didn’t appear in the new government.

It is this use and trash tactics that have kept South Sudan in tight wars for the past years and still will continue given its application repeatedly: Majority would agree with me that the rift between President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar began in 2013 when the whole cabinets including Machar was decree out unilaterally citing lack of underperformance marked with rampant corruption from Cabinets ministers and therefore, President Kiir stress at the time that, those who are clean and performing shall retain back their positions or reappointed to other portfolios. Unfortunately, Machar and many others didn’t make it back to the Vice President or get assigned anywhere. So after losing the lucrative vice president position, he and those whose names went missing in the government (Rebecca Garang now Vice President, Taban Deng (vice President), Deng Alor, Alfred Lado, Pagan Amum and many others instead resort to be whistle blowers which in turn led to polarization of the country through press conferences they make in an attempt to curtain and sabotage the smooth functioning of the government in which they are not part of.

That beat my knowledge and logic as to why seasoned leaders such as them would opt then for the maxim that, if it is not us in the government, then no one will. currently in this newly formed R-ToGNU birthed through the efforts of IGAD and TROIKA countries have left many seasoned and well-learned politicians out and I wouldn’t predict things that are running in their mind at this trying moment. The road to destabilize a nation such as South Sudan has been clearly defined by President Kiir and Machar. That’s to say, everyone knows what to do when one is dissatisfied with national issues. 

Convince but don’t coerce those not in supports of R-ToGNU.

In 1972, the Addis-Ababa peace agreement suffered the same fate as what R-ToGNU is seemingly sinking into; what happened during that time was that there were members of that agreement which were deliberately left out just in the manner President Kiir and Machar had left their topmost politicians out thinking they don’t matter and are unpopular. Unfortunately, it turns out that the ones which were sidelines fought their way in by waging strong-arm rebellion which later brought headache to the Khartoum regime to an extend that it had to abort the agreement and opt to make genuine peace with the ones outside of the agreement leaving the one in agreement with the choice to either be in the system or be declare irrelevant should they make any attempt of not cooperating thus, was the birth of 2005 CPA.

The survival of R-ToGNU lies solely in the hands of the ones not nominated rather than the ones nominated. The two leaders, Kiir and Machar have this false notion that they are popular and controlled mass of the population. This is not true for the case of the two had they allowed political space, freedom of speech and rule of law to prevail in the country. Opinions polls indicate that the people of South Sudan want Kiir and Machar to exist the political scene either voluntarily or through giving us an election that can be free, fair and transparent, and the result of that election can be self-evidence. Therefore, the politicians who are left out from this government are mostly educated, not in the American-sanctioned list, and are goal-oriented individuals that are more pro-development and could easily transform our country for the better.

Expectation for R-ToGNU

Unlike other governments formed and nominated under one system to work and deliver one purpose; this one of South Sudan is extraordinary and is to be polite going to be robotic type of government pre-determined by coterie to pursued different purposes rather than offering services, setting developmental agendas and resuscitate the shrunk economy of the country. This one is going to be more about looting and stashing of cash stored for the next election that’s why politicians that have no quality academic papers and experience are appointed to portfolios beyond their capacity particularly in Machar Camp. I wonder if Machar understands the repercussions of appointing someone with little or zero experience so he could micromanage them thinking it wouldn’t be notice.

On the other hand, President Kiir had appointed leaders that were sanction for sponsoring war, human right abuses and all sorts of vices that are disregarded from someone holding public office. The ultimate problem with those people is that the civil population has seen and heard the utterances they make daily. Therefore, the fear for them is still let alone to ask for service unless they serve the same faces they have been serving. So, if the government was to be owned by the people of South Sudan, new faces would have been appointed also not just new faces but men and women that embrace the spirit of dialogue and peaceful resolution of any crisis.

I have witnessed from the number of South Sudanese that, the one who presented himself as brave is the one they all like and proud of you forgetting that they don’t need those characters for fragile country such as ours; South Sudanese need pro-peace, technocrats, and democratic men and women that will raise this 9 years old baby called South Sudan.

Rationale use in appointing R-ToGNU ministers

It is indisputable for one to say this government will not deliver anything tangible to the people of South Sudan; of course, their diehard supporters blinded by good effects syndrome will dismiss this fact. However, before they prove my statement right with time; I would like to take you through the rationale of this hypothesis. First and foremost, the fact that all ministers in R-ToGNU were appointed by different parties is one thing that can frustrate developmental agenda if there is; but one thing for sure that will kill and bring stagnation in this Government is the appointment of people who have zero experience; lack of quality academic papers and tendencies of igniting wars as some of these ministers were named and sanction by American government.

One would beg to ask, what prompt Kiir and Machar to appoint individuals with such records when there are far much better options? To answer this question in short and precisely; Kiir and Machar are not for peace but were forced by pressure mounted by the International Community, IGAD and African Union to sign and implement the peace agreement. So they are working on that pressure but mindful of what’s ahead of them that’s why those with technical-know how can’t be appointed; popular politicians who are their friends and longtime colleagues in the struggle to be in the government and to get to the government were left out in anguish. 

The SPLM/A-IO of Dr. Riek Machar

With Machar’s camp, much is to be said and less to be admired as it’s a no going concern anymore after the announcement of the ministers to be in R-ToGNU; In South Sudan politics, Machar is known as a flip-flopper who easily betray not only his close allies but his community-Nuer. The man was vice president for 8 good years, did nothing substantive and tangible accept walking around with Ngundeng bong’s rot and relics which according to reliable source were destined to its original home- Wei Deng but he detained them for his political manipulation of the community as there is very hypothetical narrative story telling with which Machar believes to fit in the description and claim he is the one.

However, that cannot be proof right now only time will tell though if there is any iota of truth then, as result of action done by the man, I am pretty sure, Ngundeng bong in his graveyard is very angry and upset with him given how, the man has taken advantage of the community. Season politician from Nuer cry foul in the hand of Riek Machar; having good papers and made name for yourself and you happened to be Nuer is also another problem in territory controlled by Machar. Right now, people like Dr.Mabor Nyak PHD, Dak Duop, Cdr.Koang Chuol, Duop Lam and many more are politically slaughtered simply because Riek Machar doesn’t want another Nuer to grow and raise politically.

In Unity State for example, we have seen number of competent and vibrant leaders such Gen.Kwong Danhier Gatluak Nyak, Gen.Taban Deng Gai, Gen.Peter Yaka (deceased) were people who contributed to his success in 1980s but as soon as he signed peace with Dr. John Garang in 2002, he trash those people and get new friends to be use for a while. In 2010, he created a rift between Gen.Taban Deng and Nguen Munytuel of Bul-Nuer where, people of unity state was in atmosphere that is very intense but when Kiir Picked Nguen Munytuel replacing Gen.Taban Deng as the unity state Governor, he now join hands with Taban Deng and fight both Kiir and Nguen Munytuel.

SPLM/A-IO can’t claim leadership in Nuer land

It’s true and fact that Machar would never claim to be given governorship portfolio in Nuer land or territories that a nuer can be appointed. The reason being is that, Machar knows how he has divided the community and therefore, doesn’t want to take the blame whenever he appoints a governor in his backyard. He will later tell the community should anything goes wrong that, he was not the one who appoint so and so and thus, its President Kiir who appoint his person but the truth is that, he doesn’t want to appoint anyone to be governor for fear of facts on the ground. Machar doesn’t want anyone to raise especially the ones that he perceives to act independently; he prefers puppets and mediocre who can go back to him for directives and how they can run and manage their offices.

R-ToGNU must Implement Hybrid Court

In my last conclusion, I expect this R-ToGNU to immediately establish Hybrid Court as propose in the agreement to try those that have committed atrocities over this past 6 years. UN report indicate 400,000 people lives were lost and as such someone or people must be accounted for. Impunity to such degree must be put to an end so that when those involved are tried and jail. The donor community need not to fund this government until they implement critical chapters including among other things; 1. Security arrangement 2. Establishment of Hybrid Court 3. Truth, justice and accountability 4. Anti-corruption agency.

The author, Gatkuoth Jal Gatluak Nyak, is a South Sudanese social critique fellow based in East Africa. He has BA in Business Administration and bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics at University of Nairobi. He is the Founder and Director of Raise a Finger and can be reached for comment via banyjal@yahoo.com

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