Abyei Region of South Sudan: R-TGoNU and Absence of Abyei Sons and Daughters

By Jok WaMonychok, Abyei, South Sudan

Monday, March 16, 2020 (PW) — For the first time since 2005 when the Government of Southern Sudan was formed after the signing of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and 2011 after the independence of South Sudan, the whole cabinet of the Revitalized – Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) does not have a single son or daughter of Abyei. This has aroused some concerns among the wider sphere of citizens who attach the situation to the unresolved status of the area.

I personally do not want to believe that recent turn of events where people of Abyei are experiencing sidelining is the implementation of Bona Malual ‘s call for stripping of citizenship rights in his book; Abyei of Ngok Dinka: Not Yet South Sudan. However, the biggest concern is that if any citizen endowed and tasked with citizenship rights and obligations cannot handle every issue as a national issue, then the case of Abyei necessarily demands its sons and daughters in the government although they had been there but nothing was achieved.

The dispute over Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan is a sensitive issue. Two civil wars on separation of South Sudan had had people of Abyei among pioneers and subsequently occupying top leadership positions. These places much weigh on the fact that the people of Abyei are South Sudanese, as Sudan has never had top position in the army, government or civil services occupied by the people of Abyei. With the status quo, let’s trust in President Kiir’s decision and hope that there are blessings and wisdom in it.

In our country, the resources distribution or sharing of national cake is carried out based on what my friend terms as “from my stinky hand to my brother’s stinky hand as my neighbor enticedly watches on. If a piece falls to the ground, I will pick it and place it in my brother’s hand without sparing anything for my neighbor whose mouth is drooling.” that is all.

A community without a son or daughter in the new government stands with its arms crossed over its chest as others enjoy and feast gloriously. The festivity and melody of the appointment attribute to the prestige a community dons. As a result, the prestige is lost when there is no son or daughter of ours in the government.

This time, the people of Abyei need to appreciate President Kiir for always trusting the people of Abyei and working with them as I have aforementioned it and call for serious engagement to settle the status of Abyei – a would-be greatest reward and salvation for the people of Abyei. As for the appointment, we have to wait – ben kooc. Other communities need their arms stretched out to reach the congested table of national cake. It is therefore important to acknowledge the fact that South Sudan is made up of hundreds of communities.

Surprisingly, after much thought and scrutiny, that’s when it is realised that there is no validity in that notion. Thus far, majority of South Sudanese support the notion that the appointment or composition of cabinet should not be based on community merit, as there are no enough positions to accommodate every community. In this sense, the people of Abyei as well as others who have no sons and daughters in the government should not complain of being left out as the criteria for appointments are purely based on qualifications, loyalty, and modalities of peace agreement. For these reasons, communities who have matured politically to diverge into different parties and amicably converge back as sons and daughters of one community dominate the cabinet.

Political diversity in every level of society constitutes one ingredient of healthy political prosperity. Supporting a party or a movement because your sons and daughters are the one leading it or the main personalities portrays a worrying sign of political decay. Most communities support a party, movement or government because they see their son or daughter there even if they don’t benefit as a community. Pathetic loyalty.

And then comes the community influence phenomenon. One of the shameful situations of South Sudan’s political nature is the lobbying of the community on behalf of its sons and daughters to be appointed as a reward for their loyalty and participation in the liberation struggle. Proudly, the sons of Abyei who served in Kiir ‘s governments did not acquire the opportunity because the community urged or pressured President Kiir to do so. Deng Alor Kuol who served as Foreign Affairs Minister in the Governments of the Sudan and South Sudan and Cabinet Affairs Minister in South Sudan did not come as a result of community support.

Similarly, Dr. Luka Biong Deng who was a Minister of Presidential Affairs did not have that because of community lobby or pressure. Additionally, Hon. Dier Tong who was the Governor of Central Bank did not have that because of community lobby or pressure. Gen. Pieng Deng as well who served as army Chief of Staff for Administration and IGP of police did not have those because of community lobby or pressure. And great diplomats such as Chol Deng Alak, Kuol Nyok Kuol, Arop Harun, Kuol Alor Kuol (RIP) and others who were ambassadors did not have that because of community lobby or pressure.

Many sons and daughters of Abyei rose to top rank of the army and police without community support. Through their discipline, patriotism, qualifications, and loyalty to the president, they made it to where they reached.

Today, President Kiir is under too much pressure. There are many parties to the agreement, which squeezed the chances to narrow. In times like this, it is a factor of paramount importance to strike a balance between having some loyalists in the government to protect him and bringing in hardliners to silence them. Whichever is the reason why there is no single son or daughter of Abyei in the cabinet, our unwavering faith and trust in President Kiir remain constant and solid as rock.

SPLM-IG has Hon. Deng Alor Kuol and others after the reunification of IG and FDs. IO has Hon. Nyanaguek Kuol Mareng. The two had the chance of making it to the cabinet. However, Hon. Deng Alor as the leader of FDs is known for his humility and good heart. He gave the position to his colleague as he had had a ministerial position in the previous government. The only hope we were having on his coming was through reunification.

The SPLM IG has many houses. Hon. Nyanaguek Kuol Mareng on the other hand has potential and was likely to come but she couldn’t throw high heel at her chairman or metalic blow at her comrades. She didn’t make it to the cabinet as IO experiences influx of pursuers of greener pastures. In addition, the present look of things in IO is clear that there is something akin to family monopoly in the party and people like her who have no powerful relatives in the party can’t survive.

These days, loyalty has become a rare quality in political arena. We have all seen how rampant changing allegiances have become. A disgruntled son of a community will mobilize his community and become a rebel inflicting big damages on the country. Subsequently, those who will not mobilize their communities or tribes and rebel have become the victims of disappointment. People are caught up in limbo between trying to hustle to gain something and standing in akimbo to watch the history being undeservingly written. In fact, it is honourable to be disappointed and remain loyal than to desert the house you built. There is wisdom in staying as jubilation and triumph change positions like the moon and the sun.

The formation of the long awaited R-TGoNU came at the time when the nation was almost exploding with anticipations and speculations. The energy, resources, and time dedicated to the so-called lobbying either got rewarded or went unrewarded. Whichever happened, It is imperative to congratulate H. E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the 1st Vice President Riek Machar Teny, vice presidents Taban Deng Gai, Mama Nyandeng Garang, Dr. James Wani Igga, and Hussein Abdelbagi Ayii, the appointed ministers, and the people of South Sudan on the new government.

The common men and women who had expected the R-TGoNU to be made up of majorly new faces were at immense consternation when the old faces made their ways back to the government because they strenuously negotiated and signed the peace agreement. And equally, that same degree of consternation was expressed when some old faces didn’t make it back. The truth of the matter is that, President Kiir is a builder who uses all the stones – the accepted and rejected ones – in his disposal. You may be surprised by the decrees appointing these rejected stones soon.

You can reach the author via his email: jok wa monychok <jokwamonychok@gmail.com>

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