Dear all,

Take a look at this article written by one of Nuer guy claiming under representation and marginaliztion of Nuer community in south sudan government.

Thanks
Bol Ajith Akot

High Hopes, Visible Failures and Uncertain Destiny: Reflections on South Sudan Politics



Since time immemorial, or say, independence of Sudan in 1956, South Sudanese have never had a government of their own. All they have hitherto known, at worst, is being subjects of other superior masters: The British and now the notorious, Jallaba. At present they try to build a sense of national unity and self-realization to be masters of their own destiny. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) has, since then, lifted the morale, spirits and hopes of Southerners high. However, CPA is now put in a death-row scenario, and its survival is very bleak and grim. Its demise of CPA will not come or be started merely by NIF, as its being allegedly the chief target as history may clearly manifest, and its of course real in Southern viewpoint, but history of the South Sudan has not been clean. The infamous doctrine of Kokora—also being ethnically understood as “Secret lynching” of a particular group/tribe—and the brutal years of Garang’s rulership are essential cues to teach us about what went once wrong in our society, and so did the split of 1991 consequences.

Now our minds are coupled with horrors of war situation, and means to achieve our destiny, the Ultimate Independence of South Sudan, to live freely like the rest of world citizens, and to be counted as people who can determine, manage, and control their lives and be their own masters without external influences or otherwise; nonetheless, our thoughts, actions and behaviours appear to impede that Noble Dreams. And that those dreams become illusions, and too elusive to achieve. Here we are at the state of dilemmas, confusions and uncertainties where we sometimes don’t actually know what we could do, although we, of course, know what we should do to reverse the facts of life. Our problem is, at present and in future, not an absence of intellectual thought and a capacity to deal with some external forces that require rational deliberations and practices; it is fundamentally ignorance, supported by irrational thoughts and actions—tribalism and its attributes.

Despondently enough, I am not, however, optimistic about the way the current President of South Sudan has been handling the government. At first, the man was both unanimously appointed, (if not elected, if you will) by the SPLA/M Council and welcomed by the Southern populace with skyrocketed jubilations and spirits. Even the familiar Opposition group, the South Sudan Defence Forces (SSDF), who have been at loggerheads with Garang before, came to unconditionally accept to negotiate with the SPLA and to reconcile with each other so as to achieve the ultimate good that Southerners have longed for. Maybe the warm and excess welcoming of Kiir by all political and military parties across the country blinded his thoughts and forgets to understand that it was a matter of despair and untimely death of Garang. And he might have committed a graver mistake, if he thinks his government is immune from revolt. Does President Kiir uphold the truth he promised to Southerners (The “No Reverse Gear Pronouncement”)? Of course, if depends on how this proposition can be interpreted. For him, if indeed, he is not hypocrite and believe in his thoughts, actions and speeches, he would mean “Unity” of Southerners was paramount on one hand and “Vision” of Garang, on the other hand. To my understanding, if he meant Unity of South Sudanese and perhaps still holds that with sane intent, I would infer that he is halfly wrong in that perception given the brewing saga percolating through his political scene.

Once the new leadership of Kiir and Co. was believed to mend some political patches torn asunder by Garang, and establish a secure, responsible, inclusive, transparent and accountable government that would restore confidence and trust. None! The president has unconsciously and inadvertently inherited the political ills of the late John Garang, which completely destroyed the unity of South Sudanese people. Nepotism and tribalism have now taken place in Kiir’s Government. The selection of Ministers to the GOSS’s National Assembly and the appointment of 22 ministers for Cabinet positions. The criteria used by the honourable president was neither used on “Expertise, Representation by population nor personal Experience and years spent in struggle, but only on tribal and appeasement grounds. If someone would claim why people from Bhar-el-Gazal dominated the GOSS as well as the GONU is because they are either being the majority population-wise or because of 4 regions, that is invalid. After all there has never a reliable, accurate and trusted census that has been conducted to prove which county, city, or state accounts for major population. On the contrary, let’s say Bhar-el-Gazal is the most populous and deserves major seats, why Bor people occupy most positions next to Bhar-el-Gazal, someone might say “it is because of expertise, merits, or devotion to struggle,” that is also a rubbish inference.

During the inauguration of Kiir and few days he spent in office, there were widespread speculations and rumours that Kiir would purge or marginalize Bor and possibly Garang loyalists. No Smoke without Fire; of course if Bor community and their friends never out cried loud, there wouldn’t have been more of them now in the GOSS. Their outcries save them big time, now Kiir rewarded them with positions whereby Mrs. Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior has become a minister of Roads and Transportations. Is that because of proficiency or appeasement? God Must be Crazy here! John Luk Jok, a Masters Degree holder in Law, and now appointed to the most embarrassing and humiliating position to himself and his people (the Nuer) as a Youth, Sports and Culture; it is no surprise that a lawyer can work for sports department, but do Southerners have many legal experts so that John Luk can be pushed that far? Moreover, beside ministers, there are about seven (7) advisors to the President, none of them was Nuer. Four (4) Dinka and three (3) others distributed equally among some ethnic groups. The appointment of additional two ministers, selected from SSDF as a political leverage to suppress the deep-seated lack of confidence in this GOSS and appease SSDF, would not make any difference because they are, after all, offered not in forms of good faith or sincerity, but a means to continue hoodwinking uniformed, ignorant Nuer.



Despite the institutional and political setbacks within the SPLM circle, the most precarious issue is the undefined, if defined but crooked, political platforms of the SPLM as a political party since the time it signed the CPA with Jallaba, January, 2005. So obscured as the direction (“vision” as some prefer it that way) of Garang—the United Sudan, Kiir has a package full of conflicting ideologies: Unity and Secession. If he is going for Unity as his predecessor, he is committing the acts of hypocrisy, and frivolity. The destiny of South Sudanese people has always become uncertain and unattainable because their leaders have never been so dedicated to cause: Independence of South Sudan. Total and absolute independence (or separation) is what our brothers, sisters, uncles, dads and the like died and continue to die for. We should do the same mistake, we truth may take us back to war, so be it.

Therefore, how could we go forward under all these conditions? The only alternative option is the principle of the right of self-determination, as entrenched in the CPA. By virtue of this right the people of South Sudan shall determine their political destiny, economic, social and cultural wellbeing and right to development. Both the north and south are yearning for peace. However, the north does not keep its promises and as a result, “too many agreements have been dishonoured (Abel Alier)”. The political historiography of peacemaking between north and south has shown that too many agreements have been broken, unimplemented, and dishonoured. Because there is a long history of dishonouring agreements, lack of trust and confidence, cultural, linguistic, and religious differences …the best alternative options should be as follows: Peaceful and political partition of Sudan into two independent and sovereign states, one Arab Muslim in the north to be governed by Shari ‘a laws in the north, and the should be a secular and democratic state in the south.



And if we succeed, as our inherent rights dictate, our children will not again suffer the horrors of NIF regime, or whatever the subsequent ruling power of Jallaba will be. There will be no more genocide--(systematic elimination of specific group or denying them the right to produce…) and terrorizism against our population; no more declaration of Jihad against our own citizens in the south; no practice of slavery, abduction, kidnapping and rapping of young girls and women as happened in N. Bhar-el-Gazal; no indiscriminate bombing of civilian population and use of biological weapons in the oil-rich Bentiu as it was in 1994 and other parts of south Sudan; and absolutely and finally Jallaba will not use food as a weapon and instrument for conversion to Islam. And at last, we shall be free and sovereign society! Then we get our Ultimate Destiny: South Sudan Society.

So, please President Kiir and Co., the survival of the South Sudanese nations is in your hands, you destroy it as manifested by few steps that your government have taken in so far, the demise of your government and social and political turmoil that won’t be reparable for long time, is inevitable.


Long Live the Republic of South Sudan and its People!

***Deng Yiech Bachech, a Political Science student at The University of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Contact: dyiec@hotmail.com

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