By David Bang Teny,
South Sudanese leaders in Arusha Tanzania, signing SPLM Reunification document(photo: file)
July 18, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — Since January 2014, An Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African regional block suggested to rival factions of the SPLM/A that the region is eager to find political solution by mediating between the two warring parties. Like any other South Sudanese, I hope the intention was that the region was interested in development rather than indirectly capitalizing on cash donated by United States of America, United Kingdom, and Norway commonly referred to as TRIOKA countries. Alas! “Money talks and kills” as the beneficiary sees it fit.
South Sudan slide back into civil war status due to her leadership loosing “direction and vision” and that was wholly on the part of Salva Kiir Mayardit who was entrusted to carry on after the country became independent on July 9, 2011. The wise conscience of the people was abused to the point that Mayardit and company bragged about to the world that he was “elected” as if what happened in Sudan was politically transferable to another sovereign state. The reality was that once we became an independent state, an independent electoral college should have organized our first election which to my understanding was going to take place in 2015 according to the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan. South Sudanese of all walk of lives were enthusiastic that they would vote as they did in 2011 referendum vote not knowing that there was a plan in place not to have an election carry out at all.
You and I were well aware that something unusual in politics was brewing up at the leadership level. this was partly due to the president allowing his government divided into two camps with one under his watch and the other, under his former vice the Chairman and Commander-In-Chief of the SPLM/A in opposition, Dr. Riek Machar Teny. I can’t comprehend what the rationale was until the whole picture revealed itself on December 15, 2015 that certain ethnic group was preyed upon as a target mistakenly subjected for annihilation for the status quo to remain intact for it to fulfilled its devil plans one of which resulted into Juba genocide in the second week of December 2013.
With genocide taking place in Juba at that time period, victim sympathizers took the law into their own hands and planned to match to Juba in order to rescue whoever survived that inhumane mass killings. IGAD realizing the potential of brutal revenge against the perpetuators proposed to mediate and that was accepted thinking that they were sincere to solving South Sudanese problem with no strings attached and transparency. It didn’t work as expected for obvious reasons that some members states carry their own cross of interests in South Sudan. That did not only undermined peaceful efforst but also aggravated civilian sufferings because of direct roles played by Uganda in the war front while playing another card as member state in mediation processes. Can such a conflicting body brings about lasting peace?
No. As long as issues that caused this conflict are not fully addressed, there are going to be tough questions to whatever proposal comes about specially from those whose loved ones were killed if indeed IGAD settled down with Mayardit’s version that the problem was only SPLM matters. Now that IGAD accepted its failures and invited experts from other regions but smartly trying to cover up what they were not capable of, this body appointed negotiators renamed their new initiative as ‘IGAD-PLUS” so as to revive hopes and aspirations of the people of South Sudan. It remained to be seen if those flip flopping positions we have seen previously would stop with addition of new members whom we expect to be neutral and pursue what will actually bring peace to the country.
IGAD-PLUS must look beyond SPLM reunification and power sharing ratios as the only way out of this national crisis. There must be accountability, compensation, justice and that they should take the views of the people that endorsed federalism as the best alternative to current tribally-infested system of dictatorship. I hope the time has come that tax payers money of TRIOKA countries and IGAD-PLUS time shouldn’t be wasted on issues that would not address the root causes of this civil war. Confining Solutions of South Sudan civil war to powering sharing ratios and re-unification of the SPLM as a party is a waste of time and resources.
The author, David Bang Teny, Mass Media Executive Coordinator for Diaspora, can be reached for comments at bangteny@yahoo.ca
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