By Dak Buoth,
Nairobi, Kenya
2nd Sept, 2017(Nyamilepedia) —- Just like many Kenyans normally watched the American election, the Juba based regime and the South Sudanese downtrodden around the world had been watching closely and talking about the August 8th poll meticulously than ever before. Remember they’re not watching it for fun, they have an interest. They want certain candidates to trounce the other. They had followed the exercise right from the onset to its tail end. I am sure they will do the same in the forthcoming rerun. Fortnight ago when the election results were disputed and taken to court, they have also been waiting the Supreme Court process very eagerly.
Eventually, when the Supreme Court pronounced its landmark ruling today at 11:30am, South Sudanese from across political divides will mourn silently, and many more others will celebrate at the same time. However, this writer isn’t gonna be among that will mourn or celebrate the invalidation of the presidential results. You would recall few days before the election kicked off, i have made my stance quit clear in an article entitled ‘‘I wish Kenyans peaceful election’’.
My prayers were larger than seeing Kenyatta and Odinga losing or winning the presidency. Mine was in two folds: that I want to see peace and justice prevailing in Kenya during and after this historical plebiscite. I would say that my prayers have soon come to pass. I do not foresee any violence after today’s Supreme Court’s ruling. I must say that peace has given birth to justice in Mau Mau land, and today Kenya is ranked the first country in Africa. I therefore rendered my Kudoz to all Kenyans, one Justice Maraga, one Uhuru Kenyatta and one Raila Odinga and their respective defense legal counsels namely James Orengo, Paul Muite, Fred Ngatia and Otiende Amolo for believing in the rule of law and constitutionalism. Africa hails the Kenyan People for thriving and giving birth to revolutionary jurisprudence. You have now started a new path and journey worth treading on. What a precedent for Africa and the world.
An hour after the supreme court invalidated his reelection, the incumbent President Kenyatta in his live television address in state house at 3:13pm made clarion call to all Kenyans to keep and safeguard ‘‘peace, peace, peace; that your neighbor shall remain your neighbor regardless of his or her ethnicity, race and region; that he personally disagree with supreme court ruling and at the same time respect the decision of the court; that he disagreed and agreed; that he and his running mate William Ruto are ready to go back to the people during the rerun with the same agenda’’
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH SUDAN AND THE SOUTH SUDANESE
Back to the topic, I know some readers would want to inquire the different between the government of South Sudan and the people of South Sudan. In answering this question, I would like to be blunt in my attempt to answer it. The proponents of democracy will easily concur with me that there is always a difference between the government and the citizenry especially if the ruling regime was not democratically elected by the people.
As we’re all aware, the Juba based regime is an outdated regime that is on power by force. It is in public domain that President Kiir tenure elapses way back in 2013.
The SPLM regime and the people of South Sudan are totally incompatible both in form and character; they’re like oil and water which can’t mix ; they are akin to the day and night; it is hard to confuse them when they mixed together, and one can see their difference straight away. Since it is not an elected government, the people are there ready to force it out and brought its handlers to account to face the wrath of law. It doesn’t matter when, the Anya-Anya people have decided to soldier on. Forward ever, backward never.
We were supposed to hold an election in 2015, but before we could reach that electioneering period, President Kiir and his cohorts’ wittingly unleashed violence on 15th December 2013 on the pretext that there was a coup against him. His cardinal intentions and objectives were to interfere and interrupt our democratic space that we toil for decades during struggle for independent from Sudan. Kisumu Senator Prof. Anyang Nyong’o once said ‘‘that when a government pronounced that somebody is plotting a coup against it, the citizens ought to realize that the government has committed a serious wrong that it is trying to conceal or it is just about to commit treason against its own people’’.
Again, we are now supposed to be preparing to hold general election next year 2018. Unfortunately president Kiir unleashed violence on the people on 8th July 2016 in blatant violation of the Addis Ababa peace agreement that was signed between the warring parties. As result of his aggression thousands of our people went back into their trenches and other million people have fled the country to the neighboring countries. Last week over one million people fled to Uganda alone. President Salva Kiir’s ruling South Sudan by duress.
The conflict of 2013 was followed by popular uprisings and numerous insurgencies. People rose up in their numbers against the juba based regime. There was spirited campaign with a clarion call for President Salva Kiir to pack and go home. Over 70 percent of the national army defected and swore to dethrone President Kiir with a view to restore peace and democracy.
On hearing the clarion call dubbed ‘‘Kiir must go’’ President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda sent thousands of Ugandan peoples defense forces both airplanes and ground soldiers to fight alongside Kiir. In the wake of 2013 crisis, Kiir bought numerous foreign fighters mainly from the Sudan militia groups namely the SPLM North in Blue Nile and the Justice and Equality movement popularly known as JEM from Darfur. The SPLM regime continues to use our national resources to hire foreign mercenaries to help him remain in power.
Base on the aforesaid facts, you will know that South Sudan Government is not democratic but rather an autocratic regime that is manned by outsiders. The people have no relationship with Kiir’s regime because the citizenry have divorced it long time ago.
Before I explain further, I want to believe that the above paragraphs will satisfy the readers who are unaware that Kiir’s government and the south Sudanese are not identical. However, that is not to say there are no South Sudanese who are supporting President Kiir’s regime, of course there are people, but a few. In Nairobi you will find them roaming quietly in six eighty hotel and somewhere around west land and other places at sunset.
SALVA KIIR REGIME BACKS PRESIDENT UHURU
One would ask: is it true that Kiir regime backs President Uhuru and why? I would say yes, because I know their reasons for backing President Uhuru and not Ralia Odinga. It was common knowledge that President Salva Kiir and his entire regime were longing for the reelection of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
On 9th August, 2017, President Kiir spokesperson Ateny Wek wrote statement telling NASA leader Raila Odinga to concede defeat before the tallying of the votes were concluded or completed. He wrote and I quote ‘‘this is the bitterness of the people’s choice going against yours. Raila should concede defeat and move on with his life’’ Upon hearing and seeing his statement, South Sudanese social media users vented their ire and expressed an avalanche of criticisms terming Ateny Wek as incompetent, reckless and sycophant.
Later, after seeing the social media was awash with fierce criticisms, the minister Dr. Alia Lomoro came out and said that the statement written by the Ateny does not represent the position and the views of President Kiir and by extension the government of South Sudan, and that what Ateny said were his personal opinion. Nonetheless, I couldn’t believe that Ateny Wek’ was expressing his opinion as Alia said unless the contradiction was made by official government spokesperson Mr. Makuei Lueth
I know that Juba based regime began supporting President Uhuru last year when Kenya government deported James Gatdet Dak to Juba to face torture by vermin. About months later, two more opposition leaders namely Lawyer Dong Luak and Adri Aggrey were kidnapped in Nairobi and their whereabouts remain unknown. These two incidents were followed by Uhuru’s unanimous endorsement of Taban Deng after he replaced Riek Machar.
In July 2016, Taban came to state house on Kenyatta invitation. Days later Taban and Kiir invited President Kenyatta to juba were the trio sat down and get their fingers crossed. The visit of Kenyatta to Juba after Machar was ousted saw the shutting down of SPLM-IO’s offices in Nairobi. As results, other opposition figures the likes of Mabior Garang and others had to abandon Kenya and relocated to other countries. Most of our people today believe Uhuru is sleeping on duty as IGAD Rapporteur; and they sees President Uhuru as pro-Salva Kiir, which they interpret to mean he is against their prosperity. That is true, anybody alleged to be associating with President Kiir now does not mean well for South Sudan and the African region at large. If President Uhuru happen to be reelected in the rerun, he should come clean either to refrain completely or stance on the side of the people of South Sudan but not lean of SPLM regime.
The irregular deportation of the aforementioned Opposition officials became a major blow on the downtrodden and a major boast to the government in Juba. President Kiir knew Uhuru is IGAD rapporteur on South Sudan, so he is appeasing him so that nothing is done and the facts on the ground will be concealed. By speaking fanatically via his spokesperson, he hopes that IGAD will continue to confine Riek Machar in South Africa while he goes on with impunity.
Moreover, what is behind these hugely events was the fact that Raila Odinga is Riek Machar’s buddy. Since conflict unfolded in 2013, I don’t think Raila has met President Kiir and he has been meeting and chatting with Riek Machar severally. All these facts above among other reasons constitute the reasons why South Sudan government back Uhuru and Jubilee Administration.
SOUTH SUDANESE SUPPORT RAILA ODINGA
The calls I received from South Sudanese before, during and after this election can double twice the calls I received in the last one and half year. They often call me via Facebook messenger, Telephone and watsup. These ordinary people are all expressing their support for Raila Odinga.
Most of them holds the view that Raila condemn and will not condone Salva Kiir’s dictatorship; that he support the progressive forces in their clamor change in South Sudan; that he stood with the downtrodden and the opposition groups; that he cannot keep quiet while seeing horror engulfing South Sudan; that Raila will not be persuaded to act in resolving South Sudan crisis should be become president of Kenya; that he will take it upon himself to confront SPLM culprits with a view to restore political normalcy as he did in Ivory coast; that Raila cannot be compromise or engaged in South Sudan talk for personal gains as done by others but rather for the total good of the people of South Sudan; that Raila will continue to associate with democratic and progressive forces ; and that Raila Odinga has pan African agenda, and that he will began it in South Sudan.
For further comments, you can reach the author at eligodakb@yahoo.com
