A response to Taban Deng Gai, on blaming American Administration for imposing Armed Embargo on South Sudan.

Truth hurt, but, it’s the only way out South Sudan Situation

By Dr. Hoth Giw

Feb 7th, 2018(Nyamilepedia) —– The American leadership under the President Donald J. Trump, wisely took unprecedented steps to end the suffering of the South Sudanese people who are roaming around in Refugees Camps inside the country (UN-Protection Camps) and in the neighboring countries, due to the failures of their government.  In dealing with the uncompromising stand of the government of South Sudan not to give peace a chance, the U.S, administration selectively sanctioned individuals who were impediments to the peace and who also used their financial powers to finance the conflict.  This was how those of Makue Lueth, Paul Malong Awan, and Malek Reuben Riak, and Benjamin Bol Mel, got blacklisted by the American government. That was the first step for Trump, administration in taking a serious measures regarding South Sudanese conflict.  

This past week, the Trump, administration took another positive step to impose an armed embargo on the Government of South Sudan, as a result of its failure to respect the signed Cessation of Hostility agreed upon by the parties.  This step was taken by American administration after it failed to convince the UN Security Council to do the same.  Russia and China, refused as expected, but that did not deterred the American Administration to take a unilateral action on the South Sudanese government.  Its shows that the U.S, is concerned about the South Sudanese people more than their own government in Juba.  In fact, the civilian are now under UN Protection in the UN Camp outside Juba—being protected from a brutal dictator, with minority government ruled by tribal chiefs (JCE).

In response to the action taken by the U.S administration, the Minority Government of Juba (Kiir regime) did the followings: (1) recalled its Ambassador based in Washington DC, to Juba, (2) summoned U.S, Ambassador to South Sudan, to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, to explained the reason why U.S imposed the sanction, (3) decided to build their relationship with China and Russia, and (4) rented the crowd to protest on the street of Juba, about the U.S, government decision (the crowd were directed or threatened by the government to protest).  That Minority government of Juba, even went further to issue a threat to the American government when it’s illegitimate Vice President Taban Deng Gai, stated that:

““It is the Chinese who will build the roads in South Sudan, not Americans because they are not our partners in our economy. The partners are Chinese and the other potential partners are Russians, they are building a refinery, the first refinery in South Sudan. So these are the people who have been defending us,” said Taban Deng Gai, South Sudan’s First Vice President, on Sunday. “During the war of liberation, I have never seen the American M16 … I know AK-47, I know the support from Russia, I know the support from Libya, I know the support from Ethiopia and I know the support from Yemen.”   Adding further that ““I don’t think he [Trump] is for peace because if peace comes to South Sudan … we shall eat our cassava, we shall eat our sweet potatoes and we shall eat our corn,”     

Let me clarify why I think that Minority government in Juba, lost it mind, by threatening the U.S. government for taking a right decision to impose an armed embargo on South Sudan.  First, as we all know that the American Government—several administrations, invested heavily on South Sudan to be an independence country.  This began after the 1990s, when the Socialist Camp (former USSR) collapsed and the international politics favored Western Democratic form of government.  SPLM/A under the leadership of Dr. Garang, switched side, and eventually received humanitarian assistance from the Western countries.  Indeed, at the end of 1990s to early 2000s, the U.S, government helped financed the establishment of the current IGADD (Inter-Government Authority on Drought and Development), which became instrumental in the North-South Peace Process (CPA).  In fact, it was the American pressure through the UN, which brought the CPA—making the establishment of the regional government of Southern Sudan a reality.  Without American pressure, it would have taken us some time to defeat the Islamic Government of Bashir, in Khartoum.  

On the financial aid of the American Government to South Sudanese people, the $11 billion Dollars the U.S government invested in South Sudan since 2011, are a lot of money, but were miss-managed by people like yourself (Taban) and your brother in corruption (Salva Kiir).  That should not be an American problem why this money were miss-managed by the South Sudan government.  I believe you also remember the only paved road from Juba to the Ugandan border (Nimule Road) was built using the American financing.  I have never heard or seen a Chinese or Russian road project connecting South Sudan with an outside world.  They might have provided the weapons currently used by those government militia terrorizing civilian in South Sudan.

As for the refinery you talked about being built by the Chinese, the refinery was built because of the contract to pay these Chinese Companies—not that they loved South Sudanese people and donated the refinery to them for free.   It was part of Chinese strategic energy security on the Continent that brought them to South Sudan, when we separated from Sudan.  After separation, we inherited these Chinese Oil Companies from Sudan, when we should have let them go and bring American Oil Companies—the people who actually helped us attained our independence.  As for the statement blaming American government for not providing weapons to SPLM/A during its war with the Sudanese government, I find that pathetic “During the war of liberation, I have never seen the American M16 … I know AK-47, I know the support from Russia, I know the support from Libya, I know the support from Ethiopia and I know the support from Yemen.”  That statement is pathetic because SPLM/A was a Socialist Movement at the time fighting to instilled Communist form of governance in Sudan.  That was the reason why it was assisted by the Socialist Camp, led by USSR.  Why would American government support such an Organization fighting against its principles?  

In addition to the above facts on how previous American administrations helped South Sudan, Taban Deng Gai, have forgotten the fact that it was the previous American administration that made it possible for him to bypass the legal process and became the current illegitimate Vice President—thereby bypassing Lado Gore, who was the second man in the hierarchy of the SPLM-IO, and who should have been the head of SPLM-IO, in the absence of the Chairman.  The previous American Administration also help with the detention of the SPLM-IO Chairman in South African, thought your minority government is paying for his detention as a way of securing your illegitimate position.

You have to remember that the current American administration under President Trump, is not finish with you yet.  Wait for the next step, which may be to deal with you directly for violating the signed Ceasefire intentionally when you moved your forces to attack SPLM-IO forces in their respective places.   

The author of this article, Dr. Hoth Giw Chan, can be reached for more information at giwchan@yahoo.com