By Onyi Itara, SOUTH SUDAN,
Opinion.
Sept 22, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — Day check, Sunday 21st September, one famous Sudan Tribune reported that a high level delegation of the South Sudan’s rebel faction under the leadership of former vice-president Dr Riek Machar was heading [last Saturday evening] to the “Peoples” Republic of China for bilateral talks with the Chinese government; the bilateral talks asked for by the Chinese world’s government. The report stressed that this could be a first time for the Chinese government to invite non-state actors to Beijing. You get?
The public out-cry has been/is that the SPLA-IG could not and did not do what it expected of it. It could not and did not showcase good governance; it could not and did not fight corruption, tribalism, injustice, land grabbing, poor international relations and the reigning down-to-earth under-development on account of “loss of direction.”
To make matters worse, the Juba government [SPLA-IG] has been run by outsiders. See how it swung its decision left, right & centre. The ban on foreign workers which aroused peoples’ eyebrows was just thrown into a rubbish-bin. The SPLA – in government coiling of its tail after feeling criticisms-pain caressed its chair from their ‘outside-bosses’ shocked everyone! Look!
Is the SPLA-In Government peoples- centered? Really? Majority doubt. It is for outsiders. No wonder if one looks at all the SPLA-IG sectors; the oil sector has got strings attached to the Omar Beshir [of the Sudan], banking & insurance sectors are owned & controlled by Uhuru Kenyata Kenya, petrol stations are owned and run by [the 8th & current President] Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Somalia, the transport sector, food items & building materials are under the control of the Museveni-birthed Uganda, hotel & lodge sectors are controlled by Mulatu Teshome Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, water supply system & fishing sectors are run by [1991-elected] Isaias Afwerki Eritrea among others.
Now, tell us if the South Sudan belongs to South Sudan/ese [people-centered]! If asked this question, the people sitting in the various SPLA-IG ministries will tell one that “You South Sudanese are lazy.” That is the answer they would without shame, give each time asked. But the question is; where is the effort put to cut out the laziness in junub-beings? None!
And if things remain the way they are, SPLA-IO could be nothing far from being a people-centered government, their weaknesses notwithstanding! It [SPLA-IO] has severally asked for the long-awaited federalism to be installed [to solve the issues], it has asked time-and-again for the much anticipated democratic reforms [to do the same] among other calls. Now its meeting with the Peoples Republic of China could well be taken into account. The Chinese government has its heart for the people of China. It has always fought for their economic independence and prosperity. No wonder they are one economic power house in the world. Her politics always rests on citizens needs ‘not on satisfying outsiders at the expense of them.
Now the visit as reported by the Sudan Tribune could be the first of its kind in the history of the China. It has invited-not any rebels-led delegation into her soils. It [China] has stake in the nascent Republic of South Sudan [oil/oyol]. Has it predicted a paradigm shift, and want to strike the iron when it’s still hot? If so, could this mean ‘ the Peoples Republic of China has seen another sister of an enigma [a peoples-centered government] in the inevitable Federal Republic of South Sudan in the [artificial] person of SPLA-IO? Give it to President TIME!!!
The author lives in South Sudan. Kick him hard at onyi.itara@gmail.com
