Gen. Peter Gadet Risk Becoming Tito Biel of Tomorrow

By Dak Buoth

Oct 14, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — Waswahili wanasema ya kwamba ‘‘dawa ya motto ni motto’’ which I think in English means, the cure for fire is another fire. Go and research and find out its real meaning.

If Peter Gadet had earlier detected that the victims, survivors and escapers of Juba Massacre whom he rescued, rebelled and fought for, were later-on going to smother him politically after they regain consciousness or If he knew that when these ‘‘war deserters’’ later reinvigorate their political muscles that they would ‘‘kick him on the face’’ as they did to him, I doubt whether he would think of putting his life on last line of defense to fight for them in the first place.

Perhaps, he would either decide to remain mum in the ugly face of injustice and unpunished impunity as happened to many other senior south Sudanese who have chosen to defend the status quo, and today he could be enjoying the company of those bootlickers who’re presently busy siphoning the country resources while ‘dancing and dining on victims’ graves’’ in Juba.

But as Joseph Hill asserts in his root song, Slice of Mount Zion, ‘‘I know every day the falling of the wicked man, I know wicked man will prevail, but only for little while’’

Nonetheless, there isn’t anything to regret about for he has partaken his noble duty as state man and as an accomplished liberation soldier. He has manifested utmost ‘‘military ethic’’ at the time of need when he violently opposed the present fascist regime that planned to kills its innocent elderly, women and children without fear of reprisal.

Logically, any properly trained army the world over could do exactly what Peter Gadet had resorted to when he immediately broke rank as the ‘‘first’ highest division commander to call for President’s ouster from power for subverting the popular will of people on 15th December 2013 to date.The role of the member of the discipline forces is well defined, an Army is practically and theoretically oriented to defend the country and its people from any external and internal attack and to rapidly response accordingly to an Act that its consider a disaster and that which temper with the lives of the nation.

Constitutionally, he is mandated to defend the law of the land in favor of the citizenry, and if there is conflict of interests on the law between member of the executive and the public, the latter always prevail. The best example was what the Egyptian national army had exhibited when they apprehended President Hosni Mubrak and forced him to stand down to face justice for war crime and crime against humanity which he had committed against the Egyptians at the time of the revolution in Tarir square.

Compatriots, you couldn’t believe how this continuous political quagmire in South Sudan tend to give us ceaseless nightmares of the past and present political blunders, likely, I now find out, the best relieving measures to cure this psychological effect, it is to share some of these nightmares with the avid readers like you, first, with view to create personal mental easiness and to further enable the general public to learn from such narratives that we meditated on. It is for this reason that I feel obliges to pen this piece at this point in time.

As you may very well recall,, this opinion look a bid identical to the previous opinion aired by the former South Sudan justice minister which he meticulously articulated in form of an article titled ‘‘Magok Rundial of today are the John Luk of tomorrow’’ and in fact the title of this excerpt was inspired by that article of John Luke, the reason is because Luke’s testimonies were lively correct, otherwise I couldn’t paraphrase it.

I tell you, the ‘‘trouble with SPLM’’ is such an elastic tale, and I’m sure some readers will agree with me that indeed this continuous ‘SPLM infighting’ is an issue dated back to the pre-independent era right from the time it was founded in 1983 years before I was born.

Those of us who Have lived and witnessed the ‘‘ups and down’’ of this ‘‘robbers’ political party’’ should felt morally oblige to give honest accounts of what they had experienced during their lifetime simply because it is our own life that continue to be at stake.

The point is; In 2002, when this party was said to be reuniting after its deadly 1991 split, one of the high ranking army General who was none other General Tito Biel, who was then deputy chief of staff for operation in the defunct SPDF eloquently expressed similar reservations over THE 2002 SPLM REUNIFICATION here in Nairobi. When he met us, he told us many things some of which I will not reveal here to avoid making some people feel uneasy.

I still fondly remember his bitter accounts regarding that unification approach, and he said inter alia; that the 2002 agreement modalities were entirely shoddy; that the process of negotiation with view to reunite the two factions were done without the wide input and the consent of other senior members like him and the public. And because of that he predicts a tragedy ahead; as such, he said he won’t be party to it. I wouldn’t tell you that it was 2013 December event that he had foresaw, I leave that for you to analyze… Chinese says; teach a man how to fish don’t fish for him.In our discussion, he concluded that he wasn’t going to accord his blessings to the 2002 SPLM agreement which to him, mean that he was going to rebel against it because the politicians have wittingly erred in making the agreement binding and sustainable.

In less than fortnight’s time, we learned via the British Broadcasting Corporation radio that he had broken ranks and files of the Sudan People Defense forces (SPDF), and indeed his defection then elicited high tension and huge desperation within the political divides over whether the 2002 agreement would hold or not. He left via Khartoum embassy in Nairobi and landed in Sudan. Upon arriving in Sudan, he teamed up temporarily with other conventional dissidents guerillas, the likes of Vincent Kuany Latjor and Pualino Matip Nhial, Gabriel Tanginye and Mabor Dhoal et cetera. They both rubbishes the SPLM 2002 peace accord terming it as two ‘men show, and as such, they pledged to continue waging the struggle for south Sudan independent using all means at their disposals.

They firmly held that there was no need to rush to independent when people will clashed and crash as witnessed in 2013. Partly, the faults in 2002 SPLM had significantly contributed to the current war rocking the nation. I’m sure you will agree with me on the point that. If the victims who perished in 2013 knew they were going to die mercilessly the way that died, I’m certain nobody among them could bother to cast his ballot in 2011 referendum plebiscite.

Even though I was a teen and semi illiterate at that time, I was with them morally and spiritually, and my allegiance to them was based on the fact that they were not just opposing the 2002 SPLM agreement perse, but because they holds the legitimate views that there was need for proper rearrangement and clear road map under which all the liberation factions could amalgamate in good faith, and that can happened when all the liberators shared and merges their hindsight and foresight with view to established one indomitable political and military force that could usher in the south Sudanese independent in 2011 as provided for in the 2005 CPA.

Unfortunately, when the so call ‘’know it all’ (Doctors) failed to heed the wisdom of the old folks, they just rush and crushed miserably; within few months we lose Dr. Garang, up to date nobody want to question how and why he died, and again when I look at our current political waters, one couldn’t deny that the architect of this ongoing anarchy were not the same guys who plotted the elimination of Dr. Garang.

As per 2002 Reunification accord, people began running to the CPA without examining the motive of those powerful forces who brought it, and upon arriving at independent, some sections where soon considered intruders to the independent deal, and the drum of hates continues to beat throughout the interim period right from 2005. Those unstoppable songs keep blowing like natural win hoo, Nyagat, hoo, hoo, these and that are betrayers, hoo, hoo, the Any’anya one and two was founded by we alone ad thing like those. These ill-conceived views were the one smearing and clouding our minds to date, and they continue to bar us from thinking critically.

They say you cannot train old dog with new tricks, we have failed to build our national bedrock from the onset, and that is why it is taking us long to realizes our commonality. We shall always have ourselves to blames for this messed that we are in.

It is the intricacies and shortcomings of General Tito’s defection ahead of 2002 SPLM reunification that I want to compare and related to the ongoing political storms in our country. At that time, when he arrived in Khartoum, he suddenly appeared as if he didn’t make up his mind fully about his defections. His legs were on both sides, one was still in the so call SPDF which had already became part and parcel of the SPLM and the other one was on the rebellion side, I tell you, it was vague move which later became suicidal for him. In any political and military contest, one cannot survive on both warring camps, and if one is discovered or found ridding on that belief, he will be termed as mole and the consequences are dire, sometime one end up being compromised or get buried politically as happened to him. I had anticipated that by the time he jetted in Khartuom, he would just teamed up with those General Matip and the likes, even thought Matip was his longtime foe in Bentiu, there could be no further grudges between them, as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend and or he could constitute his own military block that could fight separately and independently, at least for him to be seen that he was a man of his own words and that he wasn’t ridding on someone else ‘s strength or popularity.

I guessed he said, no, I can’t join Matip because he was my rival or he might have feared that the latter would attempt to assassinate him. Secondly, maybe he said, I cannot wage a war in Bentiu, or he was afraid to be name as ‘Brigade’ which was common name then for those who were fighting against the SPDF.

After some months, amid 2003, the SPLM elites again devised a well-orchestrated political plot dubbed‘‘ SOUTH, SOUTH DIALOGUE’’ it was mere strategy to hoodwink and blackmailed those who had no ideological balance, except General Matip who declare war on SPLM/SPLMA as long as Garang remains the head, He only joined it after Dr. Garang was no more.

Who cares, after that dialogue in Nairobi, General Tito return to Nairobi, no one among his former colleagues took him seriously, worse of all, there was nothing like integration of armies from both factions, everyone was advised to follow his earlier ranks of SPLM, those who were known as front lieutenants in the defunct SPDF like him had their military career terminated from the national military realm. Many generals from SPDF were put on ‘negative list’ thereafter, he opted to joined the campaign team for Taban Deng Gai in the unity state governorship race, likely when they succeeded, he was made the State security advisor, a position which dont have security of tenure, and in one and half year, Taban decides to stripped him at will, and that became the end him.

Relatively, I partially foresee situation were General Gadet could risk becoming Tito Biel of tomorrow if he attempt to fall in that deadly terrain, it has taken long without hearing from him after his dismissal from SPLM IO as deputy chief of staff for operation. I know he is great mobilizer and a man of tactics. Everybody expect wonders wherever he might be.
He should think twice and wisely. Let him not permit any attempt to entice and lure him with sugary coated statements from any quarter as happened to him in 2012, the quest for regime change hasn’t fade or waded in people minds. You can only rejoin them through well-thought-out scheme that has been debated and interrogated publicly. Any issue that has caused the lives of people can’t be left unfinished, and that is fundamental principle. Justice must be taken to perpetrators’ doorstep to for the race to halt. SPLM knows that they are sitting on time bomb waiting to detonate, and their end rule is near..,

The writer lives in Kenya; he can be reached for comments via eligodakb@yahoo.com