By: Gatgong Koang Thany,
March 21, 2015 (Nyamilepedia)—-One would be right to say, following its numerous futile attempts to arrive at a negotiated, political settlement for the ravaging conflict in South Sudan that the Regional body, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has miserably failed and is bond to absolutely fail in bringing back stability to the young Nation despite its backing by the both the African Union and the United Nation plus the other powers notably the United States of America or the Troika combined. The block is main causes for failure is known to everyone who followed the taunted peace process, its slow pace, in the face of a destructive War has been particularly worrying a lot, IGAD’s partisanship, inconsistency which seem to be intentionally created to delay and fail the process and the Block is general lack of Goodwill throughout the peace making initiative is a cause for Heartache to many Observers, especially the South Sudanese Citizens who have continued to Suffer untold pain and misery as the IGAD Diplomats and beneficiaries continued to enjoy the shuttles and Hotels Gimmicks in the name of Peace for South Sudan.
The Current South Sudan Conflict has a root causes that are known to even the illiterate Man and Woman in the Villages in the Countryside, if one were to go around South Sudan with the questionnaire with an aim of finding answers from the people regarding what lead to this insanity and brutality, a great consensus would be attained I believe by all the respondents across the Country regardless of their Affiliations. And I know among the things they would find consensus at despite their tribal differences and point out unanimously as the major reasons for this War would be but limited to:
- Poor and Failed Leadership, which has killed institutionalization and nationalization, hence preventing reforms, democratization, Modernization and creation of Statehood,
-
Unfounded, Murderous and absurd greed for power, the Politicians of the day, its seem like they have made a secret Oath to remain on power till the end of their lives and at all cost, that’s why thousand, innocent were Slaughtered in Juba and many are being Slaughtered today across the Country in what is termed as protecting the power, I wonder how sweet is this power that a nationhood is thrown away in expense of protecting it, and what it would take, how many innocent lives will it yet have to take to make one or more greedy politicians understand that enough is enough and they should relinquish power for they were never born with it neither would it be buried with them in their graves once their days are done on earth,
-
Corruption that have shot through the roof, causing merciless sucking of the national resources in to the pockets of few cronies of the ruling elites and their relatives leaving the Country stagnant and helpless in regard to developments,
-
promoted tribalism that have passed nationalism, tribal dominance that’s almost translated and upgraded to colonization and blatant marginalization leading to the breeding and rising of tensions and resentments among the tribes as each seek to secure its survival and free itself from oppression and Re-colonization, this is evidenced by the common and shameless Practice by some tribes trying to enforce their Dialect upon others by making it almost a must speak language in Government Offices even at National Levels,
-
Neglect and Marginalization of the Countryside and the Ordinary Citizens, during the Struggle , the mainstay, and only resources the Moment for Struggles had was the Ordinary Man and woman in the villages from the food to almost everything, however as soon as the C.P.A was signed giving the Military Elites and their Cohorts a chance to live in towns and Cities , they immediately forget even the existence of the Villages and their habitats, no wonder if you were to take a good look at your own village you will find that it remain as it was years before struggle or worst, in my village for example , the C.P.A, or even independence itself has nothing to show , not even a single borehole, Nothing, Nothing and Nothing at all and I am sure that’s the same in most villages if not all. Sometimes it feels like my village and the like would have to wait a little longer for their own independence!
-
Betrayal and negligence of Country in General and Orphans and Widows, even before full independence, as soon as the Semi-Autonomous government of South Sudan (GOSS) was set-up as provided for in the C.P.A accord, the leaders of South Sudan at all level of government turned their back at the Sons, Daughters and well as their wives of their former comrades and Heroes who died in quest to Liberates the Country and the entire nation as the ruling Elites embarked on a self-enriching-Marathon, stealing public wealth in the most heart breaking manner ever seen, that lead many to define the then GOSS as the government of Self Services , surprisingly the trend continues even after the Glorious independence unabated . now as the nation bleed many superstitiously believes that this is a punishment to the Country for betraying its Heroes , I personally thinking in that light wouldn’t be far off from the truth, what a shame on SPLM-GUYS, the Oyees gangs whose Curse is tearing our nation apart. To name but just a few, these are the very reasons why our nation is at War with itself ……………….
Therefore from this simple enumeration, it’s an absolute pretense and clear lack of goodwill from the IGAD to fail to find the right coordinates to pin together a solution to the South Sudan Crisis, a negotiated settlement that would address the root causes above and tackle issues of Accountability, the World in General and South Sudan in particular need to see justice served for the family, relatives and friends of those innocently killed to quench the throats of a Mad Dictator who is craving for innocent blood and Souls.
In conclusion, South Sudanese are suffering, and they can’t wait for peace to come back to their homes so they would go back to living their normal lives, however I am also convince that the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is never going to bring peace to this nation as long as it remain in its current set-up and in the same Partisan mood fantasying the Musveni’s tricks and tactics and using the same as the viewpoint to initiate a Politically generated peace agreement. Therefore ,with that I mind, I starts to very much believes as almost feel certain that the only viable path to peace in the country would be a home-grown, home-initiated one, a locally initiated, locally driven and locally own process for the locals themselves would be and is indeed the only foreseeable channel to lasting peace to our nation. If we want peace, that’s if we are tired of the current war, we have the means and the resources to end this war now, I hope those who have initiated initiatives like this one am proposing are alive today and they still know what to do if indeed the mood is for peace, in this process, people matters and by people I mean the local people, our Traditional systems have served our people for generations without fail, from justices to treaties signing and they are still alive today. I have no doubts that when the people themselves get to realize that enough is enough, they will go back to their old-ways of problem solving; at least they will have only one, common and unifying interest, to achieve peace and return their country back to its feet.
If we could still remember, the WUNLIT peace agreement between the two main SPLM Factions (DR.Riek Machar & Dr.John Garang ) in 2000s was initiated, driven and owned by none but our local people, the churches, traditional Leaders, local youths and all the people and have you forgotten that it was that locally-made peace that lead to the C.P.A and the Independence we are bragging about today. Therefore the same process if initiated with honest intentions and patriotic view would still get us out of this mess we are in today.
God bless South Sudan.
Gatgong Koang Thany can be reach through g.gongk15@gmail.com.
