By Dak Buoth,
July 4, 2017(Nyamilepedia) ——- Senior counsel, it is now my honor and privilege to talk to you. I’m grateful to God for granting you the long and healthy life, and we beg for the same. I respect you not just for your old age but for the roles you played in the quest for South Sudanese’s rights and political emancipation. You have tried so hard, and you did not fail. In my view, nobody who has tried that failed.
I presumed that vast South Sudanese majority are winners of this project dubbed South Sudan. However, it is the SPLM cohorts who have failed to manage our success; otherwise we would have been prosperous nation by now. If they had handled our predicaments with curiosity and clear conscience, we would have reached far or even surpassed many countries because the journey in Africa is likened to a ‘tortoise race.’ Many African countries are the proponents of the retrogressive adage which says, ‘‘there is no hurry in Africa’’
Right now our resources, both natural and human have gone for a waste.
The leaders of the ruling SPLM party are getting away with whopping million dollars to build mansions in neighboring countries. The remaining cash are channeled into war business to purchase ammunitions leaving our parents wailing in desperation. These are justifiable claims, I think we all remember “the Dura scandal and ‘sentry reports’ just to mention but a few”.
Comparably, it seems you guys of the 1960s and 1970s were better off. When I meditate and go memory lane, I found you were reading from the same script simply because you had inclined nationalistic values and higher ideals of patriotism.
If you listen to the song dubbed ‘Kume Daan Koon ney tin chaar’ by iconic Nuer musician Gatdet Chotlit, you will find how awesome your days were. He praised you and your comrades saying, ‘‘Kuar kooh teer keni Goang rol’ which loosely means our leaders are struggling for restructuring and reconstructing of the Sudan which was then turned at wrong direction by President Jafer Nemeiri and his rogue predecessors via sharia laws. You were really a united Southern Sudanese who were clamoring for indomitable republic of South Sudan.
However, sometime we wonder where and why did these SPLM factions devise this sectarianism ideology that thrive in ethnic cleansing and run away corruption. I think they do not have any justification whatsoever. And it is for this reason that we resolved to defend ourselves and fight them with a passion until or unless they change this weird perceptions on governance and leadership.
Presently, the country of South Sudan is driving with jet in speed at wrong direction, and I hope counsel you know that very well. Now the appropriate solution is that these old guards devoid of wisdom should surrender and give room to the patriotic youth with the know-how to run our affairs without coercion. Nonetheless, the daunting challenge that we are grappling with, is that many of our youth have been conscripted by these inept SPLM Leaders. These conventional warlords have indoctrinated many youth with tribal notions for their political mileage, and now the youth first look at each other’s surname, and not on the bases of character and beliefs.
Fortunately, the good news is that, South Sudanese youth are almost hitting the target; they are nearing the point of not just realizing but reuniting as soul mates who appreciate their commonalities; and they will soon abandon tribal thinking and or affiliating base on tribal lines. We shall soon recapture our rightful position in this country and in African continent. Thereafter, we will warm up and stand ready to compete in all developmental spectrums once we see a level playing field. Thus, we are not gonna go quit or quite for we’re certain of arriving there sooner than later.
Counsel, as a Co-chair of this national dialogue committee, you now have rare opportunity than ever before to do what you must. Your return to the helm of state affairs is breath of fresh air. You have got the chance to finish your unfinished business of reconstructing and restructuring the state you aspired for. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has bounced back, and you can do the same given your experience and good health. If you play your card well, you can relive and revive the politics of liberation. You are the doyen of liberation politics, and you still enjoy a considerable supports among South Sudanese people.
If the fertile ground would be set for fairer democratic competition where there is an issues base politics you can even contest for presidency, why not? As matter of fact, you’re not nonagenarian like Robert Mugabe. One or two terms are enough for you to prepare the stage for anyone who would wish to come to state house alias J1. In that period of time, you can begin rolling out vital programs meant for instilling patriotic ideals; rolling out social democratic reforms, and reinvigorating various institutions of governance.
LOW OPINION
When the committee of national dialogue was constituted in December 2016, I did not offer my full blessing to it, but I welcome it. I then described it as an intra-SPLM dialogue headed by political dinosaurs that lack ambitions but have the abilities to advise their comrade Salva Kiir to rescue the country at a comma. The other reason why I developed low opinion was because the committee members comprises of only Kiir’s cronies who lives in Juba from day one, watching and enjoying how our people were being slaughtered in cold blood. And many of them never rise a point. You know silence does not amount to innocent or neutrality. In fact, I would say those who keep silence in the face of this brutal reign are in agreement.
YOU MADE STRIDES
Notwithstanding, you have made strides so far: one is the removal of Salva Kiir as patron of the national dialogue, and convincing him to allow his arch rival Riek Machar to take part in the dialogue. To me those are very encouraging steps forward in this process.
‘‘NEEKOOH KENE GUAKOOR’’ (OUR PEOPLE ARE IN WAR FIELDS)
Inform Salva Kiir that we cannot take part in national dialogue because our people are in the battle against his forces. Therefore, he should stop his constant assault on the innocent people in all parts of the country. Recently, I heard that you select a team that would come to Nairobi to engage the civil society in the Diaspora. On that day, we shall mobilize our groups not to join you in your meeting unless we see that there is a change of hearts in your boss Salva Kiir.
Remember our people in the IDPS camps have nothing to eat, and hungry man is an angry man. Fortnight ago, the people of Lake State have begun flocking into Payijiar areas, and they have nothing to feed on. The area commissioner Gen. Tapuot was pleading to humanitarian agencies to assist those displaced persons. Hence, Salva Kiir and his surrogate must cease and adhere to cessation of hostility agreement failure to which you will hold that dialogue among Salva Kiir supporters in Juba for we shall not allow your meeting to continue as planned in Nairobi.
DEMAND FOR RIEK MACHAR’S RELEASE FROM SOUTH AFRICA.
The third and crucial step that you need to undertake is to convince Riek Machar’s captors (IGAD) to release him such that he can join your National dialogue if need be. I hope you guys in the national dialogue committee understand and appreciate that Riek Machar has all means of violent and peace, and that is why you’re after him than anybody else. If you don’t think so, than there would be no reason for your team running from one point to another. For your information, Salva Kiir has means of violent alone, and this is what he has been good at since day one.
If i were you now, I would just petition the IGAD to have South African government set him free. I believed they will listen to your demand right away. Riek Machar is in house arrest for his case is political case. He was not yet charge or convicted in any court of law, and as senior counsel, i hope you know that an accused person can only be arrested and detained after the due process of law was undertaken.
Without much ado, just tell IGAD to allow Riek to go to any place of his choice including Pagak. Thereafter, you can approach him on the same. I’m sure Riek is not at peace because he got holds up for an offense that he is not aware of. This week, I saw you squeezing him with invitation letters asking him to join national dialogue in Juba while you know he is not a free man. You have reached an extent of dispatching a team to meet him in Pretoria. I think you are just mocking him, and you should not add more to his woes.
However, Riek has done well by refusing to meet the group led by co-chair Angelo Beda and Rev. Mathiang Deng who return to Juba today 3rd July, 2017. Counsel, I repeat, just go and do the necessary which is engaging the IGAD leaders to revoke their agreement that keep Riek hostage for reasons best known to them and company.
The Writer can be reached for comments via eligodakb@yahoo.com
