Opinion: Why are people of Panyijiar county rejected from both levels of government?

By Dak Buoth Riek-Gaak,

April 10, 2022 — I must say that were it not because it is a government policy or a constitutional requirement for a county commissioner to come from the county in which he was appointed to serve, the incumbent Panyijiar county commissioner, Col. Majok Bol Mani would be appointed from different county in Unity state as it was the case before South Sudan attained her independence from Sudan on 9th July, 2011. 

In the 1990s when SPLM/SPLA was governing Southern Sudan, Panyijiar district now Panyijiar county was ruled by military commissioners some of whom hails from other districts. I believe, the past SPLM system has remained in some people’s minds to an extent that they think the people of Panyijiar county cannot be leaders of themselves and other people both at state and national level.  

In those days, anyone who would be appointed as Panyijiar commissioner could complete his tenure successfully and without discrimination. However, the very people who did not feel or see any sign of discrimination in Panyijiar are becoming discriminatory to people of Panyijiar by neglecting or rejecting them in both levels of government in South Sudan. This is an emotive issue which needs to be picked through dialogue. 

I think time is ripe for us to begin talking about it so as to avoid or avert unnecessary situations among ourselves. Francis Deng was once quoted as saying ‘‘what divides us is what is unsaid.’’ So, I said this continuous rejection of Panyijiar people in both levels of government need to be mentioned and discuss failure which can be a recipe for confusion and chaos. Equally, there is an adage which says, ‘‘if we stop talking, we start fighting.’’ Thus, an ideal way of eliminating any communal skirmishes over dispute is by promoting retail and group dialogues among the people. 

In the last three years or so, this frail and fragile country of South Sudan has witnessed major appointments of leaders to various levels of government in accordance with the Revitalized Agreement on the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS). The first appointment which captured the international headlines was that of the five vice presidents namely the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, Vice President, Dr. James Wani Igga, Vice President, Gen. Taban Deng Gai, Vice President, Madam Rebbeca Nyandeng De Mabior and Vice President Mr. Husein Abdel Baggi. 

The second one was the appointment of cabinet ministers and their deputies. The third was the appointment of ten state governors. The fourth was the nomination and appointments of county commissioners and the fifth was the subsequent appointment of the national and state ministers as well as members of parliaments. 

On 11th April 2022, day after tomorrow, our nation will again witness another important appointment to the command structure of the unified forces. Most likely these appointments are not going to be done based on seniority and meritocracy of their commanders. 

If seniority and meritocracy was applied as a basis of appointments, then President Kiir could have preferred and picked Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin as the vice president on the ticket of South Sudan Opposition alliance (SSOA) instead of Mr. Husein Abdel Baggi. 

Relatively, if seniority and meritocracy was used, even one of these SPLM-IO Generals namely Gen. Simon Guek Guek Gai, Gen. Stephen Gawar Manyok, Gen. Tito Biel Wie, Gen. Tap Puot Kang, Gen. Mabie Gaar, Gen. Khor Chuol Giet and Gen. Gai Gatluak could have been appointed as SPLM-IO Acting Chief of General Staff by Dr. Riek Machar instead of Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam. 

Now, as the appointment of unified command keeps looming, some critical questions need to be asked as to why sons and daughters of certain communities are being sidelined and rejected despite having the requisite criteria for the respective assignments in government? 

In Panyijiar county, two things are crystal clear. It’s either their people are abandoned or left out of the appointment list or if they happened to be appointed at last, they are easily relieved and removed from office within a short time. 

You recalled when President Kiir was allocated the governorship of Unity State in the peace agreement, he left out his supporters from Panyijiar county on the pretext that their constituent was backing the armed opposition. During the conflict, many senior political leaders from Panyijiar county not only remained in Juba but they maintained silence under President Kiir regime for the entire period of the conflict. Their pin drop silence under president Kiir regime could not be misconstrued as lack of political options, but rather an indication that they’re staunchest proponents of his regime, because naturally silence means acceptance of the situation at hand.

Relatively, when SPLM-IO leader made his appointments, he appeared in actions and words like he never heard of a place called Panyijiar county let alone the fact that Panyijiar county was the stronghold of SPLM-IO. Dr. Machar’s abandonment of Panyijiar people emanated from the views of the SPLM-IO’s insiders, who disputed the argument that Panyijiar county was a stronghold of SPLM-IO irrespective of the fact that it was not captured by government forces. They vehemently argued that if Panyijiar residents were SPLM-IO diehards, they could have gone so moto to launch military offensive in their neighboring counties that were under government control at the time, and thus they concluded that Panyijiar residents were merely fighting for self-glory, and not for SPLM-IO as many may think. 

This means the open and repeated abandonment of the Panyijiar members by SPLM-IO leadership from various appointments demonstrated the aforesaid argument, because they often left out Panyijiar members without any slightest feeling of shame. The SPLM-IO refused to even accord an assistant ministerial docket to Panyijiar both at state and national levels. 

One time, this writer opined an opinion article where he pleaded with SPLM-IO leader to consider appointing one, Mr. Machien Luoi to deputy interior minister position which then Mabior Garang de Mabior had rejected, but they declined. Mr. Machien went on to become the executive secretary in the office of SPLM-IO defense Ministry. He had a short stint there before he was purged for an offense of being ambitious. By then Mr. Machien was covering the seat of Panyijiar commissionership which SPLM-IO leadership had vested interest in. 

Objectively, comparing President Kiir’s SPLM-IG and Dr. Machar’s SPLM-IO, I would say the former was sympathetic to Panyijiar, for at least they appointed one, Mr. Hon Makuei as Unity State information minister though they rejected him again in the name of suspension. Nonetheless, Panyijiar people don’t need someone who sympathizes with them in politics. What they require is an individual leader, who accord them their share of political contribution in the struggle for change and transformation. 

For the case of Hon Makuei, a year-long suspension without reason, and without an investigation is nothing but a rejection.  Also, recently a lady from Panyijiar by the name Nyadin Lual Gai Yoak was elected as the chairperson of Unity State Youth Union, but in the eleventh hour, Unity state information minister, who replaced Mr. Hon Makuei soon issued a ministerial order nullifying her election victory without citing any substantive reasons. In view of the foregoing, if I may ask: if these tangible cases and scenarios cannot be described as rejection of Panyijiar people then one can someone tell us what political rejection is.

 Also, the incumbent Unity State governor, Dr. Joseph Nguen Manytuil in his decade as a governor has never visited Panyijiar county despite the devastating flood that has caused wanton humanitarian catastrophe there. For sure what I know is that Panyijiar people are good people, but their problem is being too insensitive to politics. 

One-time, avid reader, Gabriel Mut Buom Giel stated that the challenge with Panyijiar people is that, ‘‘what they know is what they don’t want’’.  At first, I thought after Machien was denied commissionership and subsequently ejected from the defense ministry, he would get provoked and eventually picked an axe to grind. Little did I know he would vanish like his Panyijiar counterparts in SPLM-IG camp, who opted to go into political oblivion instead of crossing over in protest of their neglect. 

Alternatively, I think Panyijiar people need a firebrand and youthful leader, who can devise a revolutionary vision that will help them define their inherent power in the continuing South Sudanese struggle for political power. Political Power as cleverly and clearly defined by Saul Alinsky is not what you think you have, but what other people think you have. I’m confident that South Sudanese believe the people of Panyijiar county have a great power which they just need to apply in their quest for their rightful place in the south Sudanese political landscape.

The Writer is the Chairman of Liech Community Association in Kenya, the views expressed here are his own, and he can be reached for comments via eligodakb@yahoo.com