By El Mataba Arialbek,
Dec 18, 2021 — In retrospection, South Sudanese have had a tragic history of undocumented ethnic massacres dating back to early years of the first Liberation wars led by Aggrey Jaden, Gordon Muortat Mayen, to Anyanya Movement under Joseph Lagu Yakobo Yanga and to the SPLA under Dr. John Garang De Mabior. All the current endless tragic stories of massacres were all political in nature from the start, albeit, the skirmishes amongst the leaders of first Liberation wars (1960s-1982) were controllable and so could not trigger major noticeable incidents of ethnic massacres.
Unlike the first batch of Liberation leaders like Aggrey Jaden, Gordon Muortat Mayen, Joseph Lagu, Joseph Odour, Fr. Saturnino Ohure, William Deng Nhial, Cdr. Abur Nhial, Clement Mboro, Gai Tut, Ezboni Mondiri, Akuot Atem De Mayen amongst noticeable others; it is regrettable to mention that the SPLA and Anyanya II leaders had so much thirst for power and perhaps, did not have their people at heart. This internal leadership struggles, betrayals, coups and counter-coups did not just surface today but rather a deeply rooted tradition.
These betrayals started amongst the leaders of Anyanya Movement but because of their patriotism and conviction to end enslavement and suffering in the Southern Region, they were not tempted to use this internal leadership wrangles to massacre their followers along the ethnic lines. They had to prioritise compromises and forgiveness over and again while they continued to push for unity of purpose to fight for the common course against enemy. Even if there were some bloodshed involved at some circumstances, it was not much to put to account and their unity and that of followers remained unmatched.
However, following the trigger of second Liberation war in 1983, the story of forged unity negatively begun to change and this became the genesis of major ethnic massacres we have shamelessly failed to address until date. The formation, ideology and subsequent Leadership question within SPLA marked the era of major incidents of divisions and ethnic violence amongst the southern leaders along their ethnic backgrounds.
While Dr. John Garang and the cohorts framed unity of the Sudan and called for new reforms within Sudan, the separatist group led by Samuel Gai Tut and Akuot Atem De Mayen wanted total separation of South from the North.
This ideological differences within SPLA at its birth, coupled with open Ethiopian support for John Garang group and its vision for New Sudan, the Separatist Group exploited this internal wrangles and broke away to continue with Anyanya II as more of tribal movement against the Dinka-led SPLA. The Separatist Group scattered into the bushes of the Southern Region begun to use this division to intercept and massacre recruits along the way mainly those who were thought to be flowing to Bilpham to support John Garang’s SPLA.
The subsequent interceptions and killings of recruits for the most parts of the early months and years of SPLA delayed both the recruitment process and start of the war campaign against Khartoum-based Regimes. This frustrated the SPLA leadership and hence forced to develop mechanisms to rid of Gai Tut and his group.
Subsequently, this led to death of Gai Tut and his group while surivors others returned to SPLA under John Garang.
Years followed when the differences began to surface within the ranks of SPLA giving birth to yet another major division within the Southern liberators in 1991. While some breakaway leaders like Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin and few others thought it a political war, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhuorgon and his extremist groups deviated instantly and mobilized his innocent tribesmen (the Nuer White Army) in the names of revenge following the death of Gai tut and cohorts and used them to massacre over 3000 innocent Dinka-Bor civilians. This became known as infamous 1991 Nasir Declaration.
Unfortunately, this tragic incident could not be erased in the minds of South Sudanese and SPLA leaders. Despite the reconciliations in early 2000s to reunite leaders, it was hard to forget completely given the setback and painfull internal scars left in the hearts of many victims.
Consequently, wrangles begun to resurface amongst the leaders within SPLM since the death of John Garang to July 2013 when everything exploded resulting to dismissal of the VP and the associates. To worsen the situation, Dr. Machar quickly forgot that some terrible incident of the past was still haunting him and the person he was fighting to unseat was the same person he fought over two decades ago.
He continued to bossy with his quest for power without indepth analysis of the situation at hand and its relations to infamous 1991 incident.
The President himself made it clear in his opening remarks during the December 2013 SPLM Convention held at Nyakuron Cultural Centre that the incidences of 1991 were still fresh in his mind and warned not to be tempted again into another such relevant incident. Unfortunately, our PhD holder was unable to use his vast experiences and wisdom to quell this daring situation whose consequences were written all over the military fences. This resulted to 2013 Juba and Bor Massacres followed by Nationwide conflict and destructions we are all bemoaning to date.
Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict In South Sudan (ARCSS) provided another opportunity for reconciliation and reunion of the leaders and civil populace but the Juba merchants and cartels hijacked the process and used the suspicions caused by the divisions and endless conflicts to cause J1 dogfight. Of course, both Dr. Machar and President were very innocent but they were unable to prevent another disastrous incident.
Despite all the past warning signals of dangers followed by subsequent massacres on different counts, no single attempt have been by the leaders to conduct a broad truth-telling reconciliations and healing process amongst the victims and entire population. Instead people continue to ignite more fire by celebrating or bringing back into the memories of people past tragic ethnic massacres. Those who continue to mark such events like 1991, 2013 and 2016 incidents are totally ignorant of the consequences this could cause to the groaning South Sudanese.
As we continue to mark this infamous dates, suspicions shall continue grow amongst our innocent people with each bearing the mindset of revenge and counter revenge. Some of our leaders need to be careful and so should not mislead innocent people who are ignorant of warning signals of genocides.
Since we have had/continue to have leaders who do not care about the negative impact this tribal divisions, past unreconciled scars and flashbacks of tragic events could cause, the majority common victims of their machinations should take the responsibility upon their shoulders to stop marking such infamous events and look forward for ways to forge informal reconciliations and healing amongst our people.
This is the only best and cheapest means we can put an end to suspicions as common people. with the way things move everyday and the rate of burying the R-ARCSS, I believe there shall be no opportunity to organise more formal and organised reconciliatory and healing process amongst our people.
And this begins with us stopping marking such infamous events. The onus is now unto you to shoulder or continue to wait helplessly and endlessly for miraculous return of Son of Joseph, because if it is this leaders you are hoping to reconcile you, forget it completely and move.
I have freely advised you and the choice to implement or leave this advice remains solely yours. Don’t say I did warn you.
Best Regards;
Agok Arialbek is a concerned South Sudan citizen who can be reached through email at agok.arialbek@gmail.com
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