The G10 Group: Who are they and are they credible?

By John Gatot Deang,

Opinion.

August 11, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — The G10 Group no doubt is re-manufacturing itself and emerging as the alternative to the leadership of President Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar at least in the blind eyes of some Western Diplomats and members of the IGAD Mediation Team. Since these diplomats hail from countries that are funding the IGAD Mediation process on the conflict in South Sudan, they assume they have the hard and soft power to intimidate and force their half- baked solutions to the conflict on the people of South Sudan. On the other hand and as is often said, you can’t bite the hand that feeds you, the IGAD Mediation Team is intimidated by western diplomats and have abandoned the usual norms and procedures for mediating African conflicts. They have now followed suit in recognizing the G10 equating them with the representatives of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GRSS) and the SPLM/A-In –Opposition led by Dr. Riek Machar.

This article aims at uncovering the myth and dust that surrounds the members of the G10. Most members of the G10 are Secondary school leavers except for one or two who have tertiary education and above. Most of them found favour with Dr. Garang and were graciously deployed in his HQs and in SPLM offices abroad during the liberation struggle. They therefore learnt the art of corruption from tender age. After the death of Garang in 2005, the G10 form a solid opposition group (often derogatorily referred to as Awlaad Garang) against the leadership of President Kiir. The G10 group considered President Kiir as illiterate and a betrayer in reference to the latter disagreement with Dr. Garang in 2003.

After the Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, most members of the G10 were given lucrative ministerial portfolios in both Government of National Unity (GONU) in Khartoum and in the Government of South Sudan in Juba. Their appointment to ministerial positions lent them the opportunity to entrench their corrupt practices. Their corrupt practices and arrogance almost led the South to war with Khartoum again. In fact some of the members of G10 openly criticised GONU and incited the people of South Kordofan and south Blue Nile to rebel against Khartoum. The current war in the above areas was ignited by this infamous group of looters. It is even surprising now that some foreigners should groom them for leadership of South Sudan. However, this should not be surprising to any one that is knowledgeable with how the Western world works. It is the West that creates and maintains dictators in Africa contrary to their claim of being democratic in their own societies. Corruption in Africa too is encouraged by Western governments and companies through the kick backs system.

Since 2005 to now South Sudan was defrauded of over $4 billion through corruption. President Kiir publicly accused 75 government ministers and senior officials, among them members of the G10. However, he could not persecute them as he was also implicated in the scam. The G10 can not deceive the people of South Sudan. Although they pretend as credible statesmen, they are in fact wolves in sheep clothes.

In conclusion, the G10 are a group who has lost credibility among their people. A group whose members have built mansions and villas all over the world, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Kampala, Australia and USA. Their inclusion in the peace talks is another scandal on the side of IGAD. The G 10 have publicly stated they are not part of the ongoing conflict and have no grudges with the government of Kiir; so why should they then be in the talks? The talks should be between the two principal warring parties- GRSS and the SPLM-In Opposition. Civil society organizations, Faith base organizations and other political parties, to which the G10 should belong, should be involved during the reconciliation and healing phase.

With the way IGAD Mediation is muddling and meddling with the core issues that led to the current conflict, I do not we will make any headway towards achieving peace soon. No one also hopes that IGAD will succeed in the current mediation because sometimes they are partial and sometimes confused and unable to act. Furthermore, there is no single conflict in Africa that IGAD succeeded in resolving. So why should we be optimistic that this time around it will succeed. If IGAD boasts about the comprehensive Agreement (CPA), the last evaluation is that the CPA failed because until now there are still deadly conflicts going on in the whole of Sudan. In the Sudan, there are conflicts in South Kordofan, Southern Blue Nile and in South Sudan; a deadly conflict is raging on.

The author is a concerned South Sudanese in Canada who can be reached at: wiyualdieng@yahoo.com