By Peter Mabior Riiny,
April 28, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — You may have heard this misplaced statement from south Sudan’s government and its supporters arguing that sharing powers between SPLM in opposition and SPLM in government amounts to rewarding rebellion.
I personally find it weird andmindboggling. It seems the advocates of such argument have not thought through their assertion. Imagine if Khartoum’s government had put the same argument forward during negotiation of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), where would we be? If rebellion must not be rewarded, then why are we on the negotiation table in the first place? The acceptance of dialogue meant that the Government has recognized the strength and physical presence of its opponent, and negotiations were aimed to stop the war. The opposition will not relent from waging war save when their demands were met.Rebellion does not appear from the blue, it has got its underlying causes and if you want to stop rebellion in south Sudan, one ought to stop triggers of it. You must nip it in the bud. Rebellion is a manifestation of dissatisfaction; therefore, rebellion itself is not the problem. It is a result of so many wrong things going on in the country.
The understanding of what causes rebellion is paramount importance if we want to arrest future rebellions. It is widely accepted that the cause of the current rebellion was the massacre of innocent civilians in Juba because they were hailing from the same tribe as Dr.RiekMachar and not the narrow narrative of “coup attempt” put forward by the government, the war then became all against all. While the war first took dimension of tribalism because of its initial misleading propaganda, it has currently brought in divest stakeholders and has graduated from being tribal to marginalized against colonizers.What are the general triggers of rebellion and the dissatisfaction with government of Salva Kiir Mayardit? There are thousands of reasons. I will only mention the glaring ones. One reason why people picked arms is the rampant corruption in the country, and the tendency of worshiping individuals which amounts to personality cult rather than resorting to rule of law.
This culture was developed and institutionalized during liberation days as a result of lack of political and social orientations as Dr. Peter Adwok Nyaba would have put it. Such people thought they are invincible and above the law looting public resources at will. We have one of the most primitive corruptions in the world. In fact calling it corruption is lenient, we should name it daylight “robbery” or looting. For example, some people for the virtue of being related to the president siphoned off millions of dollars at the full watch of the government.
Monthly salary for the army, police, and civil servants would literally disappear without clear justifications, when indeed the budget has been passed paving way for payment of the wages. In 2014 for example, former state’s Director General of finance and his associates pocketed salaries meant for teachers in Northern Bar Elghazal State, the reason being that the teachers were perceived to be rebel sympathizers, no investigation was done, and the case was never mentioned again.
For God’s sake, where is the connection between eating someone salary and the support for the rebels? In some extreme cases, those who just took office within one year would buy or construct houses worth millions of dollars. If you reconcile the amount used in constructing those houses with the salary one gets, both cannot much even if such person works for 50 years.In addition the mistreatment of those perceived to be related to those in rebellion and those alleged to be sympathetic with rebels’ course, force others to quickly join rebellion. For example, one of our comrades was jailed for 5 months. The reason being that his brother is a rebel; he then joined rebellion in protest. In countries where rule of law prevails, there is no connection whatsoever between the accused and his relatives. One cannot be held liable for his relative misdeeds. South Sudan is operating with jungle laws with complete disregard to constitution’s provisions.It is my submission that the inability of the Government to deliver much needed services to the people coupled with individual’s overnight landing to riches is a recipe for rebellion. If it is true that the national income of south Sudan stood at staggering 5 billion dollars per annum before the war broke out on 15 December 2013, and given the low population in the country, then, why was it difficult to deliver social and economic infrastructures? If the above figure was anything to go by, each and every south Sudanese would bag a sizeable share of his/her money if it was to be distributed per head.
The gap between the rich and the poor isgapping wide and it needs selfless nationalist to turn things around. Need we to tell the government that the citizens have lost confidence in it? Majority of south Sudanese are wallowing in poverty when minority privileged few are living large. The war raging in the country is a register of vote of no confidence in the President and his government and they must know that they have failed the entire country. The precious lives lost during struggle for independence are a waste and have been betrayed by their comrades.In a nutshell, the country will never be exorcised of rebellion if government does not right those grievances mentioned above and set the country on right gear of development. Development does not come on its own but as a result of hard work by the citizens ridding in free atmosphere devoid of economic, social and political suppression and adhering to other important universal inalienable rights such as respect for human lives and freedom of speech among others.
It is responsibility of the government to make sure such environment prevails. It is high time PresidentKiir and his men learn that country is bigger than individuals. Nowhere except in south Sudan where culture of corruption is rewarded with promotions. The most corrupt individuals are identified and promoted to continue looting; in effect it is actually a crime not to engage in corruption. If the Government continues rewarding corruption, embezzlement,fraudulence, thievery and money laundry, the arm rebellion will be the appropriate response. The two are inextricably intertwined. The only remedy is returning the country to rule of law.Peter Mabior Riiny is deputy chairman for SPLM youth League. He can be reached at pmabior@gmail.com
22 comments
We will smoke you out soon from those tunnels.keep going hunger will bring you back or send you to Khartoum,thereby reducing the number of your fighters.
I don’t understand the humanity in you Jaang like Ater and how you wish bad things for other. Okay remember this– “As you wish on to other so shall it manifest on to you”
Ater,
Its sometimes puzzles me if people like you have human brains at all. Smoking who out, the rebels you have been fighting for 15months using state money spending more than on military more than any other nation in Africa? Come one boy the world know you, the Dinka let government are mere cowards and mediocre who rely on hired foreign armies to save their asses.
Now you are operating on loan, Qatar an ally of USA rejected you loan request, the Economy is crumbling, Uganda is regretting ever supporting you and seeking way out. Malakal is not longer under ur control, Bentiu will follow to economically strangle you till internal revolt surfaces. Mark my words
Peter Mabior,
Here are some best answers to your article
REBELLION WILL NEVER END IN SOUTH SUDAN BECAUSE AS LONG AS OUR NUER PEOPLE STILL NEVER LEARNED AND STOP VIOLENT CRIME AND SUPPORT VISION LESS LEADERS LIKE RIEK, GADET, TABAN AND OTHER IDIOTS.
BECAUSE MOST OF MY NUER PEOPLE SEE ONLY SHORT DISTANT FUTURE NOT FAR ENOUGH TO PREPARED FOR THE BETTER FUTURE. OUR POOR NUER PEOPLE VALUE VIOLENT CRIME OVER PEACE AND CONFLICTS SOLUTION.
OUR NUER PEOPLE NEVER ASKED FIRST WAIT A MINUTE WHAT IS GOING HERE AND WHAT IS NEXT.
PLEASE GOD HELP MY NUER PEOPLE. SINCE MOST OF THEM DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND WHERE THEY ARE GOING??? God it Is In our DNA AS THE NUER PEOPLE TO BE VIOLENT AND AGGRESSIVE. WE THINK WE SHOULD BE REWARDED BY THESE TWO FACTORS.
Listen to this the so called newly elected Khartoum government has warn you to stop harboring its rebels that are according to Khartoum “destabilizing Sudan. The chance for the new government to impress its voters will be in expenses of Kiir & Museveni. perfect game plant. South Sudan has no way of avoiding this looming disaster without kicking out the UPDF forces & SPLM/A-North. Bashiir have the backing of many powerful investors including the US. Uganda’s Museveni has failed and therefore continued grooming him as the region top agent(Badboy) is being withdrawn because M7 himself by association with Kiir is no longer a US asset but a liability. The Jaang elder could not have contemplated this. Click on the link below.
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article54764
Ater,
Listen to this the so called newly elected Khartoum government has warn you to stop harboring its rebels that are according to Khartoum “destabilizing Sudan”. The chance for the new government to impress its voters will be at the expenses of Kiir & Museveni as the perfect game plant Bashiir will be hail by all Sudanese of North and South a hero & perhaps by the world for solving their problem at minimum cost.
South Sudan has no way of avoiding this looming disaster without kicking out the UPDF forces & SPLM/A-North it been harboring causing instability in the region. Bashiir have the backing of many powerful investors including the US. Uganda’s Museveni has failed policies even in Somalia his troops are raping and looting civilian properties and selling gas and weapons to the Somali factions through black markets.
Therefore for the US to continued grooming & supporting him(M7) as the region’s top agent or their #1 puppet against war on terrorists is being withdrawn because M7 himself is causing more harms to US policy in the region than good. One of these reason is M7’s association with mass murderer Kiir is no longer a US asset but a liability. The Jaang elder could not have contemplated this. Click on the link below.
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article54764
dinka/slave/Jaang have been exposed far enough that they will have no where to live. The one in Upper nile will move to bhar el ghazer because it will be living hell for them in Greater upper Nile when we finish with Museveni and slave kiir soon.
Achuchook, Ater, riek koang and so on will have no other option available just surrender and accept to be assimilated like there fathers whom we assimilated and their children are the one helping us fighting kiir and museveni war.
Mabior Riiny
This is a commendable piece and well written. You have diagnosed our country’s ailments. All we need is a cure which we took up arms for. Thanks again for a job well done. As for Ater, your camp is doomed to fail sooner or later.
Mabior you can’t feel ashame to call yourself mabior Riiny while you are adopted son the son which donate to Riiny lual.
Riiny/Hoiloom,
Ethnic rebellion will easily end like LRA in Uganda. Nuers rebellion would change to terrorists, nothing worrying S. Sudanese. For example, it has changed in 2015 from physical to media war.
Show me the benefits of a Jaang kingdom for South Sudanese of 64+ ethnic and I will show you a compulsive liar named Gueto.
In your mind it is a tribal rebellion because the massacres in Juba were tribal. Unfortunately, you were murdering unarmed women, children and old folks.
Now that everyone is armed where do you see your tribal vision going compares to that of Nuers leading the rebellion of liberating South Sudan from you visionless tribal ideologies. Ofcourse it doesn’t need a genius to figure out the devastating consequences that will follow.
“Riiny is deputy chairman for SPLM youth League. He can be reached at pmabior@gmail.com”
I just sent him a message to his claimed e-mail,so that he would response and answer my questions,but it is a wrong e-mail and I believe a man is nowhere,
deputy chairman SPLA youth league?????? In which state,County,Payam and Boma????????????
Riek Machar’s rebellion have failed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Believe me
Well stated– Rebellion: “It is a result of so many wrong things going on in the country.”
Nuer genocide made by president Salva Kiir will be remembered yearly like what was committed in Rwanda in 1994.
Mean Rebel will never end anless Kiir resign…
You are right its not ending anytime soon unless Kiir is gone.
The country has become a zoo of wolves fighting each other for survival. Their mouths dripping with blood. What an embarassement to those peace loving south Sudanese.
Hahahah! Rebellion will never end in south sudan! Due to the greedy of power for rebels you can not be awarded again because this rebellion is a fashion if someone is feeling hopeless in his life he will take rebels inorder so that he can be awarded with a position.
Gueto, if you ar really aman., why you don’t post your full name? Gueto is dogname used by street boys of American,mabior Riing is a well known important man even his title varifies it. Ater is already mad and absence minded,you can study from what he try to post in public media.
People call South Sudan Independence Movement (SSIM) as Nuer rebellion but after we achieve our independence in 2011 it is all people needs now Dr.Riak is fighting for freedom of all South Sudanese and those Gueto are calling it Nuer rebellion after one year they will mention a lot of non Nuer who fight for this freedom. Anyway keep on singing that you will defeat SPLA-IO. Juba is falling down soon
Hahahahahah this current rebelllion staged by Nuer tribe alone has changed the rebellious retina ,which has made Nuer see S.Sudan upside down,as a result they are killing their fellow Nuer whom they see as their enemies ,hence eating each other like fish.You are a foregone conclusion be at Pagaak area strictly no crossing,dare you .
we are so tired of war,why can’t the government & the south sudan Rebels, understand the rights and human deginity of his own people as a nation of south sudan?
Yanga wilson martin.
we need peace