Why the SPLM/A-IO Politicians Silence on the situation in Magenis?

By Paul Bal Gatkek, MBA

Aug 8, 2021 —  Most of us have expressed opinions on social media about the situation in Magenis.  Some celebrated the fight while others condemned it. This is the true nature of  human beings. We can never see events the same and that is natural. However, we  should be mindful that those with facts and helpful ideas should always guide our  opinions. Similarly, as people with capacity to reason, we ought to disregard  information coming from questionable sources. Equally important is that we have a moral responsibility not to intentionally share misleading information.  

Meanwhile, in a situation like the one happening in Magenis within the rival forces  of the SPLM/A-IO, leadership is usually the key. With good leadership, any situation  including sensitive ones can be controlled. but when leadership is absent, things can be  expected to go wrong with little effort from the wrong doers. That is to say, in  situations that are as bad as the one in Magenis, people usually relied on good  leadership for guidance. But to the surprise of so many, our leaders both in Juba and  in the states are tight-lipped about the events in Magenis. We cannot be sure if their  silence is out of fear, lack of concern, or they just do not see it fit to provide  leadership in this tough situation.  

We are concerned because our leaders neither condemn nor praise the Magenis  military engagement between the forces loyal to Dr. Riek and those loyal to Gen.  Gatwech. So far, the only official communication we have is the victory press release  by the SPLM/A-IO mouthpiece, Col. Lam Paul Gabriel. In this regard, those of us  who are deeply concerned about the welfare of the South Sudanese people and the  Nuer community in particular are intrigued by the dead silence of Nuer politicians who ought to guide us during these trying times. 

Similarly, people are also wondering as to what does the silence of our leaders,  especially those in the SPLM/A-IO really tell us about their leadership capabilities.  One augmentative response may be that SPLM/A-IO high profile members are  waiting to see who’s going to win between Dr. Riek and Gen. Gatwech so that they  can make calculated moves. This is the opportune nature of politics. Only respond  when the situation is best for you. That means, SPLM/A-IO politicians can go either  way depending on where their interests would best serve or where their safety  would be temporarily guaranteed. In other words, they may be silent because they  do not know for certain who will be the ultimate winner between Dr. Riek and his  former Chief of Staff, Gen. Gatwech. Putting it differently, if they perceive Gen.  Gatwech to be winning, they can easily switch allegiance and if he’s losing, they 

then can stay put with Dr. Riek. This may be why they cannot express opinions or  reassure their members that the situation will be resolved because they are waiting  for how the future will play out and talk only when they feel it is the right time to do  so. This is the unfortunate nature of politics ruled by fear of losing positions. 

On a separate note, we applaud the call of many Nuer intellectuals that a  reconciliation between Dr. Riek and Gen. Gatwech is the best way forward for there  is never going to be winners but losers in this military confrontation. However,  before we hope for a reconciliation, let’s ask these questions.  

1. Why is it so difficult for the Nuer community to reconcile amongst themselves  but would sacrifice too much in order to reconcile with other South Sudanese  communities? 
2. Why can’t Dr. Riek reconcile with Nuer generals? We have cases of several  generals who fell out with him, but he has never managed to win them back. What  does that tell us about his leadership style and can we hope that he will initiate a  reconciliation with General. Gatwech. 
3. Do we have examples in history of Dr. Riek as leader ever reconciling with fallout  Nuer generals? 
4. What example can the Nuer military generals and the community at large learn  from President Kiir and Gen. Paul Malong when Malong left Juba with troops but  was never militarily intercepted? 

Mr. Paul Bal Gatkek graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)  Business Administration and Economics, and a Master of Business  Administration at the University of Windsor in Canada. He can be reached at gatkekbal@gmail.com