Analysis.
Feb 19, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — A Kenyan politician, Otieno Kajwang(RIP), once said “we are nothing, we know ourselves, we are nothing, nothing”. Kajwang, a loyalist to ODM and Raila Odinga, was referring to his colleagues in ODM party, that none of them could challenge their chairman, Raila Odinga. Kajwang went on to elaborate that himself and his colleagues were winning in their constituencies because of ODM tickets ( although Raila, the chairman with fat ODM ticket, lost in his constituency, Langata.)
Kajwang had a point that Lul should have considered before defecting/quitting. Lul Ruai Koang is nothing to SPLM/SPLA-IO but he failed to understand that he was “something” only because of SPLM/SPLA led revolution. The popularity and support that he gained in such a short time was not a personal but a collective achievement. Lul has no glaring achievements compared to many young men and women in SPLM/SPLA-IO. Besides, Greater Lou-Nuer are not stones that you can just move to any direction as you please. They have brains, dreams, visions and missions; so you cannot declare for them in a hotel room in Nairobi, Kenya.
Also to challenge the SPLM/SPLA movement, you must have a vision to sell to the people. The reason that the Nuer, the Dinka, the Equatorians, the Murle and other minority tribes are gathering under the umbrella of SPLM/SPLA-IO was not for the love of Dr. Riek Machar Teny but the visions of SPLM/SPLA-IO. Lul has no vision, he has reduced the national interest into clan’s interest, “fighting for Greater-Akobo state”. This is an insult to the national position that he held.
We all perceived him as a national figure, not a Lou-Nuer aspirant. And even a Lou-Nuer aspirant must have a vision and the courage to face the enemy on their behalves. Greater Lou-Nuer have brave generals with tons of military experience, and visionary young men and women that have visions for Lou-Nuer and the nation. But we have all downplayed such ambitions for collective interests. SPLM/SPLA-IO is not fighting for one state call Greater-Akobo but for all states that make up the nation. So, if Lul really loves his “Greater Akobo” state, he would have fought for it under the auspices of Dr. Riek Machar because the SPLM/SPLA-IO has the capacity to achieve more than that.
To make it worst, Lul did not defect to fight or resist any injustice. He declared a “cease fire” in his hotel room before “defecting”. So Lul is just retiring. You can not “resist” and “cease fire” simultaneously, so he must have been under influence of something else to choose these terms.
In sum, for I had no intention to write an article, Lul is not a leader because he sees defeats more than victory:
1. Lul is defecting (quitting in layman terms) because of confrontations (individual grudges) with Mabior Garang de Mabior. Real men never quit, they solve problems. Lul is accepting defeat!
2. Lul has no strong credentials for the work he did. He got himself into minor troubles that he should have avoided. Instead he got oriented, manipulated and criticized from within and outside. So he opted to quit, accepting defeat!
3. Lul lacks military training, and supports. He declared his defection and calls for a cease fire within the same day because he can’t face the enemy! In other words, Lul accepted defeats!
4. Lul did not believe in the visions of SPLM/SPLA(IO) or he did not know what he was getting himself into. Revolution is not a short term dream, it takes decades and centuries. So, Lul seen defeats!
5. Seeking opportunities? One may asks, how did Lul becomes a Brig.Gen. during CPA? Was Lul appointed to two positions (Military spokesman, and Directorate of Information & Moral Orientation) by Dr. Riek?. Lul met Gen. Paul Awan in Kampala in Nov, 2014, and why?
Leaders are people who persevere, tolerate, listen and ready to take risks on behalves of others. Even the confined populations in poorly facilitated UNMISS camps, who spent nights in water (not cozy hotel rooms) did not expect victory within hours or days. Why are they not giving up?
Please note: This short piece was meant for social media consumption not for Nyamilepedia, however, there you have it. Enjoy! You can reach the author at dengsimon2000 at yahoo dot com or through Nyamilepedia!
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3 comments
This piece is in line with the press release from Canadian diaspora and both are the closest to professionalism needed to this confusion of Lul Ruei. I don’t know what is worst, if its Lul’s defection or him taking a chunk of Lou Nuers with him.
MONEY, THE DEVIL OF MANKIND. If Brig. Gen. Lul Ruai received $250,000 from the Juba government, then he should retire from any activity to do with the struggle to effect change in south Sudan. Let him purchase his mansion in Kenya like everybody and shut up. South Sudan has always been the milking cow, where every unpatriotic south Sudanese milks, then builds or puchases a mansion in the neighboring countries or abroad, to settle himself and his family, without feeding the cow. Oh!poor south Sudan…….. the land of thieves and shameless, unpatriotic wolves against the poor citizens of our country. Long live south Sudan, the milking cow that is not fed ever. We shall win and your suffering children shall feed you with the green grass of the Nile banks and you will drink the unpolluted waters of the Nile, that run through your veins and blood. Long live our MOTHERLAND,South Sudan.
NAIROBI – According to the latest reports obtained by The Upper Nile Times Investigative Journalist who his name was withheld, Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang held several meetings with the government since November 2014 and finalized the agreement on the 15th of February 2015 in Nairobi Kenya. The move of Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang is consists of two gentlemen; one was the former Minister of Youth and Sports in South Sudan Brigadier General Makuac Teny Youk. The strategy was for Lul Ruai to declare his defection first and in the mean time, the two will declare immediately.
According to the investigate reports from The Upper Nile Times team, there were four agreements signed by the Government of South Sudan and the former Spokesperson of the SPLA-I-O according to the report seen by The Upper Nile Times Investigative Journalist.
The first agreement according to eyewitness was the estate bought for Brigadier General Lul and his family in Wetlands in the Nairobi City. According to an insider who witnessed an agreement while was among the delegation from the South Sudan Embassy in Kenya mentioned that, $50,000 US dollars was given to the owner of the house on the 16th of February 2015 around 2:00pm.
According to the same witness, Brigadier General Lul agreed to be given all his salaries from the SPLA beginning from the time crisis emerged up to February 2015 and the agreement was signed witnessed by Hon Nyadak Paul who was the first lady who coordinates with Former Spokesperson of the SPLA/M-I-O.
The third agreement was to give Brigadier Lul a balance of cash of $50,000 US dollars to be put to his account within 24hours when the agreement came into an effect. An insider said before they attained the conference yesterday Wednesday, Lul went first and confirmed the cash if the money reach his account before addressing the press. After he confirmed, he immediately addressed the press in Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi-Kenya.
The fourth agreement was to form another faction so that the Greater Lou Nuer might join his movement and the SPLA/M-I-O might collapse.
However, the gentleman whose his name was withheld disclosed to The Upper Nile Times Investigative Journalist that on the 19th of January 2015 in Addis Ababa Lul was sent a delegation comprises of seven government officials headed by Hon Nyadak Pual who is an MP for Lou-Nuer Area. In the discussion that took only one hour, former Spokesperson of the SPLA/SPLM-I-O Brigadier Lul Ruai was given cash of $250,000 US dollars for him to establish his family affairs. In the same gathering, he was told to make a declaration of joining SPLM-Juba faction within 24 years but comrade Lul Ruai told them that, he was very critical to the government before his defection, therefore he demanded for the increment of $250,000 US dollars to make it $300,000 dollars in order for him to settle his family issues since the Greater Lou- Nuer will not be friend to him anymore.
After the discussion comrade Nyadak who is the current Deputy Minister for Information and Broadcasting in Juba made a call to the Chief of General staff of the SPLA–Juba faction, General Malong Awan about the development. In the same day General Awan as well sent another team that composes of three (3) diplomats from Kenya Embassy and the agenda was to look for an estate which could be given to the former spokesperson since he told Juba-faction that his security in Addis–Ababa was in danger. On other hand, on 16th February 2015 at around 2:00pm, a group of diplomats from South Sudan Embassy in Kenya and Lul himself when to West Lands in Kenya and got an Estate that have got fifteen rooms.
According to the reports investigated by our Journalists, Brigadier Lul Ruai agreed for the estate and orders the government to clear the payments and immediately he was given the keys for the estate, where he is currently relocated in Nairobi–Kenya with his family.
The former Minister of Youth and Sport Brigadier Makuac Teny is a supporter of Brigadier General Lul and any time Makuac could declare his defection to the Juba-faction.