The National Dialogue Steering Committee & Membership Composition: Analysis

[Elisabeth Janaina]

The National Dialogue Steering Committee & Membership Composition: Analysis
May. 27 Politics, Uncategorized 4 comments

BY: Hüstin Läkü SR, South Sudan, MAY/27/2017, SSN;

Overview:

Several points should be made regarding “Republican Order for the
Reconstitution of the National Dialogue Steering Committee” and
Membership composition. The data collected on each individual member
shows that Membership composition is not inclusive, but exclusive and
dominated by one ethnic group mostly from two regions of South Sudan
(formally Upper Nile and Bhar Al-Ghazal) currently, Warrap and
northern Bhar Al-Ghazal, Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile States. It is
not a national dialogue; rather it’s a dia-state dialogue.

In addition, some members are from one family, for instance; Lt. Gen.
Pieng Deng is a half brother of Dr. Francis Deng, as well as Ms. Lily
Albino is a daughter of Rtd. Maj.Gen. Albino Akol Akol. Data collected
when analyzed on key positions, ethnicity, political parties, gender
and professional association affiliations etc. leads to the conclusion
that it’s not a national dialogue, but a fraud and a scam to
manipulate the current situation to benefit Jieng council of elders
(JCE), buying time, mislead international community as well as
insulting to the intelligence of South Sudanese citizens and friends
of South Sudan.

The initial observations show the following:

Which one comes first, Peace or dialogue?

As a matter of principle, achieving peace should be the priority and
followed by dialogue. Therefore, dialogue cannot replace absent of
peace and it cannot resolve political and humanitarian crisis in the
country in the way it’s conceived and being implemented.

Furthermore, this is not the right time for dialogue in the middle of
ongoing war in the country and massacre of thousands of civilians,
forcing hundreds of thousands into refuge in the neighboring
countries. A genuine dialogue should be after the 2015 peace
implementation and when All South Sudanese returnees and refugees have
returned home in their constituencies.

For instance, South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission was
established and functioned after political settlements brought the
nation together after long period of healing processes. To do the
opposite is setting the country into wrong direction, shaky ground and
it might lead to disintegration of South Sudan to smaller States as it
happened in the Balkans.

Key Positions

Co-Chair and Rapporteur and Deputy Rapporteur positions are controlled
by JCE hardliners. These members are the architects of the “born to
rule” Dinka slogan in late 1970’s and early 1980s. The slogan born to
rule is now born to destroy South Sudan.

As is commonly said, the previous experiences determine the future
experiences and outcomes; the hardliners will control direction of
discussions as well as pre-determine the resolutions of South Sudan
National Dialogue (SSND) which will not be representative of views and
opinions of opposing parties and other ethnicities.

For example, in 1989, President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir initiated
national dialogue and invited SPLM/A to participated, and Dr. Garang
declined on the ground that, it was not inclusive and controlled by
the northerners and hardliners Members of NIF and SSND is no different
than the former Sudan national dialogue and even worst.

Ethnicity

South Sudan has 66 ethnic groups and only 18 ethnic groups were
represented in very small number against 45 members from one ethnicity
group. 48 ethnic groups who suffered the most human right violations
are excluded from participations. Equatoria has 32 ethnic groups and
13 ethnic groups were appointed.

Political Parties

South Sudan has 36 political parties and only 2 are included and these
two are part of Juba regime. E.g. Taban Deng IO and Joseph Ukel
groups. In addition, most members are SPLM and SPLM/IO cadres. The key
positions of decision making are controlled by hardliners of Jieng
Council of elders (JCE) and excluded women.

Gender

Gender representation is not balanced and contrary to the concept of
25% quotas for women. The current list shows that women represents
only 15.6%, and 8 out of 15 women are mostly citizens of Warrap,
northern Bahr Al-Ghazal, Jongeli, and Unity States and sadly enough
there is no single woman appointed in key position-this is a complete
marginalization of South Sudanese women and defeats 25% quotas system.

Religious leaders

Clergymen representation is not balanced and the current list shows
that there is no representation from government critics such as
Catholic Church vocal clergymen Bishop Laku, all were excluded as well
as important members of opposition groups such IO, PDM, NMC, NDC and
many others. The list shows many Bishops and Pastors who were silent
about their colleague Pastor Lasu and many other pastors who were
killed by national security the day after national day of prayers and
prior. This shows that these Bishops and Pastors are supporters of
government and its corrupting influence on society, with many among
them being co-opted by the government.

Civil Society, Youth, and People with disabilities

Civil Society, Youth and people with disabilities groups are
completely disregarded. The behavior of South Sudan government
suggests that youth and people with disabilities have no value in
South Sudan’s development, decision-making as well as have no say in
future of nation building.

For the benefit of readers and concerned citizens of South Sudan and
friends of South Sudan, it is important to shed light on some key
members of the committee, and provide analysis on overall selected
members and draw conclusion with some recommendations to move the
country forward.

First

Abel Alier is Dinka from Bor and was a Former Vice President of Sudan
(1970-1982), he served as president of the High Executive Council of
Southern Sudan in Juba, after Lt. Gen. Joseph Lago gave him green
light to do so. Alier was the first Southern Sudanese to introduce
mono ethnic politics and Dinka hegemony in South Sudan which lead to
Kokora in 1983. His time was known by tribalism, employment and
appointments of one ethnic group based on tribal lines and favoritism.

Alier never participated in the first phase of civil war (1956-1972)
fought mainly by Equatorians as well as the second civil war from
1983-2005. Alier has always acted on the advice of Khartoum regimes
and advanced the interests of Arab-north in the South. Alier is one of
the architects of “born to rule” slogan in late 1970s and early1980s.

Bona Malwal is a Dinka from Warrap and Warrap is Kiir’s home State.
Malwal is a member of the secretive Jieng Council of Elders tribal
advisory council to President Kiir. Malwal was Minister in Alier’s
Cabinet in the Regional Government of Southern Sudan. Malwal is key
member of the “born to rule” Dinka slogan along with Alier, Justin
Yack and Joshua De Wal.

Malwal was an opponent of the late Dr John Garang De Mabior and the
anti- separation of South Sudan. Malwal was known for his famous hate
speech which he delivered on Saturday, March 21st, 2015 in Kansas
City, Kansas, U.S.A. In the meeting, Mr. Bona Malwal said “South Sudan
existed thanks to the Dinka and therefore belongs to the Dinka people,
and the Dinka have earned it and are where they are now above all
others in South Sudan.” Please, refer to below link for full text.

Dr. Francis Deng, is Dinka Ngok of Abyei. Abyei is still disputed area
by both Juba and Khartoum and its fate is still unknown. Deng is known
for his unionist position and opposes South Sudan secession and
defended his views in many public forums in Middle East. He expresses
his views in letter exchange with former University of Juba Professor
currently in Oman as well as with former retired South Sudanese
Professor at University of Toronto in Canada. 25% of Abyei citizens
hold key positions in South Sudan government and some holders of
Sudanese passports and working for Khartoum regime and some receiving
salaries from both Juba and Khartoum.

Lt. Gen. Pieng Deng is Dinka Ngok of Abyei, and a half brother of Dr.
Francis Deng. Gen. Pieng was former Chief of Police. South Sudan
Police Services administrative corruption happened under his
authority.

Second

Analysis

The objective of a dialogue is not to analyze things, or to win an
argument, or to exchange opinions or to pre-determine the outcome of
dialogue or pre-written dialogue resolutions. Rather, it is to suspend
your opinions and to look at the opinions of other parties into
dispute, to listen to everybody’s opinions, to suspend them, and to
see what all that means in resolving political crisis, peace without
justice, land grabbing, marginalization and exclusion from
administration of the country, mono ethnic politics and centralization
of political, economic, administrative and military powers in the
hands of few or two ethnicities.

SSND in its current status will not achieve everlasting peace, but
rather it will create more division, suffering, killings, and
political instability in the region. The call for dialogue is short on
details of how the country would be secured for the oppositions to
attend a national dialogue convened by Kiir, when he was the one who
led South Sudan to the present Quagmire”.

How would a tribally dominated Government be impartial in addressing
the problems it created of bad governance, exclusion of majority of
non-Dinka people in the national political process, and the country’s
collapsed economy and dysfunctional, illegitimate political
institutions?

What South Sudan requires is political settlement through peace talks
that includes all parties into the conflicts, but not mono ethnic
dialogue or dia-state dialogue. Why mono ethnic dialogue? because it
excluded 48 ethnic groups in the refugee camps in the neighboring
countries who would love to participate.

The solution to South Sudan man-made political and humanitarian crisis
is not mon dialogue, but reforms of government institutions and
deliver justice to the victims of land grabbing; rapes;
marginalization and exclusion; favoritism; tribalism; lack of
promotion of non Dinka public servants; limit President Powers;
division of powers to three levels of government; human rights crimes
and held criminals and public servant’s thefts who stole 4.5 billion
dollars from government coffer accountable.

The solution to South Sudan bad governance is for the current and
future government should reflect 66 ethnic groups at all government
levels specially security, police, customs, army and public services
as well as division of powers to all levels of governments.

The solution to South Sudan political crisis is when South Sudanese is
treated equally not based on his or her ethnic groups and employed
based on job merits, not of favoritism.

The solution to South Sudan political crisis is encouraging opposition
groups whether it armed groups or not they should participate in any
national issues. Government’s argument of preventing them is has no
logic to it. During the CPA talks, If Khartoum regime would put
forward similar argument of “preventing armed groups from peace talks”
South Sudanese would be fighting the north today.

What should be done?

If Juba regime still maintains its position of resolving political
crisis through dialogue, than the SSND should be under the auspices of
an independent international organization such as Initiative of Change
Swiss (IofC). IofC has credibility, expertise, experiences, and skills
to select members from all parties in the conflict, conduct fair and
impartial process in neutral location and submit final report with
recommendations.
http://ca.iofc.org/iofc-international

African Union should replace IGAD lead in negotiation with both
government and opposition groups, because most IGAD Members have
vested interests in South Sudan and they are not impartial.

African union should encourage and support opposition groups to unite
their objectives, and speak in one voice.
Kiir’s government should release political and non-political
detainees, because it is key towards political settlement. The current
list of detainees is exclusively non-Dinka which raises alarm. Please,
see attached detainees list for full picture of injustice and
discrimination.

South Sudanese politicians and senior public servants are well known
for their high level of corruption. They have sticky fingers that have
been implicated in the disappearance of public funds, and development
money which more often than not ended up in their private accounts in
banks overseas. To combat, financial corruption in South Sudan, it is
very important that Western governments should pass law that will
prohibits transfer of money from South Sudan to western banks without
proper transparency; also the law must force, and persecute the
international financial institutions (IFI) and other banks or bankers
who fail to disclose any private accounts from South Sudan, and
specially if the account is related to statesmen. Failure of the
Western governments to act means that the West is encouraging, and
abetting the endemic corruption in Africa.

AU,UN,EU and Western governments should find legal mechanism to
recover the stolen $4.5 billion from South Sudan and repatriate the
fund to pay public servant salaries, development programs and project
such as health care, schools and others

Finally, President Kiir’s should put the interest of the nation first,
before his personal and tribal interests. Kiir should give peace a
chance by consideration stepping down to provide positive environment
for political settlement and move South Sudan out of political,
economic, humanitarian crisis. The longer Kiir stays in power the
worst people suffer in refugee and IDP camps as well as the country
suffers economically.

Hüstin Läkü,SR
Federalism, Decentralization, Conflict Resolution and International
Development Consultant
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4 Comments

Chief Abiko!
May 27, 2017 at 8:34 pm

Dear: Hustin Laku

I thank you very much in this article of yours you wrote It is
very important to listen because it is good on keeping to listen from
your words right from start up to the end without ever getting fed up
from with at all! What you have written in your article you wrote, is
totally in place with no reservation!

In this article of yours is the best among the best! Take care!
Him,by himself,President Salva Kirr,National Dialogue is like a baby
sitter whom parents advising not leave a child going outside from home
ever watching!

Sincere Healing Anger

Abiko!

Missouri,USA
Reply
Chief Abiko!
May 27, 2017 at 8:37 pm

Dear: Hustin Laku

I thank you very much in this article of yours you wrote It is
very important to listen because it is good on keeping to listen from
your words right from start up to the end without ever getting fed up
from with at all! What you have written in your article you wrote, is
totally in place with no reservation!

In this article of yours is the best among the best! Take care!
Him,by himself,President Salva Kirr,National Dialogue is like a baby
sitter whom parents advising not leave a child going outside from home
without ever watching over a child!

Sincere Healing Anger

Abiko!

Missouri,USA
Reply
Bala
May 28, 2017 at 11:48 am

Hüstin Läkü
You have been thinking regionally or ethnically to write this
article.The dialogue doesn’t have to be exclusive,for all members are
not appointed tribe A -Z. There are only three regions of South Sudan.
Anybody appointed from each of those regions represents a population
there in the committee for national reconciliation, though that member
doesn’t​ come from every ethnic composition of each region. A dialogue
depends on what the agenda is. If it means stop violence, unite and
live in harmony which is what this dialogue is, it is therefore no
different from what the peace is aimed to achieve. A peace is an
agreement that resolved disputes,using dialogue. The two words are
inseparable.
Reply
False Millionnaire
May 28, 2017 at 4:55 pm

In addition to Mr Bala’s ellegant correction,is it the facts of
the citizens of Abyei being presumed to hold 25% key positions in RSS
‘ gouvernement with some of them possessing sudan’s passports,working
for sudan’s regime and getting salariés from both RSS and sudan that’s
the only urgent cause for the dialogue?