LATEST: Five year-old South Sudan nation breaking apart as inter-ethnic divisions worsen
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Elisabeth Janaina
Mar 14, 2017, 4:29:40 AM3/14/17
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LATEST: Five year-old South Sudan nation breaking apart as
inter-ethnic divisions worsen
Mar. 13 National, Uncategorized no comments
By FRED OLUOCH, The East African, MAR/13/2017, SSN;
IN SUMMARY:
*** With more than 10 militia groups, observers say that the country —
which is only five years old — could be divided into the three
regions.
*** A failed peace agreement, lack of institutions of governance,
economic collapse, lack of donor support due to embedded official
corruption and increased ethnic cleansing are driving the
disintegration.
*** A United Nations report says that South Sudan is experiencing
ethnic cleansing and edging closer to genocide.
South Sudan is heading towards disintegration as various ethnic groups
form militias to defend themselves against what they call Dinka
hegemony and persecution.
With more than 10 militia groups, observers say that the country —
which is only five years old — could be divided into the three regions
that formed the South under the larger Sudan: Equatoria, Upper Nile
and Bahr-el-Ghazal.
A failed peace agreement, lack of institutions of governance, economic
collapse, lack of donor support due to embedded official corruption
and increased ethnic cleansing are driving the disintegration.
What started as a political disagreement within the Sudanese People’s
Liberation Movement (SPLM) between President Salva Kiir and former
vice-president Riek Machar has now metamorphosed into an inter-ethnic
battle for survival, with the majority Dinka perceived as the common
enemy by the 64 other ethnic groups. Most of the militias are emerging
in the former greater Equatoria to defend their lands from Dinka
invasion.
A United Nations report says that South Sudan is experiencing ethnic
cleansing and edging closer to genocide.
Complicated network of rebel groups
In a recent interview with The EastAfrican, former president of
Botswana Festus Mogae, who leads the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation
Commission (JMEC), said these new rebel groups that did not exist
before are emerging and threatening the country’s unity.
“Some of the groups are driven by revenge along ethnic lines, others
feel marginalised and excluded by the peace deal, which largely
brought together President Kiir’s Dinkas and Dr Machar’s Nuers,” said
Mr Mogae, adding that a complicated network of rebel groups with
different agendas are joining the conflict.
Besides Dr Machar’s SPLM-IO that is largely based in Upper Nile, the
formerly peaceful three Equatorias are now producing various militia
groups to defend themselves against government atrocities, which have
seen more refugees fleeing to Uganda to escape systematic killings,
rape and burning of houses.
General Thomas Cirillo Swaka, the former deputy-general chief of staff
for logistics, who resigned in February, has formed the National
Salvation Front (NSF) movement to oust President Kiir from power,
claiming that the military was dominated by Dinkas. They blamed the
government for orchestrating the violations of the August 2015 peace
agreement.
Gen Swaka, an ethnic Bari who hails from Rajaf in Central Equatoria —
just six kilometres from the capital Juba — is gaining support from
various militia groups that have emerged since renewed fighting
started in Juba in July last year.
The Cobra Squad, led by Lieutenant General Khalid Botrus Bora and
based in Pibor near the border with Ethiopia, dissolved itself last
week to merge with Gen Swaka’s NSF with the target of toppling
President Kiir.
Cobra Squad is mainly made up of the Murle ethnic a group — a close
cousin of the Kalenjins in Kenya — and was started by David Yau Yau
who defected to the government and has since been made Assistant
Minister for Defence.
Arrow Boys
Also operating in Central Equatoria is Martin Kenyi, whose militia is
allied to Dr Machar but who is responsible for attacking commercial
trucks and buses along the Juba-Nimule Highway. Mr Kenyi, who leads
the Equatoria Defence Force is from the Madi community who are mainly
found around Nimule and have cousins across the border in Uganda.
Also present in the same region are the Mundare militia, led by former
governor of Central Equatoria Clement Konga who was sacked by
President Kiir. However, the Mundari militia have not issued any
political statement since the outbreak of violence last July.
Then there are the Arrow Boys in Western Equatoria, which borders DR
Congo and which has the only Bantu groups in South Sudan. The green
and fertile Western Equatoria is home to the Azande, Moro, Avokaya and
Baka communities, who are mostly farmers. The Arrow Boys claim they
are defending themselves against mistreatment by government soldiers
and invasion by Dinka pastoralists of their farms.
While the Arrow Boys are mainly concerned with local issues, former
governor of Western Equatoria Joseph Bakosoro — who is currently in
exile in the US — has offered to lead them. Mr Bakosoro was sacked by
President Kiir last year and detained for several months, being only
released following pressure from the international community.
In Upper Nile, Johnson Olony, a Shilluk who leads the Aguelek Militia
allied to Dr Machar, has been battling government forces in Malaka
town along the banks of the River Nile and its surroundings.
Mr Olony was previously allied to President Kiir when the civil war
broke out in December 2013 but later changed and sided with the
rebels. In the same region is the National Democratic Movement (NDM)
belonging to former minister of agriculture Lam Akol, who resigned
from the Cabinet last year and went into exile.
In an interview with The EastAfrican when he launched NDM in Nairobi
in September last year, Dr Akol said President Kiir continued to
violate the peace agreement, forcing him to take up arms to topple the
government. However, Dr Akol’s forces have since become dormant after
his commander, Gabrial Tenginya, was killed.
President Kiir called for a National Dialogue in December last year
but it is proving to be a non-starter as various groups dismiss it as
a gimmick to buy time and divert the world’s attention from the
government’s failure to implement the 2015 peace agreement. END
inter-ethnic divisions worsen
Mar. 13 National, Uncategorized no comments
By FRED OLUOCH, The East African, MAR/13/2017, SSN;
IN SUMMARY:
*** With more than 10 militia groups, observers say that the country —
which is only five years old — could be divided into the three
regions.
*** A failed peace agreement, lack of institutions of governance,
economic collapse, lack of donor support due to embedded official
corruption and increased ethnic cleansing are driving the
disintegration.
*** A United Nations report says that South Sudan is experiencing
ethnic cleansing and edging closer to genocide.
South Sudan is heading towards disintegration as various ethnic groups
form militias to defend themselves against what they call Dinka
hegemony and persecution.
With more than 10 militia groups, observers say that the country —
which is only five years old — could be divided into the three regions
that formed the South under the larger Sudan: Equatoria, Upper Nile
and Bahr-el-Ghazal.
A failed peace agreement, lack of institutions of governance, economic
collapse, lack of donor support due to embedded official corruption
and increased ethnic cleansing are driving the disintegration.
What started as a political disagreement within the Sudanese People’s
Liberation Movement (SPLM) between President Salva Kiir and former
vice-president Riek Machar has now metamorphosed into an inter-ethnic
battle for survival, with the majority Dinka perceived as the common
enemy by the 64 other ethnic groups. Most of the militias are emerging
in the former greater Equatoria to defend their lands from Dinka
invasion.
A United Nations report says that South Sudan is experiencing ethnic
cleansing and edging closer to genocide.
Complicated network of rebel groups
In a recent interview with The EastAfrican, former president of
Botswana Festus Mogae, who leads the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation
Commission (JMEC), said these new rebel groups that did not exist
before are emerging and threatening the country’s unity.
“Some of the groups are driven by revenge along ethnic lines, others
feel marginalised and excluded by the peace deal, which largely
brought together President Kiir’s Dinkas and Dr Machar’s Nuers,” said
Mr Mogae, adding that a complicated network of rebel groups with
different agendas are joining the conflict.
Besides Dr Machar’s SPLM-IO that is largely based in Upper Nile, the
formerly peaceful three Equatorias are now producing various militia
groups to defend themselves against government atrocities, which have
seen more refugees fleeing to Uganda to escape systematic killings,
rape and burning of houses.
General Thomas Cirillo Swaka, the former deputy-general chief of staff
for logistics, who resigned in February, has formed the National
Salvation Front (NSF) movement to oust President Kiir from power,
claiming that the military was dominated by Dinkas. They blamed the
government for orchestrating the violations of the August 2015 peace
agreement.
Gen Swaka, an ethnic Bari who hails from Rajaf in Central Equatoria —
just six kilometres from the capital Juba — is gaining support from
various militia groups that have emerged since renewed fighting
started in Juba in July last year.
The Cobra Squad, led by Lieutenant General Khalid Botrus Bora and
based in Pibor near the border with Ethiopia, dissolved itself last
week to merge with Gen Swaka’s NSF with the target of toppling
President Kiir.
Cobra Squad is mainly made up of the Murle ethnic a group — a close
cousin of the Kalenjins in Kenya — and was started by David Yau Yau
who defected to the government and has since been made Assistant
Minister for Defence.
Arrow Boys
Also operating in Central Equatoria is Martin Kenyi, whose militia is
allied to Dr Machar but who is responsible for attacking commercial
trucks and buses along the Juba-Nimule Highway. Mr Kenyi, who leads
the Equatoria Defence Force is from the Madi community who are mainly
found around Nimule and have cousins across the border in Uganda.
Also present in the same region are the Mundare militia, led by former
governor of Central Equatoria Clement Konga who was sacked by
President Kiir. However, the Mundari militia have not issued any
political statement since the outbreak of violence last July.
Then there are the Arrow Boys in Western Equatoria, which borders DR
Congo and which has the only Bantu groups in South Sudan. The green
and fertile Western Equatoria is home to the Azande, Moro, Avokaya and
Baka communities, who are mostly farmers. The Arrow Boys claim they
are defending themselves against mistreatment by government soldiers
and invasion by Dinka pastoralists of their farms.
While the Arrow Boys are mainly concerned with local issues, former
governor of Western Equatoria Joseph Bakosoro — who is currently in
exile in the US — has offered to lead them. Mr Bakosoro was sacked by
President Kiir last year and detained for several months, being only
released following pressure from the international community.
In Upper Nile, Johnson Olony, a Shilluk who leads the Aguelek Militia
allied to Dr Machar, has been battling government forces in Malaka
town along the banks of the River Nile and its surroundings.
Mr Olony was previously allied to President Kiir when the civil war
broke out in December 2013 but later changed and sided with the
rebels. In the same region is the National Democratic Movement (NDM)
belonging to former minister of agriculture Lam Akol, who resigned
from the Cabinet last year and went into exile.
In an interview with The EastAfrican when he launched NDM in Nairobi
in September last year, Dr Akol said President Kiir continued to
violate the peace agreement, forcing him to take up arms to topple the
government. However, Dr Akol’s forces have since become dormant after
his commander, Gabrial Tenginya, was killed.
President Kiir called for a National Dialogue in December last year
but it is proving to be a non-starter as various groups dismiss it as
a gimmick to buy time and divert the world’s attention from the
government’s failure to implement the 2015 peace agreement. END
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