Why Dr. Riek Machar is an unacceptable alternative

[Elisabeth Janaina]

Why Dr. Riek Machar is an unacceptable alternative
Jun. 04 Featured, Uncategorized 29 comments

BY: Jay Johnson, JUN/4/2013, SSN;

According to Sudan Tribune report (May 31 2013), South Sudan security
service is reported to have ordered SSTV management to refrain from
covering Vice President’s political activities despite the fact that
he is the acting president and commander in chief of south Sudan armed
forces, including the security services.

Security personnel are also reported to have warned the manager of
Citizen TV, Mr. Nhial Bol Akeen to desist from publicizing Dr. Riek
public functions. Intimidation and harassment of journalists by
security agents is very unfortunate indeed. Mr. Nhial Bol have faced
similar threats in the past and so does SSTV journalists based in Wau
who were arrested last December 2012 for allegedly refusing to cover
the President speech in Wau during the riot incident.

Another SSTV presenter, John Garang, was also arrested last year by
security agents for his indifference and willingness to have the
footage of president broadcast while he appears to have been in a
gloomy mood. The murder of Isaiah Abraham allegedly by security agents
indicate the risky of journalism as a profession and the heavy price
paid by advocates of free press. Our journalist and media personnel
deserve better than what they have been experiencing at the hands of
security services.

On the hand, our vice president should have been accorded full respect
and courtesy by security personnel. Political intimidation and
harassment of opponents should have no place in our society. I am not
a supporter of the vice president, but he has right as a government
figure and as a citizen of the republic of South Sudan to exercise his
freedom of speech regardless of the message he wants or intends to
convey. Speech does not become objectionable because of their contents
but rather when they contravene a national security and ethical
statues and regulations.

On the hand, there is genuine fear within the president’s circle
regarding Dr. Riek, given his reputation as a coup plotter. Though he
had publicly declared his desire to challenge the president in 2015 as
the SPLM party candidate or as an independent candidate, the right
thing to do is to keep close eyes on him at a distant. He has
literally been fired when the President withdrew the powers he
delegated to him.

Most of the coups in Africa occur when the incumbent president is on a
foreign visit. But the president allies need not to panic because a
coup cannot take place in the absence of military involvement,
something the SPLA men and women in uniform cannot envision under the
wise leadership of Lt. Gen. John Kong Nyoun, Oath Mai and Oyai Deng
Ajak.

These men were appointed by the president to safeguard and defend the
infant democracy the nation have gained under the leadership of Lt.
Gen. President Salva Kiir Mayardit. Their ultimate responsibility is
to ensure peaceful and smooth transition of political power.

Arguably, the Vice president is not happy with the direction the
country is taking, a position shared by the country’s elites as well
as by the public. But the substantial question to be asked is whether
Dr. Riek is the visionary politician and the leader the nation has
been yearning for?

Does the vice president have the courage and political ingredients to
develop our resource rich nation? What is Dr. Riek waiting when he was
in fact publicly humiliated by the president following his decision to
strip him of the powers he previously delegated to him?

It would be a blessing in disguise if the vice president breaks away
and forms his own political party and then competes with the president
in 2015 presidential election. This will create a competitive
political environment in the country given the fact that the SPLM-DC
party Luo political mobilization strategy has failed miserably.

My opposition to Dr. Riek to take over from president Kiir is solely
based on his 1991 decision to split from SPLM/A movement. The panic
President Kiir’s supporters have shown recently cannot be dismissed
outright because when the vice president is not happy, as he was in
1991, there is a genuine fear that he may attempt another bloodless
coup.

The reason Dr. Riek and Dr. Lam broke away from SPLM/A in 1991 was in
part because they were not happy with Dr. Garang’s new Sudan vision
and regime change strategy. Dr. Riek in particular was critical of how
Dr. Garang was managing and running the affairs of the movement.
Another grievance was poor human rights records and lack of democratic
principles within the movement for which he held Dr. Garang
responsible.

So the SPLM/A Nasir was formed to fight for the separation of South
from Sudan so that Southerners could determine their political future
through the right of self determination in a referendum. Dr. Riek
vision was to fight the SPLM in order to removed Garang from power
with his New Sudan ideology. After that Southerners were to fight for
separation and total liberation of the South. The principles of
democracy, including human rights were going to be promoted. It sounds
wonderful and possible to most Southerners, especially the separatist
elements.

As we all know, the first action by SPLA/M Nasir was the unfortunate
and regrettable summary execution of Dinka officers who happened to be
in the wrong place at the wrong time. To add another salt to the
wounds, the next political blunder by SPLA/M Nasir under the
leadership of Dr. Riek was the decision to unleash the Nuer dominated
Anya Nya II and Lou white army as well as thousands of well armed Nuer
civilians to invade the South Western region of Jonglei state.

The combined forces of Anya Nya II, Lou Nuer white army and armed
civilians went willingly to settle some old grievances against their
natural and sworn enemy, the Jieng and to show Dr. Garang their
determination to remove him from power. Dr. Riek clearly knew where
John Garang SPLA forces were but he instead authorized his forces to
go south in the direction of Bor town.

So the combined forces descended mercilessly on innocents Dinka
civilian of Duk, Twic East and Bor counties like hungry vultures.
Hundreds of thousands of elderly, women and children lost their lives
in the melee that lasted for about 3 years. The cruelty and savagery
was unimaginable. Children, Women and elderly people were burned alive
to death.

An eye witness interviewed by amnesty international recount having
seen beautiful Dinka girls shot to death in the head when the captors
were unable to agree. Thousands of girls were captured and taken as
wives never to return home after the war was over. Hundreds of
thousands of head of cattle were raid and taken. So this was another
action by Dr. Riek, the champion of human rights values which in part
motivated him to break away from SPLA in August 1991.

The reason I brought back this painful memory is to evaluated Dr.
Riek’s creditability on human rights issues which he continually used
to criticize the president performance. Though human rights record has
been poor under Kiir administration, I am not convinced that Dr. Riek
will provide the needed human rights protection in the country. He may
if he becomes president in 2015 wipe out the little human right
principles gain under the leadership of his Excellency, Lt. Gen. Salva
Kiir Mayardit as he did in 1991.

It is likely that the Vice president has matured politically, but that
is a wishful thinking which I am unable to substantiate. There is
genuine unease and uncertainty as to what exactly he would do if he
becomes a president. We can forgive but we cannot forget the past.
However, individual past actions are part of his or her resumes which
are critical for making an informed decision when it comes to voting.

As a citizen and member of Torit faction within SPLM party, I am not
convinced with Dr. Riek’s political rhetoric on vision, good
governance, democracy and human rights he often cited as the reason
for challenging our president. Does he have creditability and clean
human righst records?

As a member and supporter of SPLM party, I am not pleased with the
overall performance of the president. I would rather support someone
from SPLM Torit faction as opposed to Dr. Riek.

The Khartoum peace Agreement of 1997 signed by Dr. Riek’s SSIM party
under the banner of United South Sudan Democratic Front (USSDF) was a
visionless and short sighted political action which Dr. Riek cannot
reasonably defend. It was indeed an embarrassment because it failed to
achieve the objectives of the right to self determination. He was
politically tricked by GoS into signing the agreement which contained
open-ended, vague and ambiguous promises on self determination.
Khartoum eventually reneged on the agreement by refusing to implement
most of its provisions.

His own Juba government was intentionally starved of funding. The SAF
and NIF politicians imposed Southern regional government ministers on
him. Meanwhile, the GoS sponsored South Sudan Defense Forces militia
was infiltrated and largely controlled by Sudan security services of
Salah Gosh, which renders it ineffective as a guarantor of the
Khartoum peace agreement.

Understandably, Dr. Riek quit out of frustration and disappointment.
He was circumstantially forced to swallow his personal pride and
decided to join the SPLM/A Torit faction of Dr. Garang which he helped
undermined and back-stab for 11 years.

Admittedly, our dear and lovely president, Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir
Mayardit, lacks clear vision for the country. This is where my
criticism and concern has been. The cry about corruption though valid
has been taken out of context. Corruption does happen all over the
world, including the United States of America which the opponents of
the government used as a yard stick by which to judge the performance
of the SPLM led government.

The objective question should have been about the government strategy
to address the rampant corruption in the next 5 to 15 years instead of
why it is happening. Lack of strategic vision is a valid argument and
criticism for which the government deserves scrutiny and
accountability. Human nature clearly tells us that regardless of
severity of anti corruption statues, including even the death penalty,
people will continue to steal.

Theft and unethical practices, which I do not endorse but for which I
have great in-depth understanding are part of human beings and culture
since evolution or creation time depending on what theory you believe
to be true.

Dr. Machar lacks the needed vision to take the nation forward.
Reluctantly, I wish to bring to light his post 1991 decisions as the
leader of SPLM/A Nasir, SSIM, SSDF, SSDP and as a signatory of 1997
Khartoum Peace Agreement (KPA) in order to support my argument.
Unquestionably, Dr. Riek, like Anya Nya II was a separatist and a
strong advocate of right to self determination. Absent was the
military and political strategic vision which would have enabled
southerners to realize their aspirations of an independent South Sudan
nation.

Mere pronouncing of political right as was the case with “the right to
self determination” does not oblige us as citizens to credit him with
the independence of South Sudan as it has been propagated by the
separatists and collaborators. In fact he did not contribute anything
because his own Khartoum peace agreement was thrown into the garbage
can by Khartoum regime.

He came empty handed to the SPLM/A Torit in 2002 without his thousands
of soldiers he took with him in 1991 due to fear of reprisal from
SPLM/A Torit. Like the 1972 Addis Ababa peace agreement which was
abrogated and dishonored by Nimeri and his Kokora allies’ politicians
from the Equatoria region, Dr. Riek’s Khartoum peace agreement which
was lacking safe guard and implementation timelines was discarded into
the same dustbin.

The divisive nature of Kokora, which haunted Southerners during the
liberation struggle, continues to divide our nation today as call for
federalism intensifies despite the fact that our nation is already a
federal democratic republic.

Unlike 2005 CPA, the 1997 KPA was not a genuine peace but a Khartoum
government strategy to buy time and weaken the SPLA Torit by dividing
Southerners. Feeling Humiliated, powerless and defeated, Dr. Riek
called it quits and decided painfully to join the dictator, the
unionist and the undemocratic John Garang SPLM/A Torit faction from
which he broke away 11 years earlier.

So when he joined the SPLM/A Torit, he knew well in advance that the
very vision of new Sudan for which he previously rebelled against was
still the effective strategy for attaining Southern independence. And
indeed the New Sudan vision was an effective political and military
strategy which eventually forced the Khartoum government to the
negotiating table.

Convinced that the war was not winnable on the battle field because of
mighty SPLA, the NIF decided to negotiate with SPLM leadership in good
faith. And so the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed
granting the South the right to self determination through an
internationally monitored referendum to be held in 2011. The safe
guards were in place and implementation schedule was specific.

The New Sudan vision was a realistic, appealing and effective
political, military and diplomatic strategy. The Ethiopian government
under the leadership of his Excellency, Mengistu HaileMariam was able
to support SPLA forces by providing weapons and training camps in
Gambela region. The SPLM/A was to act as a proxy of Ethiopian
government against Sudan for their support of Ethiopian and Eritrean
rebels.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from Nuba Mountains and Southern
Blue region who served honorably and fought courageously alongside
SPLA forces were able to join the movement en mass. They stand firm
with SPLM/A mainstream because of New Sudan vision and ideology during
the 1991 split.

And indeed South Sudan political aspirations for an independent
Federal Democratic Republic of South Sudan was eventually realized in
part because of New Sudan vision, military victory by SPLA forces in
the battle fields and unwavering support for the SPLM/A by our
president, Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit.

The New Sudan vision of United Democratic Sudan have inspired hundreds
of thousands of citizens from Nuba, Blue Nile and Darfur as they
struggle for political freedom under the brutal regime of president
Bashir. Can you imagine how many nations will support the SPLA –N if
their goal was to fight for separation of Darfur, Southern Kordofan
and Blue Nile region instead of regime change strategy?

That was the Question the SPLM/A leadership was faced with in 1984.
And of course the people of Blue Nile, Nuba mountains and Darfur would
not be disappointed with the SRF if they could negotiate a similar
peace agreement like CPA in the event of military stalemate. They
would be thrilled to secede from Khartoum regime which had
consistently imposed Arabism and Islamism on them for almost a
century.

Disappointingly, the recent report by World Tribune indicates the
political ambition of our Vice president. The vice president is
reported to have secretly formed a fund raising committee headed by
his wife, Angelina Teny and Ezekiel Lul Gatkuoth. So far, Ms Angelina
and Mr. Lul had managed to raise US$5 million from wealthy Arabs
Middle Eastern businessmen. The Vice presidents, as the citizen of
federal democratic republic of South Sudan has right under the interim
constitution to run for any office of his choice. He also does have
right to raise funds to finance his political campaign.

The concern however, is why the Vice president chooses Arabs
businessmen who have ties with President Omer Bashir? Is the vice
president still maintaining his friendship with Mr. Bashir? Or is it
just a desperate political measure? And why should wealthy Arabs
businessmen finance our political campaign when in fact the vice
president can raise money within the country? Are we as citizens
comfortable with foreigners determining and dictating the outcome of
our political elections? Is that not in itself a violation of our
sovereignty?

In conclusion, the president has no political vision to take the
country forward. But if we give him another chance in 2015 for 5 more
years, which I am confident we will, he will turn things around.
Alternatively, we have some capable and fine members of Torit faction
within SPLM party who can take the country to a brighter future should
the president decide to change his mind not to run in 2015.

I would have supported comrade Pagan Amum but am afraid that he may
lose to Dr. Riek in a general election because of his close
relationship with late Dr. Garang, our founding father who is not
popular with separatist elements within SPLM party and some members of
the public.

Comrade Wani Igga who stood firmly with the movement is also a fine
man and a hero. His chance of beating Dr. Riek like comrade Pagan are
also too slim in my humble opinion. This is so because he lacks wide
support among Equatoria elites and intellectual because they viewed
him as a Dinka operative and in part because he is a staunch opponent
of Kokora politics. He would come under severe attack from pro Kokora
Equatoria politicians and elites should he decide to run in 2015
presidential election.

I can forgive Dr. Riek past mistakes but I cannot forget his political
decisions which nearly brought down the movement. Political decisions
good or bad are the mirror through which we can envision the future of
our nation should he become our president in 2015 general elections.

South Sudan needs a visionary politician and it is my view that Dr.
Riek has neither shown political vision in the past nor he is likely
to mysteriously have one in the future.

Am not pleased with our president but I will stick with him come 2015
if he ends up competing with Dr. Riek for the presidency. The gains
South Sudan made under the leadership of our dear lovely president,
Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit should be acknowledged and appreciated by
the people of South Sudan. Our president deserves a second chance to
continue with the nation building he have started 7 years ago. South
Sudan Oyee! SPLM Oyee!

Jay Johnson is a former liberation fighter and a staunch supporter of SPLM party
He can be reached @jayjoh...@gmail.com