Who could be the next Southern Defense Minister?
By Isaiah Abraham
May 7, 2008 — Friday has been another dark day for our struggle like the 30s of July when our dear leader Dr. John Garang de Mabior was brought down along Uganda-Sudan border. Our people are still in the wood (jinx) moving from one disaster to the other. We have been a nation under curse from above; if not why should this disaster strike so soon? We have known grieve and agony from time to time and the heaven never opens itself to us (showers of blessings). May God in heaven heals our land and protect our remaining leaders wherever they may be-Amen.
Having prayed thus above, Southerners don’t lose hope or be at self pity. We got to move on and dwell not on the bygone. We should look at the future with the same confidence the same way Mama Rebecca de Mabior challenge and defied her conscience to calm our nation at that hour of deep hurt. Today we are being encouraged by our leader H. E. Salva Kiir Mayardit to move on despite the tragedy. Life must go on until freedom becomes you and me. Other Dims, Justines and Deng Ajaks are there in our midth; let’s us God to give us a break!
Death and life are with us and therefore proper to get on with the other in the event the other strikes. The position left by Gen. Dim is an envy of many; and others before the burial went ahead and proposed individuals they think could shoe that position (Defense Ministry). This is an important Ministry that deserves an important person to run it. Gen. Dim tried his best and the button should go to another patriot who would do the same or more than the deceased.
Some scholars and writers already advanced names such as Gen. Thomas Cirilo, Gen. Elias Waya, Gen. Daniel Awet, Gen. Tahir Bior, Gen. Majak Agoot, Gen. Paulino Matip, Gen. Mamur Mete, Gen. Pieng Deng, Gen. Bona Bang Dhel, Gen. John Koang Nyuon and Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk. All of the above are perfect officers of the liberation struggle and their contribution for our freedom is quiet an extraordinary. They have been excellence officers running our battle fields with success and commitment and hence its in tune to have the said candidates table to the President to choose from among them.
But I tend to think that factors such as military seniority, affinity and closeness will determine who would get that job. It would be an acid test for our Commanding in Chief (C in C) to produce an acceptable candidate if he chooses to narrow his choices around his people (tribe). People would be critical. There are indeed capable junior Generals outside the circles but there is no way of course for anyone to by pass Gen. Oyai, Gen. Bior, Gen. Mathok and Gen. Mamur unless one scheme to court trouble. The other Generals at old age bracket have their own individual problems given the enormous task ahead at the Defense Ministry. So, what are we going to do? I will tell you my take shortly after this.
For us to make real our intention of making unity among our communities a reality, let’s trust each other and stop fearing each other. Let’s develop culture of the ‘right man at the right place’ irrespective of his backgrounds. Ability is ability whether you are white, black or red; whether your tribe is small or big. Once we move away from prejudices or negative branding such as this ‘tribe or clan can’t do this or that’, we will go along way. There is too much stuff we got to change to allow us move forward. Some positions must not be reserved for special communities or tribes; we must quickly run away from such schools and open up to each other. It sounds like a lecture, yeah? Not really.
From my experience in the bush, there is this one man who happened to be in the High Command and then to the Leadership Council and now occupies top state position. This man, beyond any reasonable doubts, proved to many people as an individual with a character (strong and positive). He has lived and acted beyond tribal scripts and tough enough to assume challenging responsibilities. He is a soldier 100% and a manager 100%; who do you think is he? A person who is both ways, at our presence time? Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk is this man in depiction; he is unifying figure our leader Salva Kiir should try. He should have been given this job long time ago.
He is faithful to the cause and not afraid to make changes that are for the common good. A fighter who sustained bullets wounds during the war. His troubled Jonglei State is better off now and if Jonglei cares enough (as they often pride themselves for being ahead of others) they should release Gen. Kuol to do larger challenge than their state perennial issues. There are cases such as the disarmament and demobilization coming up soon and that is where the experience of this man would come in handy. Gen. Kuol would make the President to enjoy full time doing others. But if the President thinks otherwise, we could still respect his decision and give support to his choice; he’s the President.
Isaiah Abraham, is a Sudanese living in Southern Sudan; he could be reached on [email protected]
fabio
Who could be the next Southern Defense Minister?
“i think as mr Isaiah had said, south sudan now needs a strong man to fulfill the place of the late minister of defence and i think the best one to fill this place is Gen. Kuol Manyang as one of the commander during the struggling years of spla movenment.”
Gatwech
Who could be the next Southern Defense Minister?
No comment now,
Hi guys, while i respect your rush to approve Gen. Kuol Manyang Juk to become the new defense Minister, I would prefer to wait until the SPLM National Convention is over. The new wind of change, if any after the Convention, may fly in Kuol as the Minister. Don’t you think so
Okello De John
Who could be the next Southern Defense Minister?
To comprehend all these what had happened was definitely a very immense vanished and grief we all regretted for that.
Such tragedy must have edify us some session, since from the helicopter Crash of Dr. John Garang to the plane crash of the senior commanding Officers,
SHARING OF POWER
Please our fellow southerners, including Isaiah Abraham, you populace why do you always think of Dinkas to be on top power authority of the SPLAM?
Essentially we all know that Dinkas are the majority in the SPLA/M movement but due to the fact that there are also some of the other tribes in southern Sudan which are more qualified and they are of high rank. Why they are not given this position instead of mentioning the name of other Dinka Fellow by supporting that the Guy is much qualified than the others
Please! Please! You Gentlemen seek to bring to an end this kind of bribery otherwise you will not know what will turn out in prospect or may be you will keep on such tragedy without border. The whole worlds are scrutiny this kind of harsh corruption of you Dinkas in the government of Southern Sudan by occupying all the pinnacle position in the government. Is this a kind government system all over the world? Do those Dinkas SPLAM top Officers including their leader salva Kiir are they not visiting and asking about the government system in the other developed world?
STRUGLE FOR THE RIGHTS OF TRIBES IN SOUTHERN SUDAN
In the mean time things are still instable that because of the CPA implementation but when come to the self determination each and every one has a right that time to thinks twice, because what other tribes experiencing now is not a jokes, this is real action taking place on the ground, when take a look in southern Sudan tribes we may found many tribes but when come to power we can find only the names of Dinkas on the top. How can we understand that by saying that we liberated ourselves from Arabs? Yes we liberated ourselves from Arabs by fighting hand to hand the whole tribes in southern Sudan was participated in this liberation but what next is happening here in southern Sudan this kind of tribalism every one select his family member to get in to the ministry without any academic qualification when ask, they say no, those was the struggler who fought for 21 years in the bush.
I desire to be on familiar terms accurately whether it was mention in the protocol of Naivasha CPA that Dinkas tribes should rule the southern Sudan including all the cabinets in the ministry should be from Dinkas tribes?
If not Equatorian and other tribes of southern Sudan should find out the way of liberating themselves from Dinkas tribes.
During the Addis Abba agreement of 1972 of Joseph and Nimeri, after the contravention of the agreement it happened in 1980s this is what I actually experiences from Dinkas in Juba they dominated the whole atmosphere in Juba i.e. ministries boarding School, Market shop, Police station including the police officers, and some of the other miner chairs in Juba town and they started to practices this what known as fraud this kind of wild behavior of theirs to the other non Dinkas around Juba.
Eventually it was the beginning of the SPLA movement. By then James Tombura was the governor of Juba, Tombura is known of his shrewd mind when realize that those Dinkas are going to lead the Juba town down then immediately he started to form what was known “KOKORA” the word Kokora is taken from Bari language means you should be in your own land I.e. Juba belong to Equatorian tribes this Kokora was systematize purposely to make Dinkas tribes flee Juba. Absolutely the Equatorian tribes managed to fought a very strong war with Dinkas tribes until they manage to drove them out of that beloved Town known as Juba,
As a result we were in a very great peace without any single Dinka remand in Juba. We was comfortable with Arabs, they are not like Dinkas.
Then again come this protocol agreement of naivasha brought Dinkas back in to this zone, some of the Equatorian was not there before but at least they has witness a lot of thinks from this times, let them thinks of this Dinkas ruling system thoroughly.
Thanks you very much I am still new to this site I was been watching Dinkas bribery in southern Sudan the whole this epoch then I thinks of joining the sites.
The author is an Equatorian Outlaw Boys living in Cairo – Elmahadi Street 70 can be reach at okello de [email protected]
Juach D Juach
The next SPLA affairs minister should be …!
From my own perspective as a citizen of South Sudan and as a former red army sgt of Zazal 1 battallion. I would like to overtly state that i disagree with most of the above contributors about who should or shouldn’t be the next minister of SPLA affairs.
Why? because currently or perhaps in the future, the appointment of GOSS ministers is not and will never be a responsibility of the South Sudanese working class to choose or propose who’ll be in the cabinet!
But if the majority reckons that task lies within our national duties then i would like to propose the author of this article Mr ISIAH ABRAHAM to be the next SPLA affairs minister because it seem he’s knowledgeable and can stir up hot rhetoriacl debates such as this …
I hope with that appointment we put the debate to rest and lets look forward.
Note:
Am appealing to the Dinka people of Sudan to behave themselves in all parts of the Country especially in the South so that they’re not seen as neo-imperialists but as equal partners in our new semi-autonomous nations. The majority can be in the minority sometimes if the small nations amalgamate against you reminiscence to what happened to the Kikuyus of Kenya late last year… God forbid, i hope it never occurs it South Sudan.
For the Equatorianists, there is no such thing as the liberators and the liberated. We all made it happen together. Our last strongholds in the fierce enemy offensives of 1990s were in East, Central and West Equatorian states.
I have a view that the land and peoples of the greater Equatoria provided shelter to all Sudanese who were out there fighting for our rights and because of that you people were and still are the core of the movement from 1955 Torit uprising upto date.
Extremists on both sides may interpret my comment differently to suit their agendas but my judgement is based on my experience & knowledge then linked it to the debate. Am neither pro Dinka or Equatorianists camps but for the cause of advancing the nation of South Sudan fairly. I never mind who’ll be the late’s successor but wll be worried if our army goes again like in the recent past without someone at the helm due to “power struggle”.
SPLA Oyee !! the Unity of South Sudan Oyee!
sudanson
Who could be the next Southern Defense Minister?
Good question Abraham
The right person is required for this job, we should focus on what is required of a defence minister instead of wasting time throwing insults at eachother which just makes some of the responders here look very stupid and childish and self centred.Anyone who thinks that only his tribe fought or deserve the best in the south compared to other tribes has no difference with Jalaba, becuase this is the same tactic Jalaba has been using, Jalaba said they liberated Sudan from British colonial and they are majority so they should rule Sudan, Liberation in south will not allow this kind of tribal selfish self centered kind of thinking which belongs to the old stone age, such tribal centered people are just dreaming and will soon wake up to the reality of modern transformation in the south especially after the year 2011. insteadof blaming wachother lets look at which tribe are the most muslims in the south? which tribes are majority working with Jalaba right now including advisors, which tribes have sold their lands to Jalaba and now crisis in north-south border? which tribes towns were in hands of jalaba untill after cpa? All this questions will give a clear picture which shows that no tribe can pretend it is the best in the south.
Lack of Unity, tribalism, favorism, and lack of vision is what have set this new nation back since CPA was signed, look around and you will see that the death of that accurred recently was due to neglegence and lack of responsibility and corrupt institutionalism that lead to the air crach, if all was set in place and good work was being done this innocent peopel wouldn’t have crached int hat plane, considering Garang had died in a plane crach and no lessons have been learned from that incident, GOSS shouls stop putting in place imcompetent and under skilled individuals just because they say they were fighter or they are from same tribe, this is what will lead the country to the grave like what happened with the plane crach, clear change in direct of the system and vision of governance with a clear plan to move forward is needed from the splm national convention, after the suddenly bad death of the commanders in plane crash.
My question is, What do we need from a defence ministerwhat qualifications and what merits instead of what tribe?
1-He has to be a Senior in military rank but young in heart and spirit of duty.
2-He has to be someone who has been in the battle field before and know the whole of South Sudan and Sudan.
3-He has to be someone who is considered neutral in South Sudan,accpetable to all tribes,which means he does not favour any tribe or his clans men only but all Southerners.
4- He has to have a clean record and clean history during the struggle and during in service time.
5-He has to be educated and also understands military science and some politics too.
6-He has to be Nominated from a group of Senior generals democratically elected fromt he SPLM/A National convention leaders.
7-He has to be accepted by the president
8-And finally and most inportant he has to be approved by the parliament.
If any person does not fit ALL this categories or have non of this qualifications mentioned above, Please Slava Kirr do not pick this person or it will be a bad image for south sudan liberation, development and democratic transformation.Excuse me for my essay kind of response but sometimes it has to be that way, I will be waiting for any urgument or questions rised.
Gos bless sudan in general and southsudan in particular and its people
Sudanson
Deng Chol Malual
Who could be the next Southern Defense Minister?
I am still being disturb by the inccident that cliamed the life of our beloved one Hon.Gen.Domonic Diem Deng.
And becuase I have nothing to bring him back.
I will comment on this article as below:
1.The identification of a person to succeed the minister should be guided by devotion to South freedom
2.H.E Kiir Mayardit has good knowledge of his staffs.Therefore,he has a free hand to nominate one.
3.Among the General mentioned above,there are some of them that can never be accepted by the politicians that need to be the president(s) of Southern Sudan or Arabs motivated figures.
Thanks.
Akol Liai Mager
Who could be the next Southern Defense Minister?
Political and Military appointments in the GOSS by SPLM is none of my business, but I am impressed by Isaiah’s list of SPLM generals. However, a presidential decree by GOSS to lift the rank of major general Thomas Cirillo to the rank of full or LT. General and his appoint as minister for SPLA affairs will boost SPLM’s leadership qualities.
The appointment of this young General if happen, will promptly raise the moral of New Sudan’s army and its citizens as it would also relieve them from last week devastation brought upon them by the lost of Gen.Deng.
That can also lock-out a lot of sceptics (call them tribalists as you wish).
SPLM will also gain a momentum of driving Sudan towards achieving its goal the creation of New Sudan.
Anyway, I wont be surprise for any surprises, but I wish for awesome
All SPLA Generals are qualified with an exception of non.
young paul
Who could be the next Southern Defense Minister?
Just to throw in my last thought ,can any one recall that Late, Gen Dominic Dim , defected from SLPA or ran away from SPLA and token refugee in UK.I know this thing of leadership had become bloodily we need another white man to run it for us until we be become human.