Kiir- Rebecca diplomatic omission marred the Martyr Day

By Isaiah Abraham

August 8, 2009 — His Excellency the President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit and the wife of our founding father (Dr. John Garang de Mabior), Madame Rebecca Nandeng de Mabior had gone public with their differences during the commemoration day for Garang’s Day, now effectively (rightfully so) renamed . The incident stunt the public, whose source was started by one and the other join in non verbally.

And for that day, it has been a day that is meant to make us restock (where we came from), but also a reminder as to where we are heading to, as far as the liberation of Southern Sudan is concerned. We live or die because of this cause and indeed our brothers and sisters that are ahead of us (dead), have a reason now to smile as they lay in peace. Their sacrifices have not been in vain, as the banner of our liberation struggle is firmly under the hands of His Excellencies, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit and Dr. Riek Machar Dhorgun. What a duty! The public owe appreciation to the SPLM leadership for the job well done.

However, the good intended occasion was nearly spoiled when leading party leaders (Kiir and Nyandeng) turned it into a box of defiance to their very predispositions on who’s who. Madame Rebecca Nyandeng started it and Gen. Kiir picks it up without a word. This is how it started and won’t bother you on what was said by Madam Rebecca (for these are our own affairs). She had moved so important issues besetting our government, starting from governance issues, development, peace, unity among many, a blowing after another and when she was done, she paid a price. The posture the President took immediately with Madame Rebecca after his speech (remember he never responded to de Mabiors charges) says or summarises the President negative reaction to the Lady.

How does it take you to note that the two were on their very best to humiliate each other in public. Look, they never glimpsed at each other eye or hands they were shaking; they stood as if the referee in bout was to flag them for action. The chasm moreover between the two leaders was so big as if one of them is leprosy possessed,; their bodies were tightly crisped to their bones (tense). The second in action (greeting) was too long so to be shorten, I would presume. As the President flounced to his waiting limousine car, his legs were too heavy to take him quickly there. My feet!

It was a theatre landed down from somewhere, the century of yesterday. I didn’t know who was holding a gun over their heads in the first place, so to greet each other in public. Whether the President or Madame Nyandeng was wrong or right isn’t material, but definitely the diplomatic spine was broken to pieces at Garang Memorial Site that very important day and hour. Worst, in one of our friendly neighbouring countries, it was beamed live and the newspapers picked it up just raw. What a ’bout’! To smile of course wasn’t a deal, but action behind it was. From no school class, public figures are strictly require to fake, even if they are bottling up with some hots issues inside them, where did this escape the two on that day.

The episode though reminds me of a villager (my village) who was in his adult life resisted smile publicly or privately, until villagers agreed to use milk (sour one) to bet his smile. But one among them said to others that the thing isn’t between the two lips but in the heart and our sour milk won’t do this to us. Let’s leave him alone, he concluded and they agreed. The point? May be the two have something in there (heart) we might not know that we had tried to trap using our ‘milk’ (clapping and expectation). We ought therefore to leave them alone.

But, Madame Rebecca surely has cracked and should have given our leader a space he needs as the head of our government. Everyone has his/her time, this is Kiir’s time and tomorrow would be another, and someone must solicit the same treatment. She is known to be a huge personality with an enduring disposition and therefore abnormal to imagine the kind of reaction others would expect from her. You see (as I said earlier above) saying anything wasn’t an issue but how he said them matters. Some have accused her of being insincere after she lost her executive ministry then to Hon. David Deng Athorbei; others yet think, she’s so burned up with the past and present events that she wants to use the opportunity at hand to smack at the face of the President to gain whatever leverage since the elections are just months a way. I don’t have comment.

But the truth lies somewhere and this is worrying because the two need each other. Madame Rebecca knows well that the unity of the SPLM/A is a necessity; it overrides every perceived bitter difference. Without it, the cause we cherish so much,. that has snuffed away millions of lives would be gone. The journey is nearly over and no one expects any leader (s) in charged to subservient (sabotage) it at this dying days of our final lap to freedom. Problems are bound to be there sure, so long as things are done by humans hands and minds, but what is it that’s big enough than Southern Sudan? None!

So, what are these underlying issues that have played themselves out on that very important Day (Martyr Day) from the perspective of Madame Rebecca. Well, there are a few and one is the Bharghazalization of the President’s ears. It looks as if Madame Rebecca somehow has been elbowed, and others have stolen the President heart on her expense. This sounds trivial, isn’t it? But this is a probability worth our interest. Perhaps President time has been an issue; these days he doesn’t bother to pay her a visit or pick her advice. Gen. Oyai purge from the army, I guess, might be the straw that broke the camel back. Gen. Oyai is believe to have done his best in the army and his departure without tangible reasons behind it raises many questions than answers. But also these days, the two have chose to confine their relationship on the basis of Presidency vs Advisory, period. May be our President should open up and give Madame Rebecca- the wife of the man who changed our face- the attention she needs.

Second, is what stuff the next election might bring. President Kiir popularity has plummeted and signs aren’t clear for his re-election next year. Under the prevailing circumstances, unless, his intention is blessed by those of Rebecca Dr, Riek Machar, Mr. Nhial Deng, Mr. Pagan Amum, he’s deemed to retire before Referendum (Oops). There is no surprise that Madame Nyandeng is determine to ensure that the legacy of her husband is maintain and to her, the President didn’t do the ‘doing’ to that effect, saved for the talking while reading speeches. Chances are at the mature that she might warm up to Dr. Riek Machar Teny who’s rising like star- unstoppable. I look forward to that way anyway!!!

Little things from the President to Madame Rebecca could helped them thaw their political relationship and Dr. Machar being intellectually assiduous and social agile, would surely provide that missing gap, if he takes over. The President though has done his part only that he’s innocent to distrust his conscience when it comes to who is after his seat from Rebecca backyard of Bor. Madame Rebecca is her own woman, and her people are politically very organized than any other groups in the Southern Sudan; currently they are 95% behind Gen. Kiir. The President has a daunting challenge though to keep that loyalty beyond next year. Rebecca isn’t a competitor (at least given events) but a king maker.

Third is her attempt to sincerely put to notice the head of our government for the failures of steering forward the liberation dividends to the Southern public. She struck a a chord with everyone on this. People wants a change and Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin had attempted to knock that door. Unfortunately the President advisors moved fast to dump it at the carpet, dismissing him as Khartoum mole. The party democratisation credentials are risk and many more people would go away so soon. On top, Gen. Kiir sits over a corrupt-ridden government, to which talking is the order but action is reserved at Home and Away, Sahara, Juba Raha, Bros, Hamza, Beijing, Bridge hotels, etc, where key leaders habitually drink away our sweats over Ugandan bitter beers.

Rebecca genuinely reminding the government to wake up and starts walking their talks. She wants those at Anti-Corruption list persecuted, whomever they might belong. She wants the party to unite and if it means Gen, Kiir to go home, he goes. If it means Dr. Akol reinstated in the cabinet, so let it be. Gen. Kiir on his side isn’t ready yet to call it a day or bow to such pressures, despite an outcry. This is sad. But clearly what does it say to a leader when over 1000 cases of major financial crimes are lying idly at the Corruption Unit. Political will is direly needed.

The breadth and short of the story is this: the two ought to work together and respect each other, for the good of their image and the party they lead; differences that are of political nature don’t impeach of ethical values of being courteous and mindful of each other personalities. In another word, though each of them had a point, their public display of dry anger makes them too little. It was just an embarrassment, so primitive and an infra dig that raises too many questions.

Isaiah Abraham lives in Juba; he’s on [email protected]