Aweil Community October 9th, 2011’s Celebration was an opportunity hijacked

“Other Nine State of South Sudan should seek General Paul Malong’s help on how to maintain peace in their respective States” says the speaker on behalf of Aweil’s Community elders.

By: Ateny Wek Ateny
No celebration is a bad celebration, but motives behind a given celebration may bedevilled any possible positive outcome. Like any other community in South Sudan, Aweil Community reserves every right to celebrate in honour of its sons/daughters in respect of their political appointments or otherwise. On Sunday, 9th October, 2011 (exactly 3 months into the birth of our new nation) Aweil Community celebrated in honour of its two sons appointed as ministers in the New Nation Cabinet: Major General Madut Biar Yel, of Telecommunications and Postal Services and Hon. Garang Diing Akuong, of Commerce, Industry and Investment. The reason given in effecting such celebration was “to honour the two sons and to say thanks you to the President for that appointment, and for renewing confidence in the said two ministers. The idea to make this occasion came from Mr. Arthur Akuein Chol (the member of Senate) and was in good faith, but Hon. Ngong Deng Gum MP executed this idea. The logistic and finance came through contributions from MPS, Ministers, Head of Commissions, Politicians, Civil Servants, businessmen/women and the government of NBGS – to say the least – thanks to the Steering Committee. In simplistic term, this occasion was set for mere celebration of the Aweil Community in the honour of the said two sons. A community in its true meaning – against political. However, this very notion was hijacked to advance the political interests of some individuals.
Yet, Dr. Bernaba Marial Benjamin, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, attended the occasion on behalf of H.E 1st Lt. General Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the Republic of South Sudan. Truly, Dr. Benjamin had really articulated and represented the President to the satisfaction of everyone to say the least. Another VIP guest who attended the occasion was Hon. Telar Ring Tekpeny Deng, the Presidential Advisor for Legal Affairs, and he also spoke well and had urged Aweil Community to look at their appointed sons not only as sons of Aweil, but also as sons of South Sudan. So, there was an element of positivity in that celebration and was worth-attending. Dr. Dhieu Mathok Diing, Chairperson of Employees Justice Commission – (another son of Aweil) who was suppose to have been included and also honoured or to be given chance to speak was there, but marginalized.
Notwithstanding the above facts, negativity had outweigh the positivity. First, the organizing Committee – driven by urges to keep partnership with the governor, had allowed the occasion to be hijacked and turned into political arena for the most-privileged politicians who often favour the language of praises in somewhat appear to resemble an act of preaching someone’s’ superiority, than engaging in ‘Serious Issues’. Nobody of some degree of independency and integrity, amongst the members of Aweil community was allowed to speak. Aldo and Arthur were allowed to speak out of scheduled program. Secondly, as the occasion of praises always dictates, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment, and in the name of being the son of Mading-Aweil, disclosed publicly some of very sensitive information even before the President had dare to utter them. All the speakers’ speeches in that occasion, with exception of Mr. Athian-Mawengdit Achiec (the representative of Chamber of Commerce) and Cde Kuel’s Speech which was purely an (SPLM’s speech) the tune was the same ‘General Paul Malong’s superiority) was the driving force behind those speeches.
As, if Aweil was not created before General Paul Malong becoming Governor of NBGS, the type of praises I have heard during that occasion might have falls only second to none. General Malong had his positives contributions to the people of Aweil and in the South, but the contributions of the people of Aweil should not be undermine simply because of ‘personal and opportunistic gestures’. Therefore, the statement of an elder who spoke on behalf of Aweil Elders and I quote “All other nine states governors should seek Paul Malong’s advice on how to maintain peace in their respective states” was utterly ridiculous. The peace in Aweil was not, and will never be of Paul Malong’s makings – instead people of Aweil should be praise for being peaceful. Before General Paul acceded to governorship of NBGS, there came before him, Brigadier Mareng Akuey Ajou, and General Madut Biar , but no single incident which threaten the security of people of Aweil peaceful coexistent was reported. People of Aweil are peaceful and can peacefully exist with Malong or without. For instance, let the president of ROSS appoint Engineer, General Kuol Manayng, or Brigadier General Taban Deng as governor of NBGS and you will find that the people of Aweil peaceful coexistent will remain the same. The insecurity in the other 9 States had nothing to do with the political failure of their respective governors – and so the representative of the elders of Aweil community must live to learn this very fact. Natural security should not be taken to mean an act of personal achievement. My right honourable speaker on behalf of elders was in the recent past, a political advisor to the Governor, and later as the advisor to the President on Inter-Borders Affairs, but seldom, if ever can any positive impact of the two positions he held becomes obvious to ordinary citizen. The 9th October, 2011’s event has attempted to project what the guests from other states might have perceived to represent the real image of Mading-Aweil, but the standard set on that forum was not ‘Aweil’s, but ‘Opportunist Aweil’.
Given the above facts, the speeches of other speakers be they; women, Students, Chiefs, Political representatives, all had been framed to fit one person political purse – and going through them is a waste of space. However, the speech of the minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment deserve some attention. The of speech of Telecommunication and Postal Service minister was smart and technical and on track. If any, I bet the speech of the Minister Garang Diing Akuong, albeit it was done in good faith, it was delivered in the wrong forum and at the wrong time. Aweil Community is not a political entity to warrant the type of statement uttered by Mr. Minister of Commerce.
If my ears did not let me down, I had taken two statements of the Minister of Commerce regarding his experiences when he accompanied the President of the Republic; one to Washington DC and another to Khartoum to be that of statements misplaced. I had neither personal abhorrence against Mr. Akuong, nor do I take him as my political opponent. Both Mr. Akuong and I are SPLM’s members and had before, no personal squabble. My views are that of concerned-informed-citizen. Mr. Garang Diing – moved by the urge to say the truth made two following very sensitive statements; first he said that “President Obama in his meeting with our President Salva Kiir Mayardit in which he was an eye witness, “had asked our president what he and his nation might wants from Government and the people of the United States of America?” on reply: our President responded ‘we need the USA to help us in various capacities – this is a package which included inter alia, economy, building the capacity of the army, democracy etc. Another package included President Obama’s help to pressurise NCP and Sudan to return Abyei to South Sudan territory: In respond, President Obama agrees to accord South Sudan as much help as possible in the areas of the first package; but in the second, Obama warned our President and his government to take hand-off the crises in Sudan’s Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan, and Darfur regions’ conflicts. “America don’t need South Sudan as partner in destabilizing Khartoum as Khartoum had earlier launched a complaint in the UN against South Sudan meddling in his political affairs. The Khartoum’s complaint was based on the Satellite images shots by them showing South Sudan taking arms and ammunitions to Blue Nile Region.
Notwithstanding this facts, according to Mr. Akuong, our President denied any involvement of South Sudan into Sudan’s political turmoil, and asked America to turn its Satellite to South Sudan to see for itself and therefore doubting the authenticity of Khartoum’s satellite. Obama promised to do that, but urge President Kiir that even South Sudanese had come here and confirmed your envelopments in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states in Sudan. “America does not want Khartoum to fail” says President Obama in the last.
On Saturday, 8th ,2011 visit to Khartoum by our President and his accompanying high delegation– which included the Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment, we were told about the following: in that close meeting, Bashier and his NCP had clearly said to our President “helps us out economically so that we don’t fall” we need money from you to prevent our down fall, otherwise, we will do something” says Sudan President. The minister of Commerce, didn’t know what is that which the president of Sudan will do, if he don’t get money from South Sudan. Among other areas, opening of the border for trade, the Sudan government refused to let the border opened in protest of the wave of violent in the regions that borders South Sudan. The Committee which shall work out the implementation of the pending issues between the two countries was formed, and that they will be meeting next two weeks – says the minister. Space dictate that, some part of of Mr. Akuong’s statement will remains out of the remit of this writing – only important part that was necessary.
Given the above details, the author is moved by the level of the secrets divulged by Honourable Minister. In the Doctrine of Ministerial Collective Responsibility, such information should not have been disclosed in such manner. The minister of Commerce, had also given advise to those who have money to store as much food as possible for eventualities– simply because the country is not totally free. While I recognise the right of public to information, some highly-sensitive-classified information should only go to highly classified body. First, some information in the above statement were matters of some diplomatic business and that it is not a must the ordinary people gain access to those information. Secondly, the ministers’ statement had proceeded the President’s briefing of the Council of Ministers, particularly on Khartoum’s visit – and that classification of what to tell public was not yet delivered. On diplomatic exchanges Presidents, Primers, Ministers and to name it, of different countries often meet to discuss matters of their countries interests. Sometimes, some sensitive packages or even dirty jokes are shared between those dignitaries, but not anything is an item of public consumption.
Finally, Aweil community on their messages to the President through Dr. Benjamin were all applauses to the President, and requesting the President to meet Aweil community. However, this shall also be an opportunity susceptible to hijackers. To me, Aweil community is not NBGS council of Ministers, unfortunately it is likely to be deemed as such. If, the President is willing to meet Aweil Community, he has to identify clearly ‘ to whom he is meeting’ – Cabinet or people? Cabinet in Aweil is different from people. That is why the Sunday’ 9th October’s events had become the arena for ‘Dancing politicians’. We forgot to tell Dr. Benjamin to tell the President that ‘two ministers’ are enough for Aweil Community, since in our constitution there exist nothing called ‘Community as political entity’. The only constitutional right our community should have contemplated to ask the President for not doing it – is the ‘women representation’ from Aweil in the RoSS. 25 or 30% women share is a political and constitutional obligation and could be demanded, but not community representation as it was demonstrated. Out of 14 women ministers in the ROSS, none of them is from Aweil – so why is this exclusion? Alas, the women representative who was chosen to speak on behalf of Aweil women, who is at the same time is an MP in the National Assembly, did not know Aweil women are not part of the Executive organ of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan. She was so busy praising men for being too superior.

The author is a concerned citizen of Mading-Aweil who lives in Juba, and could be reached by either his email: [email protected] or phone number 0955911110.