Why South Sudan Riek Machar is reneging on implementing the peace agreement

By Steve Paterno

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This is a mantra that often inspires most history students for their quest of knowledge. For history shapes the future and ignites memories, in order to reconfigure the past so as to chat a successful way forward.

In the case of Riek Machar, his infamy and notoriety in the history of South Sudan is well known and documented. Beside his history of treachery, Riek Machar has been signatory of many infamous agreements. For example, there was the failed Khartoum Agreement of 1997, duped as ‘April’s Fool Agreement.’ Then, there was the outrageous Juba Peace Talks on Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), in which he initiated in 1996, where Reik Machar self-presided as Chief Mediator, while being the Vice President of the then Southern Sudan.

The LRA Juba Peace Talks is pretty much relevant to the current dilemma Riek Machar is facing. At the time, the LRA were on an edge, having been defeated from Uganda and were running away from South Sudan. In other words, the LRA were at the point of extinctions, since all forces were descending against them.

For some mysterious reasons, and with the help of donor nations, Riek Machar revived the LRA. He negotiated for those LRA trapped in Uganda a corridor to pass through into South Sudan. The result was carnage all over. All the LRA trapped in Uganda were suddenly in South Sudan and could do as they wish, killing, looting, rapping and kidnapping.

Machar then negotiated for the LRA designated locations so as to demonstrate the lasting practical peace and integration of opposing forces. The designated locations included, one in Eastern Equatoria, (the LRA entry point from Uganda), and another in Western Equatoria, (for their escape route). The LRA ended up escaping and their Chief Mediator, Riek Machar escaped with the funding provided for the project he so much passionately engineered.

Now, the same history is playing itself another round, albeit, differently. Riek Machar is not so much impressed with the Security Arrangement insofar as designating his forces, in which he refused to sign or agreed into. His argument betrays his motives and ultimately his weaknesses. He wants money to establish barracks for his troops to assembled into. He even refuses a generous offer from South Sudan government compromised that the American Marine Corp could protect him in South Sudan if that is his wish or rather fear.

The problem is, first, since emerging from the bush a year ago, of course, with the help of international community, Riek Machar, never went back to the bush to his militia fighters that he still claims are loyal to him. The guy lives lavishly in foreign capitals and from one hotel to the other. The fact that those militias were mobilized on the bases to wage an ethnic war, without any central command and control, majority of them gave up and returned home. They are now living peacefully in their homes called South Sudan. Some of them defected back to the government, and a core of them rebelled against Riek Machar to continue with the rebellion, since they felt betrayed by Riek Machar.

Secondly, by demanding for money for the troops that he never had, or has no control over, Riek Machar is once again fooling the international community, as just he did with LRA. His calculation is to cash the money and engineer another money making project.

In conclusion, Riek Machar got a taste of his medicine while meeting USA government in Washington, D.C. The question for Riek Machar is simple: embark on the implementation of the agreement. In short, there will be peace in South Sudan and Riek Machar is not the factor isasfar as the international community is concerned.

Steve Paterno is the author of The Rev. Fr. Saturnino Lohure, A Romain Catholic Priest Turned Rebel. He can be reached at [email protected]