Kiir’s confession and grievance

By Watts Roba Gibia Nyirigwa

Nov 15, 2005 — Before the First Vice President and President of South Sudan could depart to the United States of America, Kiir described President al-Bashir in an interview with Al-Sharq al-Awsat as relaxed, understanding and widely experienced personality, and he said that he never felt at any time that he is dealing with stranger, he is close and amiable, and he is fully qualified for leadership and we have great confidence in him! These marvelous and hilarious characteristic metaphors by Kiir, affirms and reconfirms beyond any doubt that there was or is no stalemate between the two partners, SPLM and NCP in any issue since when the comprehensive peace agreement was signed and when Kiir took the office on August 11, 2005! I think this is a very highly diplomatic rhetoric approach by Salva Kiir. As earlier in Juba he was critical that, there must be blame. Somebody has to be blamed, and I think the presidency has to be blamed for the delay of the south Sudan government formation, and the delays in the implementation of peace process, as some issues has to be addressed by decree, and he said that we can’t wait but have to put our government in place. And that was obvious in the formation of the government of south Sudan before the southern Sudan constitution could be ratified by the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly. In any case those are the exterior form images, but what are the interior intentions and conducts of al-Bashir, does it comply and reflect this highly profiled portrayal or it was just a bogus manifestation of hypocrites!

While in the United States of America, Kiir confessed and said that he was also under pressure from southern Sudanese by giving over the control of critical oil ministry to northern candidate despite the fact that the overwhelming bulk of the country’s reserves are in the south! This implies that he was indeed under enormous stress and tension from his northern counterparts. And that was patent when he said that we did not think it was worth going back to war over the run of one ministry! This utterly not acceptable and not to be articulated by a very courageous, adamant fighter and commander like Salva Kiir, as by saying this, he has forgotten that he is still a fighter and has to fight to the letter. And if al-Bashir is relaxed, understanding, experienced personality, and qualified for leadership, why he refused to confer the control of oil ministry to SPLM? Knowing very well that the bulk oil reserves are in south, and that the advance of south depends entirely on the stream of oil revenues? The southerners have got the right to fault Salva Kiir for having sold out, because when you duck and confer, certainly you will give in for the second, third and fourth time and so on, because your partners know that you won’t stand long at the face of waves. But as a guerrilla Kiir was supposed to seize his time, as stated by Garang in his speech at the signing of the peace agreement in Nairobi, saying that – I am guerrilla, I take my time, you see – Also he stated that, it has been long journey of more than 5,000 years to reach Naivasha and Nyayo Stadium today! That is, you need not to compromise on your course and principles in which you stand for, but have to stay on course even if it takes thousands of years to achieve it, and that is the name of the game. We have to stand firm on our course and principles and need not to falter and wither, and if the others can preserve their course and principles, why not us? The leadership doesn’t require qualification only, but a leader who protects its people, treats its people dignitary and equitably, do not differentiate among its citizens, equal rights regardless of gender, color, religion and ethnicity, equitably distribution of economic development, transparency and good democratically governance and that is the quality of the leader. Not a qualified leader, who deprives and denies legitimate rights of its people to exist, look at the suffering, mistreatment and humiliation of the millions of southern Sudanese and Darfurian displaced people living around the outskirts of Khartoum in slums, is that the qualified and experienced leader constitutes? Or the experience and qualification is in the context of torturing, denial and deprivation of the marginalized people from their legal rights as Sudanese citizens!

Also, in States, Kiir voiced his grievance and concern about the challenges facing him in south, that in southern Sudan, we have no progress, no capacity to build institutions. Our capital Juba has no electricity, no water in taps. This is the second man in Sudan as well as in the government of national unity, but is in complete dilemma and incapable to assign funds from the government of national unity to start building ravaged southern Sudan or even to start building his seat of government or government institutions in southern Sudan! And instead his hope rests on Oslo pledges to start building south Sudan! Here we have to hold an amiable and confident leader accountable by honoring the agreement, and to make the unity cute to Southerners as he used to articulate, he has to allot special and prompt funds to initiate building of south Sudan, instead of holding his partner in absolute confinement and dilemma! Once again, we were reminded here about the crucial importance of running the critical oil ministry which is the heart beat of the southern Sudanese, and needed badly for its growth. And even when we urge on the release of the reserved funds to south Sudan from the oil revenues, no one knows exactly the actual production status on which the oil revenue reserved fund is based, and this makes the whole process fishy to anyone to understand. And this is a clear indication of deprivation and pinching of the south Sudanese resources, by consciously making the oil production and selling in complete secrecy and within a very tiny circle of the national congress ruling party and without publishing the monthly and annual report on the actual oil output status.

It is now eleven months since when the comprehensive peace agreement was signed, and there was little glimpse of peace dividend and provisions and, on January 9, 2006 Kiir is going to be questionable, answerable and accountable on various subjects and to explain to the southern Sudanese the achievements of the peace. But as this date government of south Sudan has not yet received any money from the reserved funds as per agreement, and according to Salva Kiir, they are still working on the mechanism to claim what we deserve from oil money starting January 9, 2005! If we could not receive the reserved share of oil money from Khartoum, then how can we expect to receive Oslo pledged money promptly? South Sudan had been neglected by persistent Khartoum governments for so many years, and had never been on the development plans for the past five decades. Thus, government of national unity has got the responsibility to deliver and to assign funds to start building south Sudan, instead of hanging the entire capacity of building south Sudan on donor pledges! Obviously, building and growth of south Sudan will require endurance and will take couple of years to materialize. Thus, to commence progressive task, it is crucial importance to Salva Kiir to concentrate on consolidating its government position and to make certain to the entire world that security is guaranteed in all ten states of southern Sudan, and all the government institutions and law enforcement are in place. Donors will not fulfill their commitment unless if there is prevailing security allover southern Sudan as well as foreign investors. That is obvious, as no one will toss his/her money into the ocean! And we have to prove to the donors and foreign investors that we are up to the job. It makes no sense for us to cross our hands and waiting for the donor pledges, as we have to start building south Sudan from available resources in hand. If Sudan is currently producing 350,000 barrels per day and at the end of this year, the production will jump to 500,000 barrels per day, yet Sudan will not be in position to start financing building of south Sudan? I think it is worth depending on our own muscles and resources to commence building our institutions at our own capacity, as donor pledges are always not hundred percent honored and not timely. Thus it is ludicrous to place all our hopes on donor pledges which are kindly pledged and would be generously fulfilled when they perceive that we are on the right truck.

* Watts Roba Gibia Nyirigwa, Cairo – Egypt. E-mail: [email protected]