EES Governor should heed to GoSS’ gesture of goodwill
By Ohiyok D. Oduho
October 13, 2006 — The Governor of Eastern Equatoria State (EES), Aloysius Emor Ojetuk, is reported to have returned to Torit, the capital of EES. The Governor was in Juba to defend his position, which was under a serious check and balance exercise by EES Interim Legislative Assembly (EESILA). Slightly over Seventy per cent (70%) of ESSILA members, including their Speaker, had moved a vote of no-confidence in their Governor and wanted him out with his cabinet.
The document on the vote of no-confidence was presented to the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) and its Interim Legislative Assembly for action. ESSILA members accused the Governor of inciting tribal conflicts, orchestrating arrests and rampant killings of people in Torit town, insecurity and anarchy in Ikotos, Chukudum and Kapoeta, violation of the CPA and Interim Constitution of South Sudan by depriving the assembly members of their constitutional rights and entitlements. It is reported that the GoSS presidency has instructed the Governor to return to Torit and reconcile with his ESSILA members.
Meanwhile, the First Vice-President and President of GoSS, Lt-Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, issued a presidential order on October 11th, 2006, directing the formation of an investigation committee to review the reasons for which the EESILA lost confidence in their Governor. “The committee comprises of southern parliamentarians headed by Bashir Bendi, Arop M. Arop, committee secretary, as well as other senior GoSS figures” as members, (Sudan Tribune Newspaper, October 12th, 2006, p.1).
According to reports coming from Torit, the Governor arrived there to a very cold welcome. He sent a message around Torit using a public address system (PA), saying that the Governor would like to address the people of Torit the following day. The PA is the only system used to convey information in most parts of South Sudan due to lack of local radio stations.
However, those who attended the Governor’s rally said that instead of delivering a reconciliatory speech, the Governor delivered an antagonistic speech. He is reported to have said that, “I am the son of this State. I have come back and will deal with those half-hearted ‘Inside SPLM/A’ members. These ‘Inside SPLM/A’ members are being used by the enemies of SPLM/A to unseat me.” The ‘Inside SPLM/A’ is a reference to those co-opted by the SPLM/A from within the former government-controlled areas.
It is hoped that the GoSS’ decision to send the Governor back to Torit in order to reconcile with the ESSILA members is based on its confidence in both the government of Governor Ojetuk and ESSILA. The GoSS would be very unfair to both the Governor and the ESSILA members if it had just sent the Governor and his ESSILA members back to Torit without forming the Bashir Bendi Committee (herein after referred to as ‘the Bendi Committee’s) to investigate the reasons that led to the disagreement between the Governor and ESSILA members.
It is impossible for two parties which are caught up in a war of words, based on what each of them believes is true, to reconcile. To send the Governor and his ESSILA members back to the State to iron out their differences should be a gesture of goodwill from the GoSS. Otherwise, the case of Ojetuk is not different from that of Col. Patrick Zamoi, the former Governor of Western Equatoria State (WES), who was arrested and detained pending investigations. There is no insinuation here of saying that Ojetuk, who is rejected by the majority in EESILA, should have been arrested and detained, but the approach to his case, which is similar to that of Zamoi of WES, whose rejection did not come from WES parliament, should have shown some coherence, at least in the legal process that was applied on Col. Zamoi.
The First Vice-President and President of GoSS has taken a normal bureaucratic decision by appointing ‘the Bendi Committee’. This committee may not have the powers to reconcile the executive and the legislature in Torit but their investigation would establish facts. Based on those facts, reconciliation would then be possible. Because the past mistakes, yet to be established by ‘the Bendi Committee’, shall provide future mediators with a problem or a Conflict whose root causes are clearly identified to resolve.
Even if ‘the Bendi Committee’ presents its recommendations and such recommendations happen to incriminate either of the parties to the conflict; Governor relieved of his duties or parliament dissolved; whichever is the case, that case should leave the office while maintaining good relationship with his colleagues in the political scene of EES.
Now that his Governorship has been extended until the investigations are over, the Governor, who is very disappointed with those who sought for his removal, should not continue to take the law into his own hands. This time, one would hope it doesn’t happen, that the Governor ends up mistreating those who have worked for his downfall.
As per his remarks in the rally in Torit, the Governor should be sent to the Barracks if he cannot handle politics. The Governor ought not to make threats because it is illegal in law. If he does not know that already he ought to know it now. It is possible to guess now that those who worked against him in the EESILA might be preparing to leave Torit for fear of retribution that would come from none other than the irate Governor himself.
Politics as it sounds has its skills mostly acquired through practice. It has no school although one would assume that playing fair politics in practice is the key to success. That success would provide a school that would sensitize the people on various laws that govern the conduct of government, the country and, on that matter, a State like that of Ojetuk. Ojetuk did not practice politics, as he was not given any political assignment during the struggle. He was managing Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Association and before that he was an administrator with the Norwegian Church Aid based in Torit. This being the case, he should be forgiven but on condition that he upholds the laws that govern the conduct of government and the State. He should never take the law again into his own hands as he did in the past. Ojetuk is on record for abducting and severing torturing a JIU Major in Torit. (Read the story and view the pictures on (http://www.southsudan.net/index1.html).
It is a sincere belief that if a Governor works for the interest of his entire State no one would ask him out. However, the fact that the Governor of EES has failed in his performance as Governor because he listens to every rumour; he should have only himself to blame. “Ojetuk is trying to find a scapegoat to cover his failed governance after he operated in a one-man show in a situation which required team work”, (Dr. Theophilous Ochang, Khartoum Monitor, October 11th, 2006, p.1).
The SPLM has always portrayed itself as a ‘democratic’ organization that has fought for the rights of the people of Sudan. This is a true fact that cannot be ignored by anybody but where does SPLM go wrong? SPLM goes wrong because it is fighting for those rights within the Government of National Unity (GoNU) and north Sudan as a whole but not in South Sudan and within their governments. Some SPLM members usually criticize articles like this, saying they are directed towards the SPLM and not the National Congress Party (NCP). Articles such as this would always be directed against the SPLM because it claims to be perfect when it is not. NCP is working hard to improve its past records and the CPA is a clear demonstration of that resolve.
It is not possible that a ‘democratic organization’ like the SPLM could encourage intimidation, arbitrary arrests, detention without trials of political opponents and operating in a manner that seem to place them above the law. Justice is not one-sided; it has never been one-sided and will never be one-sided. “The SPLM slogans were and still remain the loudest voice in the north when the issues under debate are freedom, justice and the respect for the laws, in particular the Naivasha laws and the transitional constitution. However, this loud revolutionary voice in the north becomes raucous or more precisely chocked when it heads South. In many cases, the power of the slogans turn into ‘mercilessness detention centres’ as they are today, where political opponents or those with differing ideological and political views succumb to flames and chains”, (Tahir Sati, The Citizen newspaper, October 12th, 2006, p.12).
The First Vice-President and President of GoSS had recently ordered the arrest of SPLM members who orchestrated the arrest of NCP members in Juba. This wise decision, which might be misunderstood by bad-hearted SPLM members, needs to go to all the State governments in the South so that no Governor or any State government official intimidates or abuses the human rights of his/her political opponent.
Thus, the Governor should not misunderstand but heed to the gesture of goodwill from the GoSS, which has trust in him and his members of ESSILA. This gesture of goodwill does not mean – one would like to believe – that the Governor must victimize those who have worked against him. Rather, it is meant that EES has elders in its government and those elders, including traditional leaders of EES, could help the Governor work out a formula for reconciliation. Reconciliation means “to harmonies conflicting beliefs” (Collins, 2000:504) and to forget the past and open a new chapter in which all people of the State, including their ESSILA and cabinet members, work in harmony. That harmony should help EES unite its people irrespective of their political colours. That unity is a prerequisite to development. However, this perquisite to development cannot be achieved through arrests, tortures and detentions without trials or mere intimidation of innocent people and political opponents not only in EES but anywhere in South Sudan.
* The author is a columnist in the Sudan Vision Daily Newspaper. He can reached on [email protected]