Alienating policy of current SPLM leaders is damaging the Cause?
By Koang Tut Jing
Dec 20, 2006 — Whether the Kiir’s administration is heading to the right direction or wrong
one remain to be seen. But one thing is certain; there is nowhere which the
SPLM/A leadership are doing well in the Sudan’s issues. If Kiir and Riek do
have a clear plan for the Southern Sudanese, it would be better. This is the
fact underscored by the latest rampaged of the SPLA soldiers over the
salaries. Does Kiir administrations with his military leaders do have a plan
to curb this? How this can happens when corruption is out of hand at the
top? One cannot find the reasonable description for our top leaders (Riek
and Kiir). Nevertheless, the two lack proper organization and meaningful
direction for the masses they lead. Our leaders failed to follow the
meaningful track of the SPLM/A of 1980s. Kiir and Riek have chosen the
alienating policy. The two think this policy can help them satisfy their
short vision of separation. Friends, how can this path be saved if we
neglect the power base? The SPLA/M current policy is very alienating both
within the Southern constituency and the Northern Allies.
Currently, our men/women in uniform are being alienated by the leadership
which they helped sustain. Indeed, Kiir has been talking about uprooting
corruption but his words are only worsening the situation. My fellow
countrymen/women, today the SPLA soldiers are grouped into two namely: the
SPLA fathers and SPLA brothers, what good is this if we neglect the passage
to reconciliation by creating such grouping which only strain our relation?
According to them, the SPLA fathers are those never left the SPLA since day
one and the SPLA brothers are switchers or returnees. Yes, I personally
condemn the group that ran away from the SPLA in favour of Arab Islamic
Movement led by Beshir in Khartoum but alienating this group is not a
healthy sign. My dear friends, if the SPLA leadership can forgive Riek
Machar and Lam Akol, the devils who caused that chaos against our movement,
why are we holding innocent officers who themselves put their lives online
for years in defence of SPLA from 1983 to 1993? At the meantime, the SPLA
brothers include the most warrior SPLA officers who fought in many fronts
during the cause of liberation. One from those who they termed SPLA brothers
operated against the enemy under Kiir leadership in 1987 when they
successfully captured Kurmuk in that year, he led the liberation of Maridi
in late 1980s and led a successful attack on Juba Bridge in 1992, why is
this man being victimized if our military leaders are genuine?
SPLA military leaders think the war is over which could be why they try to
turn their back to their talented officers. Commander Oyai should know that,
this war is not yet over given the weakness our political leadership is and
how corrupt they military leaders are currently. It would have been a time
when the war heroes are supposed to be rewarded instead of holding them
hostage for a reason that is not their making. Friends, the cause of this
alienation is indeed corruption from our top military leadership and it is a
means of keeping people who can response against their mismanagement of SPLA
soldiers’ money out of armed forces’ issues by not commissioning them so
that they can do their dirt without hindering. This dirty tactics is indeed
employed when greed take over the organization. Such acts will only increase
our problem than solving them. The insecurity we hear/experience in and
around Juba is caused by this alienating policy of this administration. Kiir
and Riek plus the armed force leaders are the true down-fall of our people
and they are the real sources of our people suffering. Anyone blaming the
NIF for this is missing the point here. I was shocked when my guardian
(currently serving officer in our armed forces in Juba) confirmed to me the
alarming corruption in all the GOSS institutions. Our leaders must know the
alienation of armed group is a dangerous game which none would want to play.
If the policy employed by our Government is helping our southern Sudanese,
it would have been better for the millions of separatists in the south. But
this is not the case here. It is clear the leadership under Kiir and his
army generals have no future plan for southerners leave alone the people of
Nuba Mountain and Southern Blue Nile which the administration have been
neglecting since day one they assumed the power. Friends, neither Kiir nor
Riek ever stepped in either Nuba Mountain or Southern Blue Nile soil, what
is their work if they cannot keep our comrades closer to us when we need it?
Visiting those regions is vital and it should have been done before the
president tour of Bharelgazale because this region needs is not urgent as
the regions outside the southern border are.
It is obvious the administration is dominated by blind separatists and
because of this they tend to give ears only to southern issues than national
ones. Honestly, this alienating policy will have grave consequences in the
end if Riek and Kiir fail to correct their mistakes. Certainly, no man is an
island, the Southern Sudanese successes will always link to both Nuba
Mountain and Southern Blue Nile people. I totally believe never will be
Southern Sudan without Southern Blue Nile and Nuba Mountain support because
they hold the helping key for us. The strong bond forged between us with
them will be the only determinant factor during this bitter struggle in the
Sudan. This bond needs to be sustained at all cost if we must survive the
fundamentalists’ evil plan against us.
This administration must remain vigilant because the devils are not
sleeping. Our gallant forces in the JIU who are supposed to get their
salaries from the GONU went to rampage due to the enemy’s injustice that
left us with no option but to declared war in 1983. How can Kiir and his
military leaders trust the fate of those young men into the hand of the
enemy if they are indeed watchful? The fact is, Arabs are still Arabs, they
are acquainted to the lives of domination against others, how can this be
solved by alienation policy as such of GOSS leadership? SPLA/M must remain a
national movement so that we can defeat this sophisticated enemy. I
completely believe running away from problem is another way of making it
worse. This fact is justified by breakaway of Anya nya II in 1983 at Bilpam
and the defection of Riek and Lam in 1991 in which innocent Southern
Sudanese paid miserably.
I am afraid this is what Kiir and his circle bending the masses to. It would
be disgraceful if we Southern Sudanese compromise the Morale duty we have
for Nuba Mountain and Southern Blue Nile. In addition, the desertion of
those people will eventually lead to resentment against Southern Sudanese.
SPLA/M leadership should know that people of Nuba Mountain and Southern Blue
Nile will always remain our rescuers if need be, so it would be gravest
mistake if we abandon them. Kiir must know our defence capability will
always lies with our immediate neighbours. Therefore, leaving our longtime
comrades in arm will amount to total destruction of Southern Sudanese and
their land. I strongly suggest that Commander Kiir should maintain the
SPLA/M as it was in 1980s and while sustaining the forces of separation
within the SPLA/M. Late Garang did it in the past 21 years, why can’t Kiir
do it? Curbing in to blind separatists is a call for destruction of Southern
Sudanese dignity as well as a betrayal of others whose elements from them
lost their lives in every corner of Southern Sudan areas and the
administration with those who want them lean to separation view history will
judge them as the real traitors of our deceased brothers from the South
Sudan who gave their lives in Nuba Mountain and Southern Blue Nile in
defence of African peoples’ dignity during the course of struggle.
Despite the vanishing of Late Garang which brought about this SPLA/M
political alienation, the New Sudan vision will eventually conquer the
devils. Although, the voice (Late John Garang) of Marginalized Sudanese is
no more in sight, I am certain the marginalized Africans will prevail
because the SPLA/M has no shortage of rescuers. May God bless the New Sudan
and its people!
* Koang is a Sudanese living in Pacific Rim/Oceania. For comment reach him at
[email protected]