Why are we Blaming Dr. Riak Machar?

Why are we Blaming Dr. Riak Machar for all the Problems that are happening in South Sudan?

This article is my response to Mr. Mabior Philiph Mach’s article; “Southern Sudanese; learn from the past.”

By Kong Dual

April 25, 2008 — Dear Mr. Mabior Philiph Mach, you article’s title is really good, and could have been a great article if you framed it consistently with your topic. However, I was shocked and confused in the middle with the language and the hidden means behind you article. You have mentioned many issues that are not consistent with the topic. Your topic was about reminding Southern Sudanese to “learn from the past” and yet you end up talking about Dr. Riak Machar, abduction of children by Murle, raiding of cattle by Mundari, and Governor Taban Deng’s accusation on Dr. Riak Machar. Now, tell me, which of these issues were you trying to remind us about?

Mr. Mach, can you please clarify yourself, so that some of us who might want to read your article would be clear about the message you are trying to convey to us. As far I as can remember Governor Taban Deng Gai interview, he didn’t accused Dr. Riak Machar as among the people you described as “warthogs” nor did Mr. Taban Deng claimed Dr. Riak Machar wants to “Integrates NCP” members into the SPLA. I think you should clearly research your sources.

In a frankly speaking Mr. Mach, your article has insulted many Southern Sudanese. I know you want to remind people about what had happened in Bor in 1993, but I found it divisive for you to try to confusing people with things that are happening in Sudan and blame Dr. Riak for them, like children abduction by Murle. How are these things Dr. Riak Machar’s fault? Dr. Riak did not encourage the Mundari to raid Bor’s cattle nor was he responsible for all the problems that have had happened in South Sudan.

To me, Dr. Riak Machar was not responsible for all the issues you have explained, and if he has to be blame, the entire SPLA leadership would be responsible, starting from President Salva Kiir Mayardit to bottom. In case of children abduction, I do not understand why it becomes Riak’s weakness, Jonglei state should blame their governor for not doing enough in stopping the abduction.

To give you an example, recently, there has been fighting in Northern Bahr el Ghazal and in Unity State against the Misseiriya or the Baggara. Both states took the matter into their own hands and negotiate peaceful resolutions with the help from the Southern Sudan government.

What strategy does the Jonglei state’s governor have now to end the abduction of innocent children by the Murle and the cattle raiding by the Mundari? The duty of the governor is to solve such as the ones you have mentioned, the government of South Sudanese, or the leadership of Salva Kiir and the Riak Machar is to appoint qualify governors who can make good decision.

Mr. Mach, I won’t blame you that much because based on the language and the tone you have used in your writing, one can tell that your blaming is not necessary about all the things you described in your article, rather than calculated false accusations that based on hatred against Dr. Riak Machar. Yours does not surprise me since you remind us about Dr. Garang and what he could have done if he did not die.

There are many people like you; especially from the clan you belong who does not want to see Riak Machar in the SPLA. Some of these people are not happy about Dr. Riak being the vice president in south given things that had happened in the past. But my dear friend and fellow citizen of South Sudan, I would like to remind you gain that SPLA does not belong to Garang. Given the history and the way SPLA/M was formed, everyone including the people defected away from the SPLA/M have undeniable right to rejoin the party if they choose too.

People who understand the history and how the SPLA was formed won’t accused Dr. Riak Machar without revisiting the history and the legacy of Dr. Garang. If Dr. Garang was still alive today, I don’t think people like you would be bitching around with false accusation. The bible teach us that we should always remove the log from own eyes before doing it to others. It said “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye,” (Mathew 7:5).

Now given these examples, if you revisited the history, you would learned that Dr. Garang himself has committed countless atrocities as the leader of the SPLA/M, including the killing of many intellectuals and heroes in the SPLA/M, but the victim themselves have clam down for that sake of our own coexistent as one people. I am sure these people would also like to readdress their grievances and would like the justice to be done like any other victims in Bor.

But what good would it bring to if we start tearing ourselves down at this crucial movement when our common enemy is using our own people to destroy us. Every community in the Southern Sudan, including the place you came from have collaborators who have been working with the government of Sudan in the north displaced southern Sudanese people, yet we never complain about them instead we turn our attention to the same leaders who are trying to liberate us from this tyranny in the north.

Haven’t you learn from the past too? I though you should be applauding now for having the opportunity to go to school in you own town, and doesn’t have to go far away. It if wasn’t the unity of both leaders, Dr. Garang and Dr. Riak, do you think there would be something called “Garang Institute today?

For me, the unity of both Garang and Riak Machar was a blessing for us and we should all celebrate it, because it brought us together as one people. Since this unity has began, we have receive countless help from the out side world and NGOS because we are united as one people. Why are you allowing your jealousy and hatred over taking your moral judgment and reasoning, to see and praise the good things Dr. Riak Machar is doing in the SPLA/M?

I know very well that I do not agree with a lot of things that Dr. Garang has done, but I could not also over look the good things Dr. John Garang has done to the people of the Southern Sudan. I allow myself to appreciate all the goods things Dr. Garang has done for to us we southerners, he has been a mentor to many of us we young people in the south or the red army. Can we please appreciate some of the good things Dr. Riak and our great leader Salva Kiir are also doing?

I know I have a lot of things to say, but my writing would be valueless if I continue explaining what you are supposed to do. My only hope for you is that you be a better leader of tomorrow and not a divider of tomorrow. I don’t know if you really mean what you said in your last paragraph, but if you really mean, please don’t try to regenerate negative things of the past, to borrow your words, do not be “arrogant to very body” try to be an example of tomorrow’s for the next generation of tomorrow, by being humble and tolerant to people. Our duty in the future is not tell which leader defected away from SPLA/M, but to tell to the next generation how the leaders in the SPLA/M overcome the problems they have faced during the struggle and how the managed to led us to our self-determination.

The author reside in the USA, he can be reach at [email protected].