The fallacy of Democracy: A case of Harassing Journalists in South Sudan

By Nhial K. Wichleek

November 12, 2008 — The notion of southern Sudan’s house of common is to demonstrate to the northern government a good and transparent leadership role in a holistic style marking the long years of dictatorial leadership from the counter part the Khartoum government. To this day, southern politicians including the late Dr. John Garang have been sticking to their feet persuading the Khartoum government to understand the malpractice of its government that serve only one interest and impose marginalization and a wide range of de-individuation to black African groups in the government system.

This political concept is a riding Tory wherein people of southern Sudan, including the other marginalized areas must, in a free and pair quality of life, practice a just and coherent social lifestyle subject to suppressing the injustice in the whole country. In light of the foretold vision and mission, hopelessness, and helplessness were put to trash thinking that a full restoration of nationwide culture to its normal peak would be met. In this, peace and prosperous social lifestyle would be experienced such that provision of services to people on the ground would remain inevitably a societal realm.

Inasmuch, we felt overconfident and overestimated the capacity, and capability of the southern Sudanese politicians, rating them with big A+ for the fulfillment of our needs. The downside to that was the misjudgment by appreciating the unseen action, which eventually molded the expected action by the mass. To bring to attention some of the important issues are not the case for if there is no considerable action seen to tackle these concerns means, our daily cry is nothing but a clinging gong. We have been thinking virtually since after the signatory period, envisioning the freedom of choice to suppress the human suffering undergone by the people of southern Sudan for over two decades that if this peace has successfully met with the reconciling behavior of the people of the Sudan, is the starting point of the awaited freedom of choice, speech, and press.

However, the un-social, and maladaptive behavior exhibited by the government organs (justice organ of the police bureau) has made a U-turn, twisting the expected glimmer of hope that shed light to the path of the southern people. Although it has different viewpoints, yet this atypical social adjustment of the traumatized people wouldn’t be brought to normal by an increase of strangling as one can look to it. Descriptively, the mass deception has occurred because the government officials representing the right of the people of southern Sudan have been scrambling. In this, an Individuation or divisive habit is the only term to describe the government assuming democratic transformation. If transforming a young government into a full democratic government means maltreating journalists is a big shock than expected by the people who were once misled that—right to freedom of speech, press, and equality is the central striving of the government for the respect of human dignity. Why torturing your own people for bearing the truth of corruptions to public, which you still, admit?

Was the Goss set to divert the old objective of liberating the southern people and begin clinging to practicing malpractices against the people meant to be freed? Although staggering responses would hardly be seen, Goss officials would never say anything apart from the government is very young, and cannot handle things comprehensively, which would narrow it to defensive mechanism in relative to denial. But, what the GoSS doesn’t know is a social change and mistrust that is being built against her by the very people with an interest represented in the parliament or states house in Juba. If the mass cannot be assured of the fiscal budget, corruptions cases, and financial embezzlement, therefore, the mass would conclude that all the people running government organs are corrupters and only stay there for nothing but a mere cheating. However, it not only teach people how to become good leaders, but to elicit the style of corruption if not altered before due period.

The Expected Vision of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement by the Southerners

Before the year 2005 many people believed that there was never going to be peace because the divided southerners, the north-south conflict, and the social unrest related tribal clashes were the only things in people’s mind. With the due peace process In 2005, this notion of democratic transformation had become the only political discourse playing further than expected role in the hearts of the southern people. Expectations grew to the level that nothing would change the onset of the foretold vision and objective of self-determination toward a full democratic transformation in the southern part. Even when the government was rectified, high hope was still the prevailing emotion exhibited by many who were enlightened by the CPA to vote for self-determination or a united Sudan during referendum day due to happen in 2011. Yet high expectations in news transparency, financial transparency, and many more were still growing in people’s mind. What made it grew was the case of self-rule which would not only protect the outside invaders from trespassing into southern Sudanese society, but also to thoroughly exercise the democratic style of good governance to restore the nation torn apart by the long years of suffering. Yet, one of the expected things was an access to global recognition, higher education, and freedom of choice without violation or denial of one’s own right. Soon after the accommodation of the government of south Sudan in Juba, the nation’s capital, things began to change drastically.

The Awaited Democratic Government in the South has become an ill-fated Dogma

Although not in full sequential dogma, yet it looks like the whole government system has fallen. The dynamic of a set of rule to govern the south Sudan has become a simple way to torture people without basic ground of charges laid against the accused. So many people are facing jail terms without appropriate charges, which is more than a disgrace habit to the government. In the north, of course, this is very simple to put that instability is a source of pride in the higher level of government because it is the central area of malpractice since before the acknowledgement of a democratic transformation that was brought in part by the CPA. It is with no surprise if Journalists are seen tortured because of reporting the true version of truth. It is not yesterday or now that it happens, it has been a prevailing system, which often practices an act of inhumane in its communality. If given the name, a dictator regime would actually fit for it to be called. They have never dreamt of a democratic change of the government, neither the new Sudan democratic transformation acclaimed by the southerners.

Last week, there was a national journalists’ protest throughout the Khartoum. The reason was very simple although important enough. The journalists were voicing their concern, alerting the in and outsiders, perhaps, the international community about what has been happening. Reasonably, they were demonstrating because three News Publication Centers were short down by the government due to one of the news article published. In this, the independency of the media in Sudan has been deplored by zipping off their mouth not to report whatsoever the circumstance. Although international media federation uploaded their voice to deter an act of injustice against the Sudanese media groups, yet nothing has changed the circumstance taking part. It is a big of a deal for the central government in Khartoum to do so for it has never been a serious issue to free the media from operating.

But in the south, the awaited transformation into full democracy means everything would operate without oppression. Also south has been expected to be the one to stop Khartoum from maltreating the journalists. It is not that the south could be seen clinging into similar situation like in the north. But because of the political divergence going on from alpha to omega, the character of the two governments have not only resemble each other, but have become one in which the awaited democratic transformation in the whole government system becomes a melting ice.

Harassment of Journalists

In the north there were multiple suspensions of News Publication Centers. This suspension resulted in detaining journalists, death threatening, and unpublicized malpractices invoked by the government security personnel. It seemed that no one was able to step in for a possible help to stand trail for the freedom of media. There were ordered multiple of time to short down their publication centers and not to talk about the suspension of their industry.

In the south, although unlikely enough, what had happened to Nhial Bol is an indication of the harassment similar to what is being practiced in the north. If as a nation that opt for democratic transition, and can still harass journalists mean we neither stand on the right track, nor far from what it means to be democratic transformation seekers. However, it is better that we fully go back to the old system like that in the north, than to still say our government is opting for democracy which is not considered. Although Nhial Bol had reported the higher pay for some people in the ministry, which melt down to corruption allegation, yet it is his duty because that is what the media is all about.

Personally, I am against the detention of Nhial Bol including other journalists. Why? Because there are lots of cases that if Nhial and several others are frightened, no one will report them. I can urge Sudanese in general and the south Sudanese in particular worldwide, who are to this day hoping for a better change to correct the unlawfulness prevailing and substitute it with the proclaimed freedom of press if it was not a lies from the GoSS, and Government of National Unity in Khartoum. I urge the peace loving southern Sudanese to call in the strongest voice to free Nhial Bol and so other journalists to independently operate without them being harassed.

I can urge the Goss to recognize the media’s right, and to be left as an independent commission. To refer Sudan as a failing state, southern Sudan is going to be a failing state if the GoSS is procrastinating the right of the media commission like in the north. However, if the GoSS stick to its words free the media throughout the ten Southern States.

The author of this article can be reached at [email protected]