The South Sudan: A Captive of Itself

The South Sudan: A Captive of Itself
By J. Ojoch*

January 18/2009

When problems are pushed aside without timely resolutions they build up into a time bomb. When it explodes the fever grips everybody. And when the next one is pending to explode the people are captivated. That is how the South Sudan is today four years since the CPA was signed.

Look at our own Government in Southern Sudan. This is not to criticize our Government but to cite the state of affairs at this time. Since the dawn of the CPA southern people have been at war with itself while the GoSS watches insensitively regardless of immanent consequences. The tribes fight each other; the clans fight each other; the main reasons being over land, cattle rustling and human abduction. The GoSS is familiar with all of them. These problems cannot go above the head of a strong Government like we have in Southern Sudan. Issues related to the NCP Government are not solely controlled by the GoSS. Thus resolutions cannot be expected quickly. It is understandable. But problems within the South are under the GoSS jurisdiction but they are left to drift and grow bigger.

The GoSS has not listened to the cries of its people. The land issues and insecurity are a headache. Indeed the long wars have displaced many people within the South, to the North and out into other countries for refuge. Peace has arrived with the CPA, but yet many people refused to go home to build their lives. They have nowhere to go to. Some have their lands occupied by others. Some have their villages in the territory of cattle raiders and human abductors. New borders have cut some tribes into territories they do not want to live in. The list is long.

The birthday of the CPA is now four years. Our Government has the apparatus in place to serve the people. If development delivery is still difficult, at least bringing tranquility to the people should not be difficult. The main obstacle is that there is a wide gap between government and the people. In other words: The people are without government and the Government is without people. Each side is working in parallel with the other. Even within the Government apparatus the administration and the arm forces are in parallel. The forces are not paid on time or never in many months. Some resort to looting and add to the already bad security. Since they are disgruntled they cannot discharge their duties faithfully. So they act in parallel to the administration.

The security matters have now produced blame game between and among the various organs of the GoSS. Each saying the other should have done the job. Even legislators whose people abduct children blame the Presidency of the South for failing to disarm the population. We do not know who is responsible. As a result the masses are left to kill themselves. They do not see the Government close to them and hence trust nothing. They have to survive by their own means. There is no caretaker and the consequences of inaction are now touching the GoSS with cold and chilling hands. What seemed to be nobody’s business is finally becoming more real.

The consequences have now come home to the GoSS. On January 9/2009, the very day of peace, the Dinka and the Shilluk could not contain themselves any longer in Malakal. Just about who should enter the stadium first could not have resulted into bloodshed of that magnitude. The brew in the works was land ownership. Some of the brews in Equatoria is today are at the base of land ownership. A dormant volcano is in Akobo. Land ownership is the question. All of these are pushed under the rugs as nobody’s business. How much could the GoSS be told to listen? The blood in Malakal is an unwanted wake up call that is pushing the Government now to run for solutions after 81 lives [plus] have vanished for nothing. Is this blood the only whistle the GoSS will hear? And it happened in the face of the Presidents Kiir and Bashir and all GoSS Ministers. Bashir and his entourage laughed while Kiir and his ministers were embarrassed. The South as a whole was embarrassed and dressed down in the face of the adversaries. No wonder why the NCP offered to be partner in disarming the South. It is a mockery and a big insult.

The members of Assemblies at all levels are responsible for much of the woes in the South today. They are representing people in specific counties. Do the people in those counties know them? Do the representatives know the people in those counties? If not as it is, these representatives have created the gap between Government and the people. They are not elected but they have accepted the appointment to represent the people. Thus they have the moral duty and responsibility to know the people and be known by the people they represent. It is in their interest to visit those counties, explain the role of Government to them and also listen to their needs. Take government to the people. People cannot come to the government. Going for recess is time for going back to the Constituencies. It is not a holiday to spend in Nairobi, Kampala or elsewhere. It should be used for strengthening bonding and cohesion between Government and the people. This bonding produces trust. The people will listen to the Government through the representatives. It renders willingness for the people to implement any program the Government gives to those counties. Even the daunting task of disarmament can be easier. The guns in the hands of masses are not for liking a gun. It is because of self-insecurity in the absence of a government. The legislators sitting in Khartoum, Juba and in the states must go home to orient their people to create conducive atmosphere for resolutions of issues among and between the people. For you to think you have people you must know where they are and what they do. You must work with the chiefs and prominent elders in that society. Without doing so you are representing yourself, your car and your money. The Governors of the States and the Presidency must ask those representatives to go on a crush mission to their regions. Let them see why there is insecurity in those places. Let them attempt to solve those problems. The land or Peace and Reconciliation commissions cannot work in the absence of those representatives who must pave the way in the first place.

Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk is different. He has tried and is yet trying. He is in tune with the people in Jonglei for the most part. That is how to govern. Talking of insecurity, or this and that problem, without trying to get to know the problem closely, is not how to govern. The problem in Jonglei is diminishing by the day but troublemakers run to other regions where they can be free to raid and loot and cause disturbances. All other Governors must try hard so that bad people don’t have a second or third place to hide in. The army must be paid their dues appropriately to help as needed.

The problem of land ownership does not require bills and debates. All tribes in the Sudan know the 1956 borders with the neighbors. There is need and reason for the government to go to the people through the representatives to settle disputes. The people do not know the meaning of peace yet. They know the war has stopped but don’t know how to go back to normal life. 2011 is already here. People don’t know the meaning of referendum. People don’t know their rights as in the constitution. They only know the right to kill and defend. Their mind set is different from what is going on at the Government level because the Government is not with them. The representatives are not in tune with them. The people are orphaned and abandoned.

If delivery of services is so difficult, it is so difficult because the people are not settled. The Government has not reached them. The only time they see a government is when there is blood. After that the government will not be seen until another blood flows.

Delivery of services is quick and possible if we have the right personnel in the right positions. It is unfortunate that everything has been by appointment. No blame because the GoSS must be set up quickly. However, it should not have gone to the point of appointing people who do not know their roles. In a certain state a remark was that the Minister of Agriculture likes to eat Okra but does not know the name or how to grow it. This explains why the delivery of many services is stagnant. Given the rapid delivery people at war could not recipients. That is why the GoSS must clean the house first for the people to receive services [if any].

The other aspect of insecurity in the South is the militias who refused to go to the North and the SPLA members who were filtered out but still have their guns with them. The GoSS is not able to pressure Bashir to take his militias or disarm them. How do they exist? Bashir gives them supplies. Bashir uses these men as a trigger. As for the SPLA members who are no longer in service, no clear reason why they still have guns.

The GoSS is surrounded by deadly elements and by an uneasy population. The GoSS is a prisoner of its own making. It is in captivity. Peace between NCP and GoSS is important. But if the South is not in peace with itself it means nothing. It is peace and understanding within the landscape of the South that matters. Bashir is successful because he uses the grassroots to implement his agenda against the South, Darfur and the East. The NCP goes to the people, listens to them and gives what is needed. In that way he produced the “Jenjaweed” and all those militias of the South that are being used to destroy the CPA today. It is bad giving credit to the adversary but it is what the GoSS must have done along time ago. Embrace the people and let them settle. A government without people and a people without government means no country. Let us get out of our own captivity and give the people a chance to participate.

*J. Ojoch can be reached at [email protected].