Kiir says politicians ignited South Sudan inter-tribal clashes
By Isaac Vuni
April 12, 2009 (JUBA) – The President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, said there is serious tribal conflict among southerners today being perpetrated by some politicians who are obstructing peaceful living, despite having avoided tribal fighting during the civil war that lasted for 22 years.
“There was no tribal conflict when we were fighting in the bush,” said Kiir during an Easter feast at St. Theresa Cathedral Kator.
Without mentioning names, the president emphasized that some politicians for their own benefit are out to instigate innocent southerners to fight each other, adding that there had been serious tribal fighting in Upper Nile, Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria, Warrap and Lakes states.
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army, the insurgency that brought Kiir to power, presents itself as a pan-tribal movement that represents all “marginalized” peoples of the Sudan, and it makes “tribalism” a key target of party invective.
After the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), many southern communities rose against each other. Thousands of people have been killed in South Sudan villages yearly despite this accord reached in Kenya on January 9, 2005.
Inter-tribal or community-level violence has been touched off by cattle raiding and resource competition, the uneven advance of civilian disarmament campaigns, competition over stakes in the different layers of the newly established government, and land and grazing rights — matters complicated by massive refugee returns.
President Kiir’s remarks today follow a recent meeting of southern opposition leaders in Kenana of White Nile State in northern Sudan, who slammed the South’s ruling party for “the continuously deteriorating administrative, security and political situation in Southern Sudan.”
In his address, Kiir appealed to southerners to focus especially on the upcoming general election and referendum in 2011 rather than embracing tribal fighting with their own brothers. He said also that without census results, it would be difficult to know the proper geographical demarcation of constituencies – a reference to the long-delayed publication of the census outcome.
The president further advised southerners to fully defend implementation of the CPA in letter and spirit. Otherwise, he warned “it seems some external enemies are instigating and would very much like to destroy the CPA the same way they did for the Addis Ababa accord of 1972.”
He told the congregation of his successful mission in solving tribal conflict between Shilluk and Dinka in Malakal that occurred during the celebration for the fourth anniversary of the CPA in the presence of himself, the president of the Republic, and local and international invited dignitaries.
At least nine were killed in the Shilluk-Dinka clashes in January 2009. Malakal also witnessed an unrelated, deadlier incident the next month during a stand-off between SPLA military units and forces loyal to a former southern militia leader who is now a major general in the Sudan Armed Forces, leaving 57 dead.
Those who clashed during the January celebration in Malakal have accused President Kiir of becoming a Dinka chief, Kiir said. This admission might indicate his inability to mediate the local conflict, which relates to land rights in the town.
Earlier, Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro said Easter is the most important event in Christianity because Lord Jesus Christ has overpowered death and then he appeared to early disciples who had been about to lose hope in God.
The archbishop urged Christians to believe in Jesus’ resurrection and to keep on renewing faith in the risen Lord who commanded his disciples to proclaim the good news to the entire world. Hence the entire congregation renewed their baptismal promises, led by the church official who today has served 39 years as a catholic priest.
Loro appealed to Sudanese to elect right persons in right places who also cherish the interest of the people. Be it president, ministers or legislators, all are people who should work with sincerity as Easter commands all people of God to be truthful in all their doing, he said.
Despite heavy rain, tens of thousands faithful Christians turned out to celebrate the Easter feast at St. Theresa (Kator) Cathedral that started late at 12.10 p.m. Sudan local time instead of 11.00 a.m.
Among the faithful was President Salva Kiir Mayardit; Ambros Ringthik, former chief justice; and Samson Kwaje, former seminarian turned minister of agriculture.
(ST)
Nile
Kiir says politicians ignited South Sudan inter-tribal clashes
why this confused leader always make his baseless blames in the church?
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
Kiir says politicians ignited South Sudan inter-tribal clashes
Away with you Kiir a dinkas born visionless community. Who do you think you are? Your one of those mad politicians don’t leave yourself behind. What can you, your community and your people achieve? nothing just eating and sleeping is the only thing for dinkas. Sorry lost and jungle community i will never let myself to be convinced by any of you.
trueman
Kiir says politicians ignited South Sudan inter-tribal clashes
Mr. Kiir is stating the obvious, South Sudanese already know that the tribal clashes in the South are ignited by politicians, the question is what is Kiir doing about it?
In the west, US for example, there is what they call hate crime; when a person is targeted because of race, national orginin, religion or etc. These crimes are aggressively investigated and culprits are severely punished. The goal objective of the laws against hate crime are obvious, if you don’t deal with this crimes they can threaten the very fabric of the country.
Mr. Kiir has made a lot of progress in bringing South Sudanese together, especially at the start of his administratin. Unfortunately his hard work is now falling apart because of these tribalist politician. Sometimes I wonder, how comes that Kiir is not making an example of these politician by publically naming them and removing them from his adminstration so that others can be deterred from playing tribal politics. Inaction against tibalism and it’s cousin curroption are great threats to the overall stability and vaiability of South Sudan.
Mr. Kiir, for the sake of myrters who have given their lives for free and peaceful South Sudan, and for the sake of the young children who still dream of a peaceful home call South Sudan, please act aganist tribalism and curroption. You have already said enough and you have been heard, what is needed now is action. Get rid of the curropt officials, send those instigating intertribal clashes to hell(I mean prisons) where they belong.
Gatwech
Kiir says politicians ignited South Sudan inter-tribal clashes
First Class Traitors of South Sudan,
1/ Those who for the first time in the history of the people of South Sudan betrayed the rest of the South to British cononial administration. They betrayed tribes that fought the British in rejection to colonization. They did it by being bribed with sacks of sugar and salt. They submitted themselves to sweet taste of sugar. But the other mighty and patriotic tribes fought the British until they made the British to withdraw.
2/ In 1970s and 80s some leaders like Abel Alier who betrayed the first South Sudan Regional government’s leaders. He collaborated with President Jaafaar Nimeiri and betrayed the South, earning the name from Jalaba as ‘Real Son of Sudan.’ He stole leadership of the High Executive Council from the rightful leader, Joseph Lagu. Alier caused the first ever division within the South resulting to regionalism. Nimeiri succeeded in the assignment he gave to Abel Alier to divide the South.
3/ Late John Garang was sent by the same Nimeiri to arrest the rebellion in Bor and Ayod which were instigated by Kerubino Kwanyin Bol and William Nyuon Bany respectively. Garang was sent to bring back the leaders who were following those of Vincent Kwany Latjor and Gordon Koang Chol in Bilpam. When he failed to bring them back, Garang decided to join them as an alternative to implement his assignment. Because Nimeiri feared that the rebellion may cause the South to fight out its independence from the North, Garang implemented the Jalaba’s interest to keep Sudan united. And that is why he called for a united socialist Sudan in 1983 SPLM manifesto and later changed it to united secular democratic Sudan in 1994.
However, other South Sudan nationalists saw the betrayal of Southern cause and corrected it in 1991 by calling for self-determination for the people of South Sudan that would lead to independence through exercise of referendum. The Jalaba betrayal tactics through Garang failed. South Sudanese are very aware of their self-determination rights and want nothing less than independence that would free them for ever from the Northern oppressors.
Now Salva Kiir is betraying the South Sudan again by denying it of development. Tribalism and corruption (by plain traditional tribal thieves) are the norms of his administration. For how long shall we continue with these tribal failed thieves and traitors who are popularly known as “Traitors of South Sudan?”
Nal Dit Kum
Kiir says politicians ignited South Sudan inter-tribal clashes
It is a good news that Kii has acknowledge is part in the tribal war. Thank you for admitting your influence in these tribal wars. Stop being a nonsense now and get your shits together.