The secrecy of GoSS failure

By Magot Alier Akuot

October 7, 2009 – In a political race, one needs cautioning in order to compete and be declared a winner. Note that you can barely understand the criteria used in declaring the winners whether inwardly or outwardly but a game is a game and nothing changes the set rules governing it. For this reason, a football referee does mistake which are subject to juridical justification but nothing brings the game back into play no matter the fines that may be imposed.

Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on 9th January, 2005 in the Kenyan city of Nairobi, Government of South Sudan (GoSS) has suffered a number of social, economic and political pandemonium which invite series of questions from analysts let alone a patriot like me. I have no idea regarding their cause but I believe there must be a reason our young government is losing its image in the world history. Here, we go into analyzing the prominent factors.

At first, it was the untimely death of our Hero and legendary leader (Dr. John Garang de Mabior) twenty-one days after being sworn in as the First Vice President of Sudan, President of the GoSS; Chairman of SPLM and Commander-in-chief of SPLA. That took the populace by surprise yet many political analysts knew he would not live to implement the CPA in which he was the main player. As if the late Hero had known, the CPA is not an agreed peace but it is resting peace which is why the war bells are ringing Sudan wide alluding to its loose ends. It should solely be noted that SPLM is the breastfeeding mother for CPA meanwhile its partner, the NCP, takes the position of the father who, most of the times, takes less risks when it comes to child care and protection. On the contrary, CPA needs the care and protection of both partners and the rigidity of either partner in implementing its contents is burdensome on the other.

Unlike the words of the late Hero: “This peace is not for Al-Bashir; it is not for Ali Osman and it is not my peace but it is for the Sudanese people,” the CPA has turned out not to be for the Al-Bashir’s and the Osman’s but it is for the Southerners and we can never be at peace if we don’t go beyond the tribal parameters and see to it that its agreed texts are implemented no matter what they cost us! Before we point accusation fingers to enemies, let us justify our own system of governance in contrast to the factors so mentioned.

As tears continued yelling down, President Kiir succeeded our late Hero and all eyes were on a new man in a political suit. Of course, silent questions continued to be asked by common men whether President Kiir would die like his predecessor but thank God he survived the tactics of Jallaba! In the course of all this political turmoil in the GoSS, the Jallaba’s rule and divide policy continues its discriminating pressure and Southern citizenry die in hundreds day-in day-out and there is no national statement about this yet we say there is Government of National Unity! The indicators are clear and this rests in the hand of NCP infiltrating the GoSS for selfish socio-economic gains.

To date, I have not understood the mystery of tribal clashes in the South but the housewife plus the peasant know it: ‘Hate other tribes and love your tribe is the slogan killing them. We all need more education on this in order to comprehend the causes thereof. To one tribe, President Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir has underscored the national objectives of the GoSS and deserves going to his ‘Luak’ (His fathers’ village) and to the other he is being tribal in leadership. The possible outcome of these two schools of opinions is to fight against Kiir’s tribe in order to prove his leadership weaknesses but who wins the war. This is not their problem. I think the point is coming to view and we should analyze the possible source of weaponry for either tribe. In the view my view, there are two sources: internal and external sources where possibly any tribes in conflict may get armed.

From the internal source of weaponry, the discontented GoSS high profile politicians may use the loopholes within the security corridors to get arms from any source and finally supply them to their tribesmen in order to fight against a given tribe in question. As the government tries to rescue the situation, they may plan another provocative security threat to get the army onto business and anticipate change of government should this persist. Coup? This is not a peaceful change of government, isn’t?

In contrast with the above, the GoSS is a fragile government in the sense that it has no independent source of revenue to fund its projects including issuing salaries to working members of its populace. The only source of revenue is the 50% share in the national oil where unknown per cent is issued as if we lack simple arithmetic but we leave it in the interest of CPA albeit NCP cheating the GoSS. The Southern border revenue is shared between the GoSS and the employees at the border who always walk away with 75% of daily collections. No blame because there are no set standards measurements for tax revenue at the borders. But that should have being meaningful without GoSS Ministry of Commerce and Supply. And for this reason, the Osman’s and the Al-Bashir’s can relatively win most of the political dudes who wish to become rich in a matter of a day and may easily arm the local tribes and spur them to fight against each other.

Then now, one can ask: Why would a Nuer fight a Dinka yet Governor Kuol and his Deputy Mar have never picked any quarrel regarding any matters of their tribes? What about Mundari and Dinka? Did you hear of Dinka Agar conflicts in Lakes state? Think about the Malakal incident plus the Abyei issue! All these are indicators of influenced tribal wars and need remedy before they get out of hand. Whereas it is appreciable to protect and implement the CPA, it is equally suitable to address the tribal wars by analyzing their causes which are in turn prime causes for the GoSS failure and the success of an enemy. Can you now see the influence of an external figure who is an enemy masked? Of course I can and have already seen before I wrote this article but let’s create a suitable ground for brotherhood before it is too late.

Back to the GoSS working portfolios, there has been and still there is super normal corruption which leaves the war vision in trepidation. Anyhow, a hungry man can not estimate the emptiness of his stomach until he is fully satisfied to the brim but there must be reasonable accountability as to how our government is not able to finance its projects like Education and other governmental projects. Millions of dollars continued to be caught at the neighboring borders, accountants building amazing permanent houses at the expense of the masses and perhaps looking more handsome than their seniors. Resources diminishing in great numbers in the hands of war veterans who think they should be compensated for splendid work done during the war. What a government is GoSS?

The anti-corruption watch dog has been not sufficiently empowered to independently carry out its obligations and perhaps it is one of the reasons power is being abused unquestionably. Should God intercede on our behalf? No. Is super normal corruption an invention of the enemies? No. Do we work for the failure of the GoSS? Perhaps yes, perhaps no but time has come to prove the Jallaba wrong with their common thesis that Southerners are unable to govern their own affairs! Of course the past has gone with its misdemeanors and we can do nothing to bring it back but as we focus on the future.

Magok Alier Akuot, from John Garang Institute of Science and Technology in Bor, Jonglei. He can be reached at: [email protected]