Akot crisis is fruit of bad governance

By John Yol Akol Yol

January 1, 2010 — The Akot crisis between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and civilians in Rumbek East County has gotten out of hand in Lakes state due to bad governance in the present cabinet of Governor Daniel Awet Akot. The power struggle within the Executive itself has hit the state cabinet resulting in a number of members seeking the governorship for themselves in this coming election.

Current Deputy Governor Nok Marial Buot and many other ministers are preparing to contest with Daniel Awet in this coming vote and this is a clear signal that the present rule of Awet is weak.

If all these present ministers become governors, then who are going to be ruled? And how can Governor Awet sustain his position if the cabinet is split like now? They are seeking for governorship without knowing what might happen in the coming future. If those youth are finished who are they going to command? Are they going to rule themselves as a cabinet that operates without a people?

It is very regrettable this failed government of Lakes state which was formed by Salva Kiir Mayardit’s decree and in fact this government is taking the people of Lakes state to nowhere.

Therefore, I advise the government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) to form urgently a caretaker government. The previous day when insecurity erupted in Akot, the state government called an emergency meeting at night at the state house and this meeting bore no fruit and that showed the community that the leadership of Awet is not helpful in any way because this cabinet has seriously split.

I seriously condemned the burning of Akot payam houses because even since we were in the bush fighting with Arabs (the Khartoum regime), Akot had not been burnt down since the war started. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) failed to capture Akot during the war period and Akot’s people were very proud of that. I would put the question in this way: was Akot not part of the same struggle faced by the government of Southern Sudan? Is Akot not part of Southern Sudan in terms of its wealth and persons as well properties? Akot Payam cannot and will never be forgotten because it is the mother of the struggle of Southern Sudan and Akot Payam’s community should be given an award instead being killed by SPLA.

The SPLM state Liberation Council has passed a resolution calling for withdrawal of forces and yet SPLA seems to refuse inside Akot. What is their motive behind that? I am very happy for the extraordinary sitting you, the cabinet, have done yesterday regarding the Akot crisis although you were with the failed SPLM Chairman Daniel Awet Akot with his government of nowhere.

I am ready to face any conditions because I know very well that you, Awetdit, always threaten people who had access to Media.

The government of Lakes state has contradicted herself with the presidential decree of disarmament in Lakes state. Top government officials of Lakes state on their live programme on Radio Rumbek FM-98 announced to cattlekeepers to keep thier guns secretly. What does that mean? It has proven that officials are selling guns and in various counties guns which had been disarmed, guns have returned into civilians’ hands and Awet should know this very well.

This return of the guns back to civilians is directly attributable to the Awet cabinet members. I urge all SPLA soldiers hunt for guns and mind that you respect the presidential decree. The decree has been violated by the government of Lakes state by allowing the civilians to carry their guns.

John Yol Akol Yol is an SPLM activist

Editor’s note: Background information related to the above opinion piece may be found at these recent Sudan Tribune news items:

Confrontation in Rumbek East leaves 3 civilians and 13 SPLA soldiers killed (Jan. 2, 2010)

Nine candidates to seek Lakes governorship (Dec. 31, 2009)

Five S. Sudan soldiers, two pastoralists killed in gunfight in Lakes state (Dec. 29, 2009)