Political freedom in South Sudan is being repressed by “Invisible Hand”
By John A. Akec
February 14, 2010 — The little yet influential book of Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, should make a good reading for many South Sudanese during these testing times of count down to elections, if only to be reminded of its key theme: for some to be [free] is to be like oppressor. This time- tested premise by Freire speaks of the melanoma suffered by many of the former freedom fighters turned-rulers who emerge from years of struggle against oppression of man by man, and having internalized the oppressor’s consciousness, turn against their fellow men and women to dehumanize them and unleach on them the most attrocious acts of repression as a way of expressing their attainment of freedom. Namely, do the oppressor’s job on his behalf.
Apart from the usual suspects, namely the men in the uniform, one would also count the apologists of the status quo in all their colours and guises. They, too, are caught between the choice of ejecting the oppressor’s image within or keeping him; between standing in solidarity with the oppressed to transform the oppressive reality, and alienating the oppressed to shut up; between rejecting the culture of silence, and embracing it; just to enumerate only a few of the dilemmas faced by the liberator in oppressor’s uniform as expounded in the book of the Brazilian educational philosopher, Paulo Friere.
Goodbye Freire, you have opened our eyes. We now know, and can tell where all this oppressive reality is originating from. Still we would like to admit that it is always murky for most of us. And the fear of freedom in our midst is real, alive, and kicking.
To get to the point, there have been many incidents of harassment of political activists, mainly from opposition parties, and journalists in South Sudan in the last few months. Most of these harassments are election-related. Cases in point were arrest of members of SPLM Democratic Change in Malakal and Yei. Reports on arbitrary arrests of members of South Sudan Democratic Forum (SSDF), and Unified Democratic Party (UDP); the rounding up, beating, and detention in Aweil of 13 supporters of SPLM independent candidate, Akuei Aturjuong. Their names were published in the Citizen newspaper, yet the governor Paul Malong Awan, whose candidacy for governorship is being challenged by Aturjong flatly denied the accusations. I believe those who did these acts did them in the name of patroitism, and nationalism. They did them out of sense of duty. Plain wrong.
Speaking in an interview with the Citizen (February 9, 2010), James Wani Iga, Deputy SPLM Chairman, and leader of South Sudan Legislative Assembly minimized the acts of arbitrary arrests reported in the press as “individual incidents that do not constitute a trend by the government.” He then sent a very soft message of assurance to the perpetrators by adding: “We have issued clear instructions to all the departments to allow all to practice political work in freedom without any intervention.” He could not give any information on the specific punitive measures being taken against these violators of human rights. One reckons this message is music in the ears of the repressors, and a nightmare redoubled for those on the receiving end.
As dominant and ruling political party in South Sudan, SPLM is finding itself playing the role of a judge, jury, and defendant at same time. And this is not working out very well. Having acquired an image of being the champion of basic freedoms at a national level, the party has been struggling to practice what it preaches in South Sudan where it has the upper hand.
And to prove Freire right, it seems SPLM has internalized the oppressor’s image, the NCP’s. And so for a significant proportion of South Sudanese people, SPLM is the look-alike of the NCP in South Sudan. SPLM government is imitating many of NCP’s oppressive ways: repressing basic freedoms and denying the fact; financing and facilitating supportive demonstrations, and refusing or oppressing the dissenting protests.
If anyone is in doubt, let them recall the shooting of students and youth demonstrations in Yambio and Juba. Contrast that with those organised by SPLM party to mobilize moral support for GOSS in its fight against NCP. And so any anti-GOSS protest is criminalized. All pro-GOSS demonstrations are legalized. NCP invents. SPLM borrows. Under such circumistances, how can anyone tell who is who? Or who is what?
Therefore, these days you could recognize the voice of Dr. Nafi Ali Nafi in the person of SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum, in cajoling and threatening the independent candidates in his party. Dr. Nafi was quoted by the press saying that: “those who will defy the decision by the NCP leadership on choice of electoral candidates will suffer.” Secretary General Pagan Amum threatened his party members with dismissal from the Party, before softening up under intense criticism by independent candidates and party’s grassroot. There is one thing that escaped SPLM SG about South Sudanese: they have stronger democratic culture than North and can defy any attempt to replicate in the South the open repression that is practiced by NCP on the Northern Sudanese and anyone in Khartoum.
We will also count ourselves naïve if we believe that SPLM is going to grant us basic freedoms in a platter without being challenged to clean up its act. This would be true irrespective of whether or not we are members of SPLM, members of other parties, or neutral citizens; or whether or not we are supporters of SPLM, or its staunchest critics. We have to struggle hard in order to push back the invissible hand that is repressing us.
And for freedom to be truly authentic, it ought to be freedom for all. Here, there are no exceptions such as denying those whom we regard as less nationalistic than ourselves the platform to practice political freedom in order to advance their views and convictions. Doing so would be continuing to internalize the oppressor’s image and thereby undermining our claim of being democratic people, and therefore, fully human.
This noble quest for authentic freedom should commence by recognizing that we as SPLMers and non-SPLMers may linger within us the demons of oppression that need not only to be ejected, but be ejected and slain.
We can go about achieving this goal by spreading the culture of freedom amongst ourselves. One of the influential figures in laying the foundation to modern Western culture of free thought and expression was the French thinker and philosopher, Voltaire (real name Francois Marie Arouet), who is credited with a quote taken from a letter to one Monsieur l’abbé: “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I am ready to die to defend your right to say it. “
Hence, let us use the word freedom to mean freedom for us, freedom for others like us, and last but not least, freedom for others unlike us.
Dr John Akec is assistant professor at the University of Juba Sudan. To read more of his articles please click the following link to author’s personal blog: http://johnakecsouthsudan.blogspot.com/
marie
Political freedom in South Sudan is being repressed by “Invisible Hand”
The attitude of SPLA in the South reminds me of the novel, “Animal Farm” by George Orwell which portrays the pigs as the freedom fighter, which eventually turned to be the oppressors.
Our freedom in the South is inevitable. We fought the Turks, the British and lately the Arabs. If SPLA is trying the muzzle and oppress the masses, the fight has to continue, untill there is a total freedom for all in the South.
Time1
Political freedom in South Sudan is being repressed by “Invisible Hand”
There is no oppressor int he south the only oppressors who came to Sudan are the British, the British due to racists mind they handed over Sudan to Arabs instead of the black owners of the country, even until today they are still Arab sympathisers but only pretend behind peoples backs, the second oppressors are the Arabs who took over fromt he British despite they being the minority in Sudan they oppressed a large number of the population menwhile the British government pretend like they do not know what is going on in Sudan, we would all want to forget the past but some parties thinkt hey are smart to stab people in their backs.
The SPLM/A is being protective, that is the right word, why is that? because they are afriad the NCP might try to manupulate individuals like Lam Akol, Gabriel Tang and other big number of militia groups who are still loya to the NCP and continue to get regular money and weapons support from Omer bashir, the SPLM is just being careful but also very protective due to fear of what could happen because we all know very well what Omer bashir and his Arab groups is capable of doing, i believe SPLM is just being protective to prevent any NCP tactical or indirect entrance into the south, it also want to block any chances of Arabs trying to use any southerners to achieve any objective which might jeppardise the CPA or the freedom of south sudan untill the referendum. so everything is closely monitored and ocntrolled by top officials and the military, this is not for the bad but for the good of southern future.
BUT all this will change after 2011, military will be seperated from politics, democratic activity will become more visible and more dominanat in out politics and society, but we will have guidelines to protect our society based on strong African values, not foreign values.
This is protection against NCP, if SPLM was to relax, the NCP would have swept south sudan byt now, they have alot of advantage int heir hands, they have alot of money and intelligent people, so SPLM/A protectionism in a way prevented Arabs from entering back into south sudan affair after CPA.It will be different after the independences of south sudan, there will be more clear lines, more active society politically and in other fields too.
Time1
Political freedom in South Sudan is being repressed by “Invisible Hand”
Dr John Akec
We are all ready to defend freedom, but what about if freedom is missused to abuse and infrigne of the rights of others, should that freedom be allowed to continue to abuse others using the excuse of freedom?
Also just because something appears int he newspaper of in a news channel does not mean it is true or it is free, if a newspaper of new channels spread lies, then it is also violating its freedom and its rights. There for others also reserve the right to cry foul for Human rights abuses by those who report and spread flase news and reports.