Salva Kiir was belittled protocol wise in the UN meeting
By Dr James Okuk
September 24, 2010 — As much as I admired the speech that was delivered by H.E. Salva Kiir in the UN sideline Meeting on the Sudan’s Current Situation, and the support that was promised by the world leaders and the countries represented in the meeting, especially that of the US President Obama, yet I was unhappy that H.E. Kiir was marginalized and belittled protocol wise in the meeting hall.
Instead, H.E. Vice President Ali Osman Taha was given the honour because his status was always acknowledged before that of H.E. Kiir through out the session, except for the South African former President, Mr Thabo Mbeki, the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and very few others.
Even in the seating at the high table, H.E. Kiir was put after H.E.Taha who was seated right next to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon to take the hounor of the second highest protocol in the hall. This was so bad because according to the protocol, the First Vice President of the Sudan should come first before the Vice President unless the First Vice President is absent. If the UN protocol officials did not know this hierarchy of honour, it would have been Mr. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, the Chief of the GoSS Mission in US, to remind them to correct the wrong protocol that is vilificating to the honour of Southern Sudan and its highest leader.
Why should all this marginalization and belittling have to happen if Mr. Gatkuoth is keen to protect the honour that H.E. Kiir’s leadership status holds, especially at the international level and with the whole world watching? Really, I felt mortified to see my First Vice President of the Sudan and President of the Government of Southern Sudan being humiliated simply in that manner.
How can Mr. Ezekiel allow the President of nearly an independent country in the waiting with all privileges and immunities be marginalized and humiliated that way? Alas! I wish he was a patriotic Southerner (not Ethiopian with Nuer identity representing the GoSS in US) and nothing of that shameful kind of belittling in the face of the whole world would have been allowed to happen. If I were H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, I will call back Mr. Ezekiel Lol to Southern Sudan immediately for this unforgivable mistake and replace him with a real professional Southerner!
I am tearing for the marginalization and humiliation of my GoSS President at the UN Headquarters today on 24th September 2010. I wish something of that kind will not repeat itself again. That is why we need professionals and real Southerners to take care of the honour that is attached to the top most important high offices that are held by leaders in Southern Sudan, especially when it comes to international exposure and representation.
What happened today is a shameful history that has been recorded and it is really painful and heartbreaking for those who want to see their leaders being valued and acknowledged for the protocols weight they hold. This humiliation (even if unintended) is so bad although the purpose of H.E. Kiir’s attendance at that high level UN meeting is noble with promising outcome of the international support for the independent of South Sudan in time and with credibility for its legitimacy when the eligible people go for it overwhelmingly.
Dr. James Okuk is reachable at [email protected]
Gatwech
Salva Kiir was belittled protocol wise in the UN meeting
Dr. James Okuk,
I concur with you that there is no protocol in the whole world that can allow a second Vice President to take the position of the First Vice President unless the latter is absent. And I am sure the United Nations protocol officers know this very well and don’t have to be told.
But for you, Dr. James Okuk, to just prematurely pass your verdict on Mr. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, is unprofessional judgement on your part, bro!
How did you come to the conclusion that it was Mr. Gatkuoth’s fault that landed the First Vice President in the second position to Mr. Ali Osman Taha?
Didn’t you give it a second thought that may be that was discussed somewhere and a decision was made by both governments and the UN body to seat them that way?
Again, instead of blaming the whole thing on Ezekiel Lol, the Sudanese Ambassador in the US is an SPLM man and his above Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth who is just the head of GOSS mission in the USA.
In my own guess, if it happened in the way you have explained, it could be because of the following: May be Kiir and Taha went as two separate delegations represent GOSS and GONU respectively. In this case maybe Taha was representing Bashir as President of the Republic (GONU) and Kiir representing GOSS as regional government.
In this way Taha could be seated as Bashir and Kiir as GOSS President (and not as First Vice Presdent).
Didn’t you give it that thought, Dr.?
I know you dislike Mr. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth whom you always describe as Ethiopian Nuer. But that is your opinion if you can convince Salva Kiir to take away Gatkuoth’s citizenship in Sudan.
But to go further by passing verdict to call him back to lose his job is premature as you have not yet known what really and really made Kiir to sit next to Taha instead of Taha sitting next to the right side of Kiir.
Please consider the GONU/GOSS thing! Which level is considered higher if their two presidents or representatives go to UN as separate governments and not as one government applying the seniority of First and Second Vice Presidents.
DASODIKO
Salva Kiir was belittled protocol wise in the UN meeting
Men don’t bicker on trivials. Taha was in Shoes of the fugitive Bashir who was left in his rats ditch.
Aturjok
Salva Kiir was belittled protocol wise in the UN meeting
I am glad to see you referring to President Kiir in your entire article as “H.E”. Some kind of 360 degree shifted from your previous position where you used to refer to him as incompetent Kiir. Something has really happened to you people like me are wondering what it is that made you changed. There’s nothing wrong with you changing your views about President Kiir, but don’t you think that you owe your readers an explanation as to why you suddenly changed? Perhaps, you realized that you don’t want to be caught on the wrong side of the history and decided to make your move early before your uncle Lam Akol. As far as this particular article goes, I totally agree with you. May be the way he was treated as something to do with upcoming referendum.
julius mowanga
Salva Kiir was belittled protocol wise in the UN meeting
Dr. James Okuc
The vacuum of professional political,journalism had forced us,the medical doctors…me.. you and others,to indulge into this tremendous responsibility of Journalistic-Enlightenment,but eventhough it doesn’t give usher us to misuse it,or even to exploit it,as in your way of writting. You should be proud and appreciative of the freedom of speech that this honourable articulation”sudantribune.com’ offered us.I urge you to review the ethics of the journalism code,and bide yourself to it.
Regarding your denouncement of Cdr. Gatkouth, as an Ethiopian-Nuer,it was un ethical and hurts more than it intended to reveal.Check the history of the Great Nation of Nath-Nuer,their dwelling before the colonial era,it will shows you that; they were one entity,and still they are,despite of the inherited borders which till today’s date is unmarked.So,there are no Ethiopian Nuer or a Sudanese one,but all of them are Nuer, descendants of the Great Kingdom of Kush.GOSS should annex their territory to enjoy living under the rule of themselves as Southern Sudanese.This call for annexation also go to the Great Nation of Murle,Anywak, Beny-Shangoul of Colonial-Ethiopia.
As Cde.Gatwech commented that UN Protocol Staff as well as Cde.Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth are very aware of such allegations allegations. Cdr.kIIR never been belittle but you are,dr!!!!
Please,abstain from instigating tribal hatred, for no reason other than your personal lack of self-esteem or history ignoramus.
James Okuk Solomon
Salva Kiir was belittled protocol wise in the UN meeting
For Those Who Want to Defend the Damage done to H.E. Kiir’s Protocol Weight:
Did you really watch live what happened in that UN meeting hall? There was no any instant that H.E. Salva Kiir was not called the “First Vice President of the Sudan”. Most of the speakers did not address him as the “GoSS President” or “SPLM Chairman” or whatever, but the First Vice President of the Sudan.
Now, if the UN and world knew that H.E. Kiir was there on the high table of honour in the UN in his capacity as the “GoSS President” why did they put a plat in front of him with the title “First Vice President of the Sudan” instead of “GoSS President or SPLM Chairman”, and why was it not clarified that he was there in the UN hall in his capacity as the “GoSS President” or “SPLM Chairman” or “SPLA C-in-C” or whatever lower position he holds than H.E Ali Osman Taha. This is where my argument of belittling and humiliation or marginalization of H.E Kiir makes sense. If it doesn’t sound correct to you, then that is your own problem far from the fact that was there and seen by any observer.
Let’s not fool ourselves here. Instead, let’s be courageous to tell the king he has been striped naked so that next time he becomes careful before he comes out to public scene. The damage of belittling has already been done on H.E. Salva Kiir’s Protocol and history has recorded it. The only thing we can do is just to forgive and forget instead of defending the hay that got burn into ashes and the milk that got spilled in the sand.
In truth we should trust and nothing else but the truth!!!
Dr James Okuk
Paul Ongee
Salva Kiir was belittled protocol wise in the UN meeting
Ya Okuk,
Don’t ever think that your traitor Lam Akol will be there at UN meeting unless…… I understand that perhaps one day he will represent NCP or Islamic Republic of Northern Sudan if the North remain united and peaceful after referendum and independence of South Sudan. You know nothing about Protocol other than changing your political color to suit argument or comments on this ST web site.