When will Republican Decrees stop in South Sudan?
By Peter Gai Manyuon
February 14, 2014 – I always think analytical about my Country, sometimes I get confused and get discouraged of the chronic tribalism, corruption, nepotism that has become the gene within the South Sudanese people especially the people who are claiming to have been the fathers of the new nation and moreover they are not.
Furthermore, there are major two scenarios that are happening right now; there are Presidential Republican Decrees that are always being issued out in Juba and also there is negotiation in Ethiopians Capital Addis-Ababa. The question is; which one is which now? Will the negotiation progress well in that sense?
International Communities and regional body like Inter-governmental Authority on the Development (IGAD) are fully engaged with the peace talk but President of South Sudan Gen Salva Kiir Mayardit is just issuing rare decrees that are trying to provoke the all situation of the newest nation.
Hence, since the Independence of the Republic of South was declared on the 9th of July 2011, there had been decrees from the President office but people look at them as something myopic and ambiguous to be practice in the newest state, because sometimes there is no legitimacy follow within Kiir government/system.
More interestingly, I have noted with concern on the State television that has been use as the public relations broadcast in Juba; decrees are always being read out frequently without good bases that encompasses the true accountability and transparency in South Sudan. Moreover, since then up to date, most of the South Sudanese have over looked at the way national issues are being taken by a clicks of people that only focuses on their stomach and families.
Looking at the decrees that the President of South Sudan issued out this week where he announced the positions of the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) first Vice Chairperson Dr Riek Machar Teny and his Counterpart the Secretary of the ruling party Comrade Pagan Amum vacant. If you can think intellectually; and reflect on ,you can come up with very many points that need good projections because realistically and logically, things might not be right in the Republic of South Sudan as time go around due to the current methodology use in governance in South Sudan.
The dismissal of the first Vice Chairperson of the party and the Secretary General is an indication of dictatorship that had manifested in the Country leadership.
What I know, the frequent decrees from the President might cause him to be out from the leadership I guess.
Well; decrees can some time be there, but not always us as such because sometimes they are trying to incite the people of South Sudan in one way or the other.
However, having contextualized the current mess that is going on in the newest state in South Sudan, you find that, people have been demoralized, traumatized by the Republican Decrees that has been the only way of ruling or running the Country. When you reviewed at the decrees, you find that President Mayardit, has gone beyond the jurisdiction of the State. He is now more powerful then the state. The question is; will he not decree himself out from the Leadership one day?
There are scenarios, where decrees cannot be use like within the Party, sometimes decrees are use in rare conditions in any government worldwide but for the case of South Sudan, is so complex. People have reach at the stage of civilization but the mind of village is now taking the new Country backward.
The decrees that President Kiir Mayardit issued out since the year 2013 up to 2014, is an indication of the failed government and autocratic leadership that need world attention before things goes wrong, likewise he need to be train on how to use the decrees in his government.
However, South Sudan is categorized as the new Country that had over use the Presidential decrees in wrong way according to the world analysis about Juba. Most of the people have viewed at the decrees as one man interest, other view it as wrong ideology full of evils perception.
The current negotiation in Ethiopians Capital Addis-Ababa is on and off some times due to different ideological perceptions that is in people minds and hearts ,more so in the side of President Kiir and his new friend Yuweri Kaguta Museveni due to the fact that, they are refusing what the Regional body and International Communities proposed to them.
The ongoing crisis in the Republic of South Sudan, need good strategic approaches in order to settle the dispute that brought a lots of confrontation within the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) and there after lead to the rebellion that sized the oil producing states in the Republic of South Sudan last year December 2014 and 2014 January as well.
Projections of the decrees
According to your own thinking as the person; do you think there will be peace or stability in South Sudan since there are decrees issued out and people are very engaged with the peace negotiation in Ethiopia?
Will the regional body and International Communities not react toward the manipulation strategy by Kiir and Museveni?
Recommendations;
• President kiir should stop unnecessary decrees that are provoking the current situation of South Sudan, inciting people by removing an elected members from the party without good methodology use, can Jeopardize the all process. South Sudanese need peaceful transfer of power from one person to another because ,when South Sudan was cleared as an Independent nation in 2011, we chose for the democratization that should be observe by all the different stakeholders within the country including political parties and etcetera
• President Kiir should think twice for the peaceful co-existence of the people of South Sudan then creating avenues that does not promote democratization and the respect for the rule of law and Human Rights within the party and Republic of South Sudan as well.
In conclusion; Country like the Republic of South Sudan need all of us, therefore; the ideology of having or promoting hatred among others will never work and cannot work in the territory of the black people.
Author is Independent Journalist who had written articles extensively on the issues of Democratization and Human Rights in South Sudan; you can contact him through; [email protected]. He is writing the book on Tribalism and Corruption in the Republic of South Sudan