Dinka Do not Back an Underdog: A case of President Kiir and Gen. Awan
By Dak Buoth
At the moment there is an ugly and simmering feud between the two Dinka’s prominent sons: President Gen. Salva Kiir and immediate former Chief of Staff Gen. Paul Malong alias King Paul. The duo’s discord followed the latter’s untimely purge on May 9th, 2017 on the pretext that he was an antagonistic figure in the country. I think the President was being economical with the truth, at least, he would have said that Gen. Paul Malong was becoming too ambitious and that he was coveting his seat. I would like to be on record that it is President Salva Kiir who is more divisive than Paul Malong. What is crystal clear is that Paul Malong is a very bitter man. As you can see, he is talking with his mouth full of foam. I do not know whether to commensurate or what the word is, but it is very nasty development, and Paul Malong has reason to be annoyed.
Those of us from other tribes, who look at it morally, saw that Paul Malong was offended wittingly. Thus, he ought to impart some sort of restitution on Salva Kiir and company. On the one hand, others see it that Salva Kiir acted wisely for he is going to maintain his iron hold on power. Contrarily, I’m of the opinion that we must now set a living precedent in the manner we run our politics; and that we must deal with this callous situation perpendicularly with a view to ending this political backstabbing once and for all. We cannot wait to install or restore political hygiene in our country. Once that is done, we are good to go. But in doing so, we should be mindful that, ‘‘to replace the old paradigm of political violence with new understanding, we must be soldiers of peace who can do more than preach to the choir. It means avoiding not only external violence but also internal violence of spirit. So, we not only refuse to shoot our opponent but also we refuse to hate him’’ Prof. Wanjohi Kibicho. From there onward, any aspiring politician would learn to exercise politics in a way that reflect the traditional political doctrine of ‘‘who gets what, when and how’’.
Paul Malong should teach Salva Kiir a poignant lesson to learn from. In the year 2002, when Kenyans were clamouring to breaks KANU’s grip on power, they were cheering and chanting a revolutionary song that goes; ‘‘without Moi everything is possible’’. Relatively, South Sudanese must begin to realize that ‘everything including peace is impossible with Salva Kiir in power’ for he is deformed beyond reform.
CO-CHAIRS OF SPLM/A REGIME
As one who observes the political scene very keenly, I would say that Gen. Salva Kiir and Paul Malong Awan are the co-chairs of Juba regime. At the onset, in 2013, the duo sat down and decided to grab peoples’ power by the means of bullet. They agreed that anybody who defies their orders will be in for rude shock. The likes of Duoth Guet, Kuol Manyang and Makuei Lueth are just mere employees posted to serve as attack dogs; and the trio can be relegated to the cold any time the same way they did to Former Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Barnaba Marial Biel.
It is common knowledge that Gen. Paul Malong and Gen. Salva Kiir are the key orchestrators of this war against Riek Machar and his perceived Nuer followers. They did manage to scatter the Nuer using all means at their disposals. Arguably, Some Nuer say it was because of the Ugandans People defence force (UPDF) or by extension the region who favoured them otherwise they would thrashed them way back in 2013. Right now there is believe that Nuer have been floored and beaten hands down. You know I’m soccer player, and I learned when to admit defeats at the right time. I would say Nuer have just been scored. However, that is not to say they cannot win another contest in the second half.
NUER SPLITS IN THREE DIRECTIONS
Evidently, Salva Kiir and Paul Malong have managed to split Nuer into three groups, and we have dispersed in separate directions. The first group led by Gen. Taban Deng Gai has now surrendered to them in Juba. The second group led by Dr Riek Machar has been pushed to the peripheries, and the third and underground group which comprised of this writer, Gai Manyuon, Botrous Biel and the likes had gone into hiding In thick bushes with a view to regain momentum before taking the next course of action.
TIME TO EAT
The diehards of Gen. Salva Kiir and Gen. Paul Malong consider this moment as an opportune time to eat before the armed dissidents regroup. However, because human wants are never and will never be satisfied, we are seeing a stampede on the dining table. Their fanatics are scrambling over the same cake. On the other hand, the followers of First Vice President Gen. Taban Deng are also eyeing the same dining table carrying their begging bowls. Certainly, this eating competition is what caused this simmering tension and squabbles between Kiir and Paul Malong. At this pivotal moment in our national history, South Sudanese should remember Martin Luther King, Jr’s dictum: ‘‘we need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice’’.
The KING FACTOR
To add salt to injury, Salva Kiir was not comfortable with a group who christened Malong as ‘King Paul’. You would agree, there cannot be King and President at the same time in the country. Because of this nicknamed, Salva Kiir has been losing his sleep. He considered Paul Malong as a thorn, and he was saying that he cannot continue eating with the thorn in the flesh. This is the bond of contention. As matter of fact, those who referred to Malong as King Paul was undermining Kiir’s legitimacy. In a real sense, it is an affront to the presidency. But because Malong and his supporters believed he is the co-chair of Juba regime, that name fit him.
Historians will remind us of the story of King Paul of Athens Greece (1st April 1947-6th 1964). King Paul was a soldier like Malong. ‘‘He was trained as an Army officer cadet in the cold-stream Guards and Lieutenant with the Ev-zones’’. To make the matter worse, those who referred to him as King Paul’ were increasing in numbers. More often than not, they would call him King Paul even in present of Salva Kiir, on cameras, and in front of foreign dignitaries. However, my presumption on the same is that those who called him King Paul were mere fanatics who only rejoice over Malong’s victory against the Nuer factions. But in a real sense, these praising choirs do not really intend to persuade Malong to oust Kiir.
DINKA DO NOT BACK UNDERDOGS
A day after Malong was ousted feud soon engulfed the Dinka community worldwide. South Sudanese from other ethnicities that are not party or privy to the Juba regime are only eager to watch what will unfold between these infamous giants.
Little did they know that the battle between Kiir, Malong and their respective sycophants would end prematurely? Evidently, Paul Malong and his supporters had sense defeat. The ancient dictum has it that ‘‘when you are weaker, never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead’’. ‘‘in vicissitude of politics, it is suicidal to take on an enemy without a back of crude force’’ I concurred with Salva Kiir when he said on 12th May 2017, ‘‘that Paul Malong was in fighting mood’’. We remember the day when Malong was dismissed, he left the capital Juba at 2:00 am with a convoy of military tanks and other military vehicles. His rationale for leaving at that time of the night speaks volumes. In my view, he probably thought maybe there would be a group within in the army (SPLA) that will announce their defection to him as happened to Dr Riek in 2013. In fact, he was trying to do what Dr Riek Machar did when they attacked him in Juba in December 2013. By then, Riek left at night with his foot soldiers heading to Bor town where Gen. Peter Gatdet was stationed. In the next few days, General Gadet defected and declared his allegiance to the people in broad daylight saying his community were targeted in Juba.
On learning that Gen. Gadet had bolted, Dr Riek spoke over the BBC radio and denounced Juba regime and Salva Kiir altogether. Many would concur; if Gen. Peter Gadet did not defect perhaps Dr Riek would have either joint him and settled quietly in Lou Nuer areas or flew into exile immediately.
Nonetheless, Paul Malong was testing the impossible. When he reached Yirol the previous day, people were only staring at him with little or no sympathy at all. The Dinka army commanders in Lake State were going about their daily businesses as if nothing had happened. Even up to this moment, only a few Dinka from Awiel are murmuring on social media. But no senior Dinka has yet come out to speak boldly about Malong humiliation. As matter of fact, vast majority of the Dinka Population are unhappy with Malong’s brutal purge, but they could not get a gut to speak their hearts for fear of unknown
On 11th May 2017, when Malong realized no one was coming to his aids, he retracted and started saying that his removal was constitutional; that he finished his four-year term, and that it was up to the President to extend his tenure. In my view, these are sentiments of someone who had given in. Now the question that still begs a million answers was: why did Malong left and ran away at night if he had those views in his mind? He would have remained and waited quietly to hand over the office to his predecessor Gen. James Ajongo Mawut. I believe Malong was aware that there is nothing known as constitutional in South Sudan. Undoubtedly, the transitional constitution 2011 was already dumped and consigned into pit far away from the executive organ. Everything is being done via decree because the country is under full genocidal dictatorship. He also knows that the so-call 28 states were unconstitutional but he still believed them.
KON KOC THEORY
There is old saying in Dinka known as ‘Kon-Koc’ which I can Interpret to means ‘let us wait a bid until the situation is diffuse’’ Maybe we can buy this ‘wising saying’ in understanding what could have led to the premature end of the ripe confrontation between erstwhile comrades Gen. Salva Kiir and Paul Malong. The Dinka Elders might have studied the duo’s case and made a unanimous conclusion that Malong will loss; that if these two Bulls fight the grassese will suffer; and thus will give advantage to the downtrodden which Salva and Malong had pushed to the peripheries. They had foreseen should they allow Malong and Kiir clash, ultimately, Malong will loss the battle against the Salva Kiir considering the enormous state resources at his disposal. When I go memory lane, I realized that most Dinka does not support an underdog except a few in our midst. Vast majority of the Dinka are conservatives unlike us, their cousin ‘Nuers’ who are seen to be radical and reactionary in nature. Often, the Nuer think that a change without violent is invalid. Naturally, they dislike injustice and confront it very aggressively Pundits opined that, ‘‘conservatives support the status quo not so because they like it but because they believe that it is the best that can be achieves at the moment, and that conservatives oppose change because they doubt that it will result in something better, not because they do not desire improvement’’. Prior to Paul Malong’s arbitrary dismissal, Ambassador Gordon Buay, a Nuer was elevated from mere consular to a deputy head of mission in Washington DC USA. The master-minders of Malong’s dismissal might have guessed or suspected that Gordon Buay could easily bolt out and join General Malong if left unappeased.
In 1990s, when veteran Gen. Kerubino, Kuanyin Bol, Arokson Arok Martin Majier Gai and Kawai Makuei were irregularly incarcerated by John Garang, no one among Dinka senior officers raise a finger. Was it not for Riek, Lam Akol and company perhaps they would have rot in jail. Now history is repeating itself with what is happening to Malong in Juba. Moreover, when Kerubino later fall out with Dr. Riek, afte 1991 and formed his own movement, even Dinka from his home turf were hesitating to join him. In 2004, if Salva Kiir had insisted to fight John Garang, he would have been a lone ranger. Miraculously, if Dr John Garang resurrected today and tries to reclaims his seat from President Salva Kiir, I’m sure he would fight it alone. Today, when you see ninety percent of Dinka backing Salva Kiir regime, it is not largely because of tribal proximity nor was it because they do not see that the government of the day has fail beyond repair, but they refrain simply because they think Salva still has the upper hand.
In the 2010 when Gen. George Athor rebelled after he was robbed of victory by Kuol Manyang in Jonglei gubernatorial race, only handful of Dinka went with him, Majority of his forces were the Nuer. In Nuer vernacular, an underdog is referred to as ‘‘ram mi nott wuende’. And they always stand with underdog against any persons deemed as ‘Goliath’. In 2014, when Dr. Riek Machar’s movement SPLM-IO was gaining ground militarily, dozen disgruntle Dinka politicians thronged Fagak, the SPLM-IO Headquarters, the likes of Dr Dhiew Mathok, Gen. Abdel Latif, and Gen. Dau Atorjung to mention but a few. Later in 2016, when Machar and company were booted out of Juba by Kiir and his mercenaries, they all retracted and joined Kiir’s side unconditionally. Now some have opted to settle with Taban Deng who replaced Riek Machar. In the near future, for instance, If Riek Machar, David Yau Yau, Taban Deng or Cirilo ascended to the presidency and later behave like Salva Kiir, most Dinka will back them in their numbers, and it will still be the Nuer and Shilluk that will spearhead his ouster either democratically or otherwise. In light of the aforementioned cases, I believe Kon-koc theory as the justification for backing the status quo, and I suggest we cannot apply it’ in all critical scenarios and or in expense of truth and justice.
In any discourse or contest of ideas, winning or losing are immaterial, but you shall be on record as having made your stance heard. In unlikely event that you loss justly in the debate, it will add to your advantage because you will correct where you erred before, and take a new path in future.
The Writer can be reached for comments via [email protected]