Is President Kiir's National Dialogue (ND) Another one for the Garbage Can?

The recent call for a national dialogue by the president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, is a welcome initiative. While those of us who've been following the trend of political issues in South Sudan will remain skeptical until tangible results are seen, it's always a responsible thing to welcome any initiative that insinuates peace and nonviolent way of solving our problems. 

Since the president has set up similar committees in the past, it would be a good idea for the president to make sure that this initiative is broad-based and well-tasked to its logical conclusion.

One of the problems with Kiir's ND, however, is the exclusion of the IO as IO forces are causing inconveniences and suffering to civilians in the Equatorias. Since South Sudan is still at war, the president would benefit from the inclusion of Riek Machar's faction and all the fighting forces in South Sudan. We tend to complain that westerners want a regime change but when local initiatives are started, they tend to be politicized and geared towards face-saving instead of being used to actually solve the problem. 

Dr. Riek Machar is part of the problem in South Sudan so he should always be included in any process leading to peace and togetherness. Since Riek Machar has a sizeable number of supporters, their inclusion in the ND, though hard, should be tried for the sake of the country. No one has ever said that peace was easy!

Instead of using ND as a political tool meant to show the world that 'we are doing something' as Joseph Mum Machar recently did at the United Nations, it would be wise of the president to actually use this initiative to end the war hard as that might seem. It's not only the government supporters who are expected to 'dialogue.' It's those who find it hard to come together that should be brought together through this ND.

South Sudanese are not only suffering, they also are tired of war. Whether these civilians support IO or they support IG, they are suffering and tired of war. This is why it'd  be  ill-advised to use this ND as a smokescreen to tell the world 'we are doing something.' 

Since every government initiative since 2005 has never been followed in the way it was intended, the leadership in Juba should understand why people would be skeptical about ND. Good things have always been uttered but no good deeds have ever followed from the utterance of such good deeds.

In his independence speech on July 9, 2011, the president had this to say: 

"Let all the citizens of this new nation be equal before the law and have equal access to opportunities and equal responsibilities to serve the motherland. We are all South Sudanese. We may be Zande, Kakwa, Nuer, Toposa, Dinka, Lotuko, Anyuak, Bari and Shiluk, but remember you are South Sudanese first!" 

The president and his cabinet didn't respect such good words as the country is more tribalized than ever before. It's therefore crucial for the leadership to make sure that this ND doesn't become another failure for the history books. 

"Transparency and accountability is pivotal.  Official corruption has been one of our major challenges during the interim period.  In order to develop our country, and deliver on the important goals of our National Development Plan, it is critical that we fight corruption with dedication, rigour, and commitment," the president had said. 

Unfortunately, corruption remained rampant; transparency became a taboo and the National Development Plan was just another useless book initiative on the shelf. 

For the president to be taken seriously, he has to produce results. Good words don't equal goods until the latter is realized. It's time for the president to prevent this ND from becoming another one for the garbage can.

SPEECH OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCING THE COMMENCEMENT OF NATIONAL DIALOGUE

South Sudanese President, Kiir Mayardit
Photo: Gurtong Trust

• Your Excellency, First Vice President of the Republic,
• Your Excellency, Vice President of the Republic,
• Right Honorable Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly,
• Right Honorable Speaker of the Council of States
• Members of the diplomatic corps
• Fellow citizens,

I wish to extend my warm greetings to all of you during this festive season. I want to pour special greetings and sympathies to our people in the internally displaced and refugee camps and to all South Sudanese living across the world.

Like all of you, I am deeply concerned about the current direction our country is taking. I am particularly concerned about the recent reports of rising hatred, divisions and tensions, all of which are rapidly eating our social fabrics away.

I am deeply concerned about the parents who can no longer feed their children because of our shrinking economy.

I am also concerned about the growing number of street children and women who have lost everything due to the ongoing political situation. I am deeply concerned that all our citizens are distraught over the current political conflict and drastically declining economy.

At this festive season, I have come before you to share your government’s efforts to end the conflict and to consolidate peace in the country.

As your leaders, we have both moral and constitutional responsibility to protect and preserve the unity of our people, end the suffering, restore the economy, and refocus on the State and the Nation building.

As you are all aware, our country descended into political crisis in 2013 as a result of unconventional struggle for power.

The political crisis was immediately followed by an extreme violence that shook the foundation of the young Republic. As a result of these developments, our country is deeply divided and the continuing conflict is threatening to tear it apart.

As long as I am your President, I will not allow the suffering of our people to continue and I will not also allow this country to fall apart.

All my comrades and I fought for this country not to tear it apart, but to preserve its unity, guarantee its economic viability, and ensure enduring freedom and equality for its people. And so on this special day, I am calling upon all of you to embrace unity by addressing national unity.

National unity is the mean through which we can preserve, protect and restore the integrity of our country. In my view, national unity is a function of dialogue and consensus building. Unity is the coming together of all our people to work together to develop a vision to guide our country for generations to come.

In pursuit of national unity and reconciliation, your government has undertaken many efforts in an attempt to bring the conflict to an end and to create favorable environment to reconstitute national consensus. These efforts resulted in the signing of the Agreement on the Reunification of the SPLM, which essentially addressed the issues that created discord within the party.

We have also signed the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCISS), which settled political and military aspects of the conflict. While these agreements have to a larger extent addressed many political issues, there remain a number of fundamental issues that require a much broader South Sudanese forum. In particular, our political settlements have often ignored longstanding grassroots grievances. For example the SPLM Reunification Agreement and the ARCISS have narrowly addressed power and military aspect of the conflict.

To link political settlements with grassroots grievances, the next stage; therefore, requires the participation of a broader South Sudanese people in order to fully restore peace and tranquility in the country.

As a measure to consolidate peace in our country and to bring our people together, I am initiating the process of National Dialogue.

Remember, Dialogue has been a hallmark of our liberation struggle. We had always used dialogue as a mechanism to manage our differences and to recommit ourselves to our unity of purpose and resolve to set our people free. The SPLM first entered dialogue with the members of the Anyanya 2, a process that consolidated the unity of the South Sudanese in their struggle. When the movement was split in 1991, we held the first National Convention in Chukudum in 1994 where we recommitted ourselves to our unity as a measure to achieve our liberation objectives.

In 1999, we supported the Wunlit Peace Initiative between the Nuer and the Jieng communities, a process that served as a forerunner for the SPLM unity in 2002 and 2003 when Dr. Riek Machar and Dr. Lam Akol, respectively, rejoined and got reintegrated into the SPLM.

When the movement experienced turbulence in 2004, we convened a high level dialogue in Rumbek, paving the way for the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005. In 2005, we initiated the South-South Dialogue that culminated in the Juba Declaration during which the Southern Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF), under the leadership of the Late Gen. Paulino Matip Nhial, got successfully integrated into the SPLA.

Lastly, in 2010, just before the referendum, we held an All South Sudanese Political Parties Conference where we agreed to unite our people to end all violence so as to give them the golden opportunity to vote to determine their destiny.

Evidently, the people of South Sudan have quite an impressive record when it comes to dialoguing, dating as far back as 1940s. Guided by this rich history, I have no doubt in my mind that when the people of South Sudan come together to discuss the state of the affairs in their country, they can come out united and stronger together. I strongly believe that the current situation in our country calls for a national dialogue. It calls for unity and an end to the cycle of violence and atrocities.

National Dialogue in my view is both a forum and process through which the people of South Sudan can gather to redefine the basis of their unity as it relates to nationhood, citizenship, and a sense of belonging.