Why Can’t South Sudanese Take their Country Back from Politicians?

Picture: New York Times

Late Dr. John Garang de Mabior once said that if we promise civilians things we can’t deliver than the civilians would drive us [leaders] into the sea (1.38). Perhaps it’s time for South Sudanese to drive these useless politicians into the metaphorical political sea. What are these politicians for if they can’t provide?

The civil population doesn’t always know what it wants if it’s mentally buried in ideological infatuation. This happens everywhere in the world. Poor conservative Americans voted for Donald Trump even when they knew his policies benefit the rich and the powerful. The mere feeling of belonging, of standing up for something, make people embrace self-destructive, mischievous causes. This might be an unfortunate case of Stockholm syndrome.  President Trump lies but his supporters don’t care.

However, in richer countries, the effect of such blind support of causes that are destructive to oneself isn’t as bad as in poorer countries. While advanced democracies have checks and balances that make sure that dictatorial leaders don’t bask in or benefit from the epistemic challenges of the masses, in struggling democracies, leaders take advantage of citizens’ lack of information.

Without check and balances, callous leaders use such ignorance or nativity to take the citizens for granted. Internal divisions are politicized and politics ethnicized in order to prevent citizens-citizen unity against the corrupt establishment.

In countries like South Sudan, this support for killers has dire consequences. It makes sure that citizens identify with leaders from their tribes even when leaders' actions kill them instead of identifying with other civilians from other tribes who suffer like them. Without any unified, multi-tribal voice crying against corrupt, tribalized governance, destitution will continue to grow.  And the sufferer isn’t the politicians but civilians, no matter the tribe. 

Famine, insecurity and diseases will not affect South Sudanese based on tribe. It’ll affect the country based on power and socio-economic status. A civilian in Aweil will suffer as much as a civilian in Akobo. A farmer in Torit will suffer in the same way as a farmer in Malakal. However, a politician in Torit will not suffer in the same way as a civilian in Torit. Politicians are a TRIBE of their own. They are a tribal species that should only be valued based on their deeds on behalf of the people not on their mere existence.

Given the way the Ruweng people stood up against the removal of their governor, Thomas Deng, and the way they stood up to the leadership in Juba, perhaps it’s time the people of South Sudan realize that they have more power than the politicians.

Politicians in Juba have always seen themselves as more powerful than the citizens. That’s the reality that needs to change. What if South Sudanese all over the country flooded the streets of their villages, towns and cities and demanded an end to war and imposition of leaders on them? Would President Kiir order his forces to shoot at them like they did in Wau in 2012? Juba can only intimidate a small group of people. However, if the whole country shouts ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ then the leadership would listen.

The arrogance and the sense of entitlement of South Sudanese politicians is a result of civilians abdicating their power to the corrupt politicians. It’s time for South Sudanese to stand up to the leaders. Take back your country! Hold the leaders accountable. Have you ever seen the politicians suffer the way you suffer? Have you ever seen their children go to school in South Sudan? Have you ever seen politicians going to the same clinics or hospital you go to? So what makes you stand up to people who don’t care about you?

Tribal pride can’t feed your children, build schools, or provide security! Wake up!

It’s time South Sudanese civilians realize that their problems are politicians not ‘other’ tribes. Nuer civilians are suffering in the same way Jieeng civilians are suffering. Moru civilians are suffering in the same way Lotuko civilians are sufferings. Nuer civilians have more in common with Jieeng civilians than they have with Nuer politicians. Nyakong in Akobo has more in common with Deng in Rumbek than she has with Riek Machar.

Wake up South Sudanese! Take back your country from politicians who are ruling you like an occupation force. They don't care!

Excluding Kiir and Riek in post-war leadership without their consent is counter-productive

President Kiir and fromer FVP Dr. Riek Machar

While President Kiir and former First Vice President, Riek Machar, are part of the problem that plunged South Sudan into political and military confrontations, I do believe that any planned post-war leadership program that excludes them without their consent would be counter-productive. There is absolutely no doubt that the two men have to retire; however, it would be ill-advised to think that these two would accept to be politically forced out or they would accept to step down as if they care about the people of South Sudan. Under no circumstances will these two men accept to step down without any broad-based program that can make sure that they only step down under a comprehensive, inclusive national leadership conference.

In such a conference, these leaders need to be shown how their continued existence in leadership struggle will be a haunting ghost that'll continue to impede any progress, prolong tribal animosity and civil war, and lead to the demise of the country. However, the two leaders would be given a chance to convince South Sudanese and the nation why their continued leadership struggle isn't a spectral political nightmare. 

Part of what makes it hard for these two leaders to step down is the vehement and irrational support their tribal constituents give them. Basically, these supporters will stand by them no matter the atrocities committed by these two leaders. All the problems faced by the civilians and the destruction meted out on the country will only be blamed by the respective supporters on their rivals. Anyone coming up with any solution modalities for the South Sudanese problems has to incorporate this tribal reality into the solution matrix. Admittedly, this tribal reality is categorically unsavory, however, it’s a reality we cannot push under the rug or turn a blind eye on. A transitional readership of technocrats once suggested by Dr. Lual A. Deng and now being championed by Dr. Majak D’Agoot and former political detainees will have to address this tribal dynamic if the supporters of the two leaders are to entertain any notion of the two infamous leaders stepping down.

Many Jieeng people see criticism of President Kiir as not being focused on the issues but on the hatred of the man himself. Any criticism from non-Jieeng is considered tribal; any criticism from different dialectal group of within Jieeng is considered a sectional bias. Unless these tribo-political realities are addressed, any prescribed leadership process will always be tribalized and therefore doomed to failure through tribo-military and tribo-political resistance informed by both ignorance or misunderstanding.

And this tribal reality has always been ignored or downplayed by South Sudanese leaders. This salient feature of our tribo-national existence has to be factored into any solution modalities. Dr. Riek and Dr. Lam ignored this tribal reality in 1991. President Kiir ignored this reality when he incorporated Paulino Matip into the SPLA with his forces under his ‘big term philosophy’ without any long-term plan. President Kiir also ignored this tribal reality when he fired Riek Machar with his entire cabinet in July of 2013. Political opponents of President Kiir—some of whom would later rebel and some would later be arrested after the December mutiny—ignored this tribal reality when they held a press conference on December 6, 2013.

While I agree that Dr. Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir need to step down as they cannot be part of any peacefully working antebellum or post-war leadership, I do believe that excluding them in any post-war leadership program without their consent would still plant negative sentiments among their supporters and fuel future political rift. Any long-term solution to the South Sudanese leadership nightmares need these two men to step down, though no willingly, but with some understanding.

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