South Sudan’s Vice President, James Wani Igga: A problem rather than a conscientious leader

Photo: Gurtong.net

Throughout the history of South Sudan, the tribes in the three Southern states of South Sudan have always seen themselves as more amiable and ‘civilized’ compared to their Nilotic brothers, Jieeng and Naath people. While there are cases in which one can, at minimal, accept that to be true, history and a close look at the actual geopolitical realities in these three states and their inter-tribal relations, tell a different story.

So, one comes to realize that this vacuous sentiment is maintained by intellectuals and politicians in these states rather than by the average citizenry in the villages. A look at historical leaders and freedom fighters like Aggrey Jaden, Joseph Oduho, Father Saturnino, Joseph Lagu, Emedio Teffeng, Wani Igga among others, proves that South Sudanese leaders, no matter their tribes, can just be as tribalist as Jieeng and Naath people, the largest two tribes.

I’ve not seen a single case in which leaders in the three Southern states of South Sudan have acted as better leaders than the leaders from the western and eastern South Sudan.

All the governors in South Sudan suck up to the president in equal measure with no exception. Even when they know the president is wrong and that a given decision is detrimental to the future of the country, these governors would rather see the nation burn than to correctly advise the president.

But what’s my point?

After December 15, 2013 mutiny in Juba and the subsequent tribal fight that soon after turned tribal and genocidal, one would assume South Sudan could have unleashed the wisdom of their best brains to contain the situation.

When it became clear that SPLM internal leadership wrangle turned into, largely, Jieeng vs. Naath, people like me assumed other tribes in Equatoria led by the funny and always playful South Sudanese VP, James Wani Igga, would mobilize other tribes to bring Jieeng and Naath together and end the bloodshed.

But no! Wani actually became part of the problem and his speeches became increasingly divisive, opportunistic and bizarre. Instead of helping the President make sound decisions, the funny man went along with the filth fed to the president by the opportunists around the president. Instead of peace he started mobilization for war! With oxymoronic touch, he uttered peace but called the ‘Equatorians’ to mobilize for war!

SOCIAL ILLS ARE DESTROYED BY BUILDING ALLIANCES NOT BY MAKING MORE ENEMIES

 Not all Jieeng people like what is happening in Juba and not all of them are benefiting from the corrupt political system in Juba. Informed unity across tribal lines is the key.

Non-Jieeng and conscientious Jieeng people would want to end that political system too. However, the method through which an inclusive, fair and development-friendly method can be brought about in South Sudan needs the unity of clean consciences: both Jieeng and non-Jieeng alike.

If you're a smart person fighting an oppressive political system informed by a given parochial ethno-political exclusionary framework, the best way to do it is to create formidable allies who belong but don't ascribe to that exclusionary framework. Without unity of the like-minded, the intellectual, political fight against oppressive systems gets bigger and harder.

Destructive socio-political systems are not destroyed violently from outside but peacefully from within. And this requires unity of purpose by good citizens; not ones interested in more hate, division and violence. #nogunsplease!

The best way to fight conceptual Jieeng's destructive dominance (by the mindless, elitist few Jieeng people) isn't by isolating moderate Jiieeng through mindless generalization such as 'Dinka dominance." 

Create allies to remove the rotten system; to enlighten the uninformed through conscientious unity of purposeful, solution-focused campaigns.

The corrupt system in Juba was built by people who happen to be Jieeng but don't have the interest of Jieeng at heart. And this corrupt system is being assisted by non-Jieeng who suck up to the president for the power-less ministerial positions. These non-Jieeng politicians have a phony understanding of unity.