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By Yien Lam
February 26, 2014 (SSNA) — To begin with, does anyone think South Sudan government wants a viable peace in the country? The answer of this question as of my view point is a big NO. It does not want peace to be in the country. The government has been and continues to be uncompromised in all grounds that would lead to the peace settlement in the nation we all love. This has been the case since the IGAD signed the cessation of hostility with it and the rebels on 23rd of January this year. This agreement was thought and intended to subdue the South Sudan crises. It was viewed as the good sign for the problem to be resolved. This was the hope in the mind of many if not most in South Sudan as well as all peace loving nations around the world.
Despite the effort being putted on this issue by IGAD, the government and its ally were able to sneak out its troops in order to violate the cessation of hostility signed in Addis Ababa in above mentioned date by attacking rebels’ positions in Leer, Gatdiang and countless others in greater Upper Nile including those who fled from Juba via lake state in February. These were the clear violations of cessation of hostility by the government. In all of these cases, however, the rebels responded as self-defense until recently when they see the ceasefire as the toothless child who has nobody taking care of and answer the call accordingly. When you come to the judgment, who do you blame? To me, I blame the government because it was the ones that intensely chose the war than the peace in order to recapture the places that were held by the rebels. This was the intention of the government to violate the cease fire. If that happens as it had, what kind of peace should be achieved while the government weighs ferocious attack against the rebels held territories? Should a sane person think for the peace while the government that supposed to respect cessation of hostility does not? Probably not! This government does not need peace as proven by its activities above.
There is no doubt about it as people should have thought. It does not respect what so ever to other jurisdiction like IGAD. It does not revere the law of any kind. That was why it violated the ceasefire. It judges other rules as its own in which the government power solely base on one person. If Kiir’s government was aware about outside world, it should have done what is best for the people of South Sudan than choosing what is worse for them. Due to heedless thought, his sycophants decided to violate the cessation of hostility because they knew that it is toothless one and they have a backing of Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
In addition, the release of the detainee has been a top issue to achieve the peace in which the the government persistently refuses to do so while it has been a hope in everybody minds that the political detainee will be released by Juba without precondition attacked to it because there was no coup. This has been expectation for so many people. But Juba refuses and remains defiance to listen to international community rather than Yoweri Museveni songs of war. Because Juba chose to value Yoweri Museveni of Uganda than the international community, it hung on its gun not to let detainee go as world reacted on behave of their release. If that is so as world sees it, how would it be possible for the peace to survive in such situation? In the view of many, Peace cannot survive because it was the government intention not to set the detainee free as it has been the case for so long.In this scenario, should South Sudan achieve peace without discharging those detainees? In my view, it should not because there was no coup as it has been widely known around the world. If that is so, what should be the reason for the government to holds them while the case is no long a coup as it erroneously said it is? This would be ridiculous to continue as such right! In addition, this government needs not to be trusted in any ground because it is always talking peace that does not translate into reality. There will never be peace in south Sudan as long as yoweri still kiir’s helper. It is mere propaganda and rhetoric that it always uses to bluff the public view. This has been seen often in South Sudan. It is not new to South Sudanese at all. However, keeping detainee in prison in juba for the crime that they did not commit is a tactic that will never yield fruits of peace for the days to come if not months.You cannot keep people in Jail because they are having different opinions with you as it has been the case in this situation.
As the matter of facts, the issue of not releasing the detainee has been engineered outside the country in pretext of coup by the kiir’s mentor yoweri Museveni. This has been and continues to be factor that will interrupt peace process in south Sudan because the country is being run by foreign president and the country president acts as the vice president as we speak. If the careful look is not being taken, the IGAD peace will remain as toothless as it is for the months to come. Pressuring the man who has nothing with peace will not work. That is why everything that was done in term of negotiation has not been implemented in juba. Likewise, it would be better for the IGAD to console kiir’s boss in Uganda to intervene. Otherwise, kiir’s team has no way to achieve peace in the country without Yoweri Museveni. This is an advice that I can offer to IGAD.Other than that, there will be no way to achieve peace in South Sudan while living the really president of the country behind.
Moreover, peace cannot be achieve in the country without withdrawal of UPDF in the land of South Sudanese .UPDF factor is a issue that contributed greately to the problem of the nation because kiir and his likes do not want Uganda troops withdrawal in the country. If that is so as IGAD knows it, how would peace be achieved in the country governed by foreign leader? Believe it or not, kiir and his president yoweri are not aligning to bring peace in South Sudan. Their intransigence to make peace is being seen clearly. In this scenario, kiir has being viewed as the incompetent leader whose job is to bring yoweri to do the job that he does not know how to do. This has been seen and only adds fuel to the fire for the peace to survive. This in fact, makes the matter worse in the country than ceasing it. Not only that, kiir has shown his inability of being the leader of the country. He does not care for the people of South Sudan than his dictatorial position that he holds. That was why he brought in Mercenaries intentionally to kill his own people indiscriminately by using cluster bomb. If he is the president of all people in the country not his own kin, he should not have used a Cluster bomb to one ethnic group because he should have thought wisely as the leader of the country not a leader of his own kin and position. If you are out there hoping for the peace in Kiir’s South Sudan, drop it. The man who got advice and military helps from the dictator cannot make peace in the country.
It would be better for you to have second thought about your future. This man has been advised to the maximum by his mentor to use whatever necessary to subdue individuals. This was why they intentional used ban weapon.you cannot talk peace with such person who used deadly weapon to his own people. He does not hear anything on earth. The only thing he hears is thunder as long as he stills sharing cup of wine with his boss. He has no problem and he will continue to bluff the IGAD for the days to come if not months.
Finally, peace cannot come and will never be in South Sudan till kiir and his likes completely abandon their intransigence along with their ally Uganda president Yoweri museveni who made the Country of South Sudan to be his own. Peace negotiation with kiir only without his boss in in Uganda will be like a food without salt. If an IGAD is really serious about the peace and wants to achieve it in South Sudan, it must involve kiir’s boss in order for the peace to come. Otherwise, it will be a waste of time negotiating with Kiir without his boss being informed.
The author is a concerned South Sudanese and can be reached by [email protected].