Ref: Proclaimed National Dialogue and Partial Implementation of Peace Agreement with Taban’s group prolongs South Sudanese suffering
By David Mabior Atem Kuir
Dear President,
July 1, 2017 (SSNA) — The Agreement of the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCRSS) was signed to bring peace not to continue war or bribery of hopeless politicians and generals that switched sides for personal gains. Millions are displaced internally and externally, millions are at risk of declared famine, hundreds and thousands have perished because of hunger; diseases, orchestrated killings, and more rebels are emerging. Still, there is no sign of realizing, understanding and considering that ARCRSS is the only way forward to bring that situation under control as the nation has lost it the fundamental objective of sovereignty; protections and provisions of essential services.
The intention of this letter is to document my humble opinion that proclaimed the national dialogue and partial implementation of August 2015 peace agreement with Taban’s group both prolonged South Sudan’s suffering. The current peace agreement is not holding since the war is continuing in expenses of ordinary citizens’ lives. The truth is that if the IGAD and international community brokered the peace agreement with a timetable and a promised resource has failed. What will make your overcrowded national dialogue committee’s recommendations work? What difference would it make since it will be the same president presiding over the national dialogue committee’s recommendations? What has changed since Taban took office in what IGAD head of states referred to as controversial replacement of legitimate First Vice-President? Mr. President, honesty is neither a sin nor guilt. JMEC, the body that oversees the ARCRSS implementation with promised resources has failed miserably to live up to the tasks set out in the agreement.
The region (IGAD), AU, and international community particularly the US has missed the point to support an illegitimate cause of the Jieng Council of Elders’ conspiracies without studying and evaluating its objectivity and viability. An example is that when “the US Secretary, John Kerry visited Nairobi and Addis Ababa where he made a statement that the ARCSS was not violated”. From then, IGAD and AU went numbed and you (president) took advantage claiming that peace is being implemented. Where is that peace while the country is on the verge of collapse politically and economically?
Mr. President, achieving peace is a sacrificed and compromised. It is not an easy task as you think. It requires one to share the same table with his/her enemy. An example was when Dr. John Garang died; Bashir and you shared the same table to implement the CPA that led to an independent South Sudan. Making a peace with your friend Taban Deng Gai will not salvage that nation unless you are applying a DON’T CARE approach.
Mr. President, in a real world situation, conflicts require a peace agreement not dialogue especially when warring parties are in an active war. The opportunity for the first national dialogue was missed in December 2013 when the SPLM leaders call for a dialogue within the party something that you and your circle fabricated as a coup attempt to silence political opponents. One would argue that national dialogues can work either if you really want to bring peace but not buy time to continued destructions in expenses of innocent people whom you liberated as they are dying at an alarming rate. However, full implementation of ARCRSS will supplement the national dialogues when public regain a “lost trust” as laminated by Honorable Michael Makuei Lueth.
The concept of national dialogue is a noble idea but present situation opposed due to rapid insecurities, disable economics and ethnic divisions. Implementing peace agreement will make us become one (South Sudanese) instead of Kiir vs. Riek’s people. For the record, I applauded and supported the national dialogue particularly three stages outlined on page 10 of your speech dated December 14, 2016. It reaffirmed my view that I envisioned in an open letter sent to Dr. Riek Machar in 2013 titled: “Start Peace and Reconciliation at the Grassroots Level” published at this link: http://newsudanvision.com/columns/2683-start-peace-and-reconciliation-at-the-grassroots-level-open-letter-to-h-e-dr-rick-machar
David Mabior Atem Kuir is a Co-Chair of Dialogue on South Sudan/Sudan an Advocacy Group in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. He can be reached at [email protected].
21 Comments. Leave new
I was impressed with Omar El Bashir acceptance to give South Sudan it’s freedom, but it seems the nation can not be maintained by the Educated Dingas And the Nueri. Instead they are continuing to divide each, other Killing each other, raping each other, and they have lost political, Economically and lost properties which could lead South Sudan to another level .
I think El-Bashir should reclaim back the country to restore calm and peace.
The ARCISS that you people sing as a jingle was evil at all. It was drafted out side South Sudan and imposed on political parties without being negotiated. That peace accord was not inclusive. It left out non- armed opposition parties, civil organizations and traditional leaders from taking parts. The ACRISS actually brought further deaths, displacements,new rebels and spreads of conflict. When Riek Machar was send to Juba with his opposing army against Kiir’s army, it was a signal of go finish yourself in closed range business.The countries which brokered that peace deal were not impartial but parties to proxy wars. Even if the ARCISS fully implemented, those left out from the immediate sharing of leadership positions would have taken up guns and fight for leadership rewards. If you send Riek again to Juba with his army,you are repeating the July 2016 of dog fighting and it is no fun game that should be done every now and then. It is time that this strategy of puting different conflicting armies in Juba political theatre be abandoned and adopted a new approach. The National Dialogue is not a war rematch but a peaceful way to end the conflict without involvementarmedrmed forces and it should be the new strategy that would lead people to elections without military tensions in the country amongst civil populations in cities and towns.
Anyway you may be right but some of these warring parties in S.Sudan are working for self gain and you might be one of them.Who had heart of peace when the two parties were in Juba last year.One party claiming there was poor relationship between Riek and Kiir. Who caused it.
Mr Bala: ARCISS is more better than the people talk about. ND should not be substitute to ARCISS. The later was inclusive and the former is subset of it. Yes it was designed for us by outsiders yet the best. Because that’s what negotiations mean. How can you design and implement peace with your friend in this corrupt world, unless you both are good Christians. So you guy are talking out of blue print of real peace deal for suffering masses of ours. Look, even today, those you claim were not part of ARCISS are not ready for the so call National Dialogue of yours. Secondly, where is the venue of ND? Really will enemies of Salva Kiir Juba for talks, or will reach out to grassroots? Think twice before you comment, unless you are a tribalist under your comments. I really appreciate Mr David Mobior who wrote this piece to Mr. President though he’s a Dinka by tribe. He’s a champion of true peace and not a member of JCE. God less him!.
Malual Per
As much as I respect your saying that the ARCISS is the only viable solution, I am afraid to tell you that a good peace accord would have never had an influence to make South Sudanese revert to another new occurrence of the violence after they signed it. It further should have never led to spreads of violence in territories that either waring forces used to possessed and controlled. The agreement was naturally divisive. Those who challenged the government got the shares, while making those who did not do the same do another to get shares. If I want to be a lieutenant general in a year , what an excuse do have to make to earn it? rebelled and falsely accuse the government for wrongdoing of course,promoted myself and give my followers ranks or hopes of promotions along tribal lines then get ready for welcoming back to the accused. Is this a way to run a nation successfully? ARCISS encouraged this and that is why it is subject to inclusions of other people who were never rebels or problematic after it rewarded dissidents who took arms against the nation’s flag bearers. The national dialogue isn’t divisive but peaceful and exclusive when compared to none negotiated ARCISS imposed upon every other South Sudanese with threats of iron fists against them, starting from the main antagonists and protagonists to the very last innocent citizens who don’t conform to that agreement for some reasons they were not included or consulted. My opinion varies from yours and it doesn’t mean I am a tribalist and no college of logical thinking can back up any suggestion of being tribal in relation.
I agree that the guns must first go silent and then let South Sudan citizens sit and talk about what they want to regain total peace and cohesion in the country, less than that I’m afraid Omar’s insult that South Sudanese are “insects” will hold water.
Only peace can be restored in s.sudan when Kiir and Deng Taban
Were also given confinements by other countries like they did to Riek M or else Revitalization of ARCISS thats the only ways to stop innocent civilians from suffering.
A miracle is needed to end this bloody conflict whose victims are innocent people. The so called politicians, SPLM members who are in and out the government and the country are unwilling to put end to the suffering of our people.When the thieves, the liars and hard-heared are in charge, war will continue because their interests lie there. So, you are writing a letter to dumb and deaf, brother, we are being ruled by cruel leadership.
we keep singing nobody cares our song because of our resistance to admit our failures from both side now we are left to feel the pain.
Mabor we want brilliant and wise sons and brothers like you who can see future south sudan , the current politicians are selfish and lack visionary of the country.
I would love to see south Sudan restore peace again,through you our president as a leader rather than depending on small officers .
People living in Australia, Canada, America and outside of the country are the bias Mr. Bala because their brother rebel against tribes rather than against government which they keep funding them and appreciate their poorest tragic killing as political strategy to bring change. Unfortunately impossible to bring change without including whole south Sudan as one nation. No way for us if we are mess so we must be realistic to love one’s another.
Thomas
Thank for your response and concerns.I have to agree with you that you can’t bring any change by rebelling against a certain tribe as a whole . If people from other tribes have grievances with the government, they should rebuke the individuals regardless or their tribes.Instead, they have mindsets of feuding one tribe rather than narrowing their anger on some individuals they deemed culprits in the government. This is of course where they have gone wrong and democratically, if society’s family member committed a crime, other members of his or her family are not subject to punishments, unless there are independent and none biased evidences that they are guilty of wrongdoings as a whole which is always impossible.As for South Sudanese residing overseas in some of the Western countries you mentioned, they should have rather used their educations and finances for developing and promoting peace in South Sudan like some of Lost Boys and Girls are doing, instead of funding the devastating war which kills their own people who have no religious differences and are of one race. My inference is that those South Sudanese individuals from Australia, Canada and America who have participated in financing and taking parts in this war on tribal lines are nothing but recluses in those countries and opportunists to fake promotions in South Sudan. Honesty is the best policy and those who take dirty shortcuts will never achieve anything good.
Excellences ladies n gentlemen. let me assure u that without Dr.machar no stability in s.sudan the national dialogue its self make no sense the truth is that let the two parties can hold a ceasefire that will be the solution to peace
What should make risk machar to be most important when is not there. there will be no peace while machar rebellion so many time for Garang time and peace came to south Sudan. if you went peace leave risk machar alone and we continue !
If AU, IGAD and international community still continue giving chances to current regime administration, suffering of civil population shall continue but my opinion is to give chance for federal system governance
Brethren, its hard for our leaders to accept their mistakes, all claiming to be right making the country going astray. I don’t think dialogue can bring peace than to bring ceasefire to both sides then dialogue be conducted after
Self interest in gaining, will not lead us southsudanese
all of us contribute for our country lets reflect our disparity and understand our shortcoming
They just need to fight till either side win. As it is 63 tribes against 1, I can confidently say that this will turn out just fine.
Al Bashir and the world knew after CPA all what has happened and all what is happening and all what will happen will occur. … we all knew
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