By Abdul Tejan-Cole
On 9 July 2011, the day South Sudan became Africa’s newest state, I incurred the wrath of a friend from that nation when I expressed pessimism about its future. Perhaps I was being insensitive for saying so on the day of the country's official birth. Like most patriotic nationals, my friend was buoyant about his beloved country’s future. I based my negative thoughts on the failures of the rest of post-independence liberation movements in the rest of the continent. However, not even in my wildest expectations did I imagine that the implosion would have happened so soon.
This week, just two years since independence, President Salva Kiir Mayardit appeared on national television, in full military fatigue instead of his usual black suit and cowboy hat, and informed the nation that at about 6:30 pm on December 15 during the closing of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) National Liberation Council (NLC) meeting, an unidentified person near Nyakuron Cultural Centre released gunshots in the air and escaped. He stated that this was followed later by an attack at the SPLA HQs near Juba University by a group of soldiers. These attacks went on for days. Kirr was clear on who was to blame for the "attempted coup". He pointed the finger of blame squarely at his former Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, whom he described as the "prophet of doom", and his group.
Dr. Riek Machar
The two men have had a long history of wrangles. It came to a head in July this year when Kirr fired his entire government including Vice President Machar. Machar had made clear his intention to challenge Kirr for the leadership of the country in the 2015 presidential election. At this week’s NLC meeting in Juba both men were reported to have quarrelled bitterly. No sooner had Machar stormed out of this meeting than this week's hostilities began. Reports indicate that over 400 people among them 66 soldiers have been killed and over 20,000 have taken refuge in the offices of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS).
The fighting took a tribal dimension with Dinka troops in the Presidential Guard allied to President Kirr fighting with Lou Nuer troops loyal to Machar. Reports indicate that the fighting has spread to other parts of South Sudan including Jonglei, Pibor and Bor. The whereabouts of the former Vice President are unknown. Earlier reports that he had sought refuge in the US embassy were denied by the Americans. At least ten former senior officials allied to Machar have been arrested in connection with the alleged coup. They include former Finance Minister Kosti Manibe, former Justice Minister John Luk Jok and former Interior Minister Gier Chuang Aluong. Machar’s house has been ransacked and reduced to rubbles.
Since independence, South Sudan has been facing an increasingly perilous fate. There has been increasing displeasure about the way the African Union’s 54th member state has been run. Both Kirr and Machar have failed to provide visionary leadership. The former guerrillas have been unable to address the huge economic inequality, extreme poverty, high illiteracy, skyrocketing food prices, runaway inflation and increasing volatility in its largest and most populous state, Jonglei.
Its human rights record has been abysmal. Government forces have been implicated in serious acts of impunity and violence including murder, rape, looting and robbery. In its efforts to put down the insurgency in Jonglei, government troops have executed civilians simply because they belong to the "wrong" tribe. According to a Human Rights Watch report, since December 2012, state security forces in South Sudan’s Jonglei state have “repeatedly targeted civilians” in a “series of unlawful killings” that have killed scores and displaced tens of thousands.
The new government has also failed to provide the basic services for its citizens. Health, educational facilities and clean water remain elusive to many South Sudanese. Infrastructure remains very basic. Very few roads are tarred. The Government purports to spend huge resources on infrastructure but there has been very little improvement. This is due largely to corruption, which is at the heart of the country’s problems. As one writer noted, the country is now synonymous with corruption. In a letter to ministers and senior government officials in May 2013, President Kirr declared that "The people of South Sudan and the international community are alarmed at the level of corruption in South Sudan. Many people in South Sudan are suffering, yet government officials seem to care only about themselves." At every level, the SPLM government has been engaged in massive corruption leaving the country heavily reliant on foreign aid. In his letter, Kirr sought the return of over US$ 4 billion which had been looted from state coffers. His plea was largely unheeded.
Most of the funds looted are generated from its oil production. However, in January 2013, it decided to stop production of oil in a bid to prevent Sudan from stealing more of its oil. It alleged that Sudan had stolen $ 815 million worth of its oil for the use of Sudan’s pipelines. With the absence of South Sudanese oil, the economic situation in the country has worsened. Over 4.5 billion South Sudanese Pounds (SSPs) has been accumulated in debt.
Both President Kirr and former VP Machar remain equally culpable for the failures of the government to deliver on its liberation promises. Since the death of its founding leader, John Garang, the SPLM has been largely engaged in infighting and a bitter contest for power, wealth and influence. It has failed to transform itself from a liberation movement to a political party with democratic structures that allows for political power to be genuinely contested. In failing to make this transformation, they may very well drag the fragile country into an all-out tribal civil war – a betrayal of the sacrifices of the gallant martyrs and fallen comrades of the SPLA who lost their precious lives for peace, freedom, justice and equality.
(C) Politico 19/12/13
