Comedian-turned-rebel leader says Kiir must be removed through armed struggle

JUBA – The leader of the People’s Freedom Movement (PFM), Colonel Philip Omon Bartholomew, a comedian-turned-rebel leader known as “Feel Free,” has issued a call for the removal of President Salva Kiir through armed conflict.

In an interview with Sudans Post, his first since establishing the opposition rebel group in April, Bartholomew emphasized that peaceful efforts have proven ineffective in bringing about change in South Sudan, leaving armed struggle as the only viable path forward.

Bartholomew, who has become a vocal critic of the government, has cited the country’s deep-rooted problems and the government’s ineffective leadership as the primary reasons for his decision to initiate a rebellion.

These issues include rampant corruption, economic mismanagement, ethnic tensions, and a lack of basic services for the population. Bartholomew believes that the current government is incapable of addressing these challenges and that only a fundamental change in leadership can bring about the necessary reforms.

“The reason I rebelled is because of the issues happening in the country. That’s one. Two, the way the system is handling the country’s affairs has really brought us to the situation we’re in now,” he told Sudans Post from his hideout in Eastern Equatoria.

He detailed efforts by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the ruling party led by President Kiir, to persuade him to join their ranks. The SPLM used figures like the speaker of parliament, Jemma Nunu Kumba, in an attempt to leverage his ethnic background.

“Regarding me, first of all, the SPLM tried their best to convince me to join them in their actions that are harmful to the people of South Sudan. They tried to persuade me using Jemma Nunu Kumba because they thought, as an Azande, I would be influenced by her. However, Jemma Nunu Kumba failed to convince me, and then they also approached Bakosoro and Lobong to persuade me. They met with me, but they also failed,” he said.

However, these efforts were unsuccessful, leading the SPLM to seek assistance from other prominent figures, who Bartholomew said also failed to sway him. He explained that his decision to take up arms is based on his belief that regimes established through force must be overthrown in the same manner.

“The reason I believe this system should be removed by force is that, historically, every regime that came to power through armed struggle has also been removed through armed struggle. If you look back at history, you’ll see that no one relinquishes power voluntarily unless they were brought in through democratic means; in such cases, they are removed through democratic means,” he said.

Bartholomew pointed out that South Sudan’s leaders did not achieve independence through peaceful negotiations but through the force of arms, which culminated in an agreement leading to the 2011 referendum.

He accused the current regime of illegitimately extending its stay in power through a series of agreements since 2015, arguing that no one in the government can claim to be a legitimate leader because there have never been elections since independence.

“The leaders of South Sudan did not liberate the country through peaceful means—it was through force until they reached an agreement leading to the referendum. Now, since 2015, the regime in Juba has been extending its stay in power through agreements. Apart from these agreements, no one is legitimate. No one can claim to be a legitimate leader in this country because their mandate has ended,” he indicated.

Bartholomew also shared a personal anecdote to illustrate the regime’s repression and then criticized the government’s heavy-handed response to peaceful protests, citing the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA) demonstrations in Juba.

“For example, one of our colleagues, a singer, was arrested in Juba. When I led a demonstration in Juba with fellow musicians, we were detained the whole day and released at 8:00 PM. We were released because we stood strong together, even though we were intimidated,” he said.

“But the regime of Salva Kiir cannot be changed through demonstrations. If you remember, at one point we tried to demonstrate in Juba against the regime—the demonstration organized by the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA). The government released $15 million for national security to disperse those demonstrations. That’s why the only way to change this system is through armed struggle because Kiir does not allow peaceful means. They do not have the interests of South Sudan at heart; they are all after their personal interests,” he added.

Bartholomew further accused the nation’s leaders of prioritizing personal gain over the welfare of South Sudan and warned that the children of the current leadership, who are being educated overseas, could return to continue the existing dictatorship.

“They do not have the interests of South Sudan at heart; they are all after their personal interests. Ninety-nine percent of them have their families outside South Sudan. They are looting resources to feed their families abroad,” he said.

“Tomorrow, their children, who are now in schools in those countries, will come back and continue the dictatorship that is happening now. So, the only way forward is for us to confront them, and the only way they will understand is through force,” he added.