Opinion | ‘Constructive engagement’: Do people see Troika’s hands in promoting impunity, cementing Kiir’s dictatorship?

By Suzanne Jambo

OPINION – Are we South Sudanese doomed to a “history repeats itself” existence? First the promises of peace, then the heartbreak of seeing our dreams shattered. A cycle that repeats itself always with the same outcome—a dictator is left alone to plunder and pillage our country while a self-satisfied Troika just watches. It was 22 years ago that the late Dr. John Garang went to four Nordic countries and returned with promises of friendship and support but also with “instructions” to make nice with dictator Omar al-Bashir. That attitude towards South Sudanese continues today. “Make peace with your President Kiir,” they say to us, “It would make your lives better,” they say. We have all heard their words, but we reject Troika’s “constructive engagement” advice.

How does helpless people, who are already oppressed, dialogue with or get rid of a brutal regime? If so, why was the creation of entities as the African Union, the United Nations, and Troika?!

The issues that affect over 12 million South Sudanese, that affect you and me and our families and neighbors, have been ignored. And the nations who say they care, DO NOT CARE about us. The Troika can no longer be believed. The USA, UK and Norway have abandoned us for ten years in favor of the dictator Kiir. They are comfortable dealing with autocrats but not the people. Maybe I am wrong, but I think they have the same fear of the people that Kiir has.

Not deterred, recently, on 30th August, 2021 our youth and civilians of all communities united, organized and planned a nation-wide peaceful rise against tyranny in South Sudan. The world quietly watched how sophisticated tanks, overnight Kiir’s loyal-recruits into the military, anti-riots police barricaded our People from demanding their basic rights; to be allowed to live as humans, to have real peace by demanding THE obstacles to our peace; “Kiir Riek Machar Must Go”.

The government even shut down the internet! It arbitrarily detained our peaceful activists, notably, including an elderly ailing sickly former Aweil Governor Kuel Aguer Kuel whom they accuse of supporting the protests. Kiir betrayed his fallen comrades as he also betrayed us.

It is worth noting, apart from a couple human rights groups outcrying President Kiir ruthlessness that day. Troika was silent.

During those ten years of our independence, we lost countless brothers and sisters to violence, disease and starvation. In memory of those and all our fallen comrades’ precious souls, we must keep our hopes and dreams but take the initiative and stop relying on do-nothing nations. We know what we know we must do. We must make our own future.

As promised, I’ll continue with a few such articles to pin TROIKA to walk the talk. We already know Kiir-Riek’s talk and walk isn’t for our people, rather for their own personal interests and their families.

The author is the Chairperson of STEPS Towards Peace and Democracy.

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