Gen. Buay Rolnyang | The root causes of the conflict in South Sudan

By General Stephen Buay Rolnyang

OPINION — In 2005, the founding father of the SPLM/A, Dr. John Garang De- Mabior signed the comprehensive peace agreement with the Sudan government under Omar Hassan El Bashir, that ended the longest Sudanese Civil war that dated back to the mid-1950s, when Southern insurgents took up arms against the Islamist government in the Sudan who were oppressing the Southerners, the war which resulted in the deaths of more than 2 million, only between 1983 and 2005.

 Unfortunately, Dr. John Garang was killed in a Uganda helicopter crash on 30/7/2005, and as a result of the tragic death of Dr. John Garang, President Salva Kiir who was an SPLA battlefield commander with little knowledge of the democratic governance and rule of law, was shortly installed to lead the South Sudan, home to over 12 million people drawn from 64 tribes or ethnic groups with diverse cultures, religion and languages.

Kiir appointed his longtime rival Dr. Riek Machar as his 1st vice president. Both leaders (Kiir/Riek) failed to meet the expectations of the people of South Sudan who were fighting for freedom, justice and equality because they felt they were being oppressed by the Arabs, but now the oppression of Kiir/Riek is worse than the oppression of the Arab.

The South Sudanese people expected Kiir and Riek to guide them towards a genuine democratic system of governance in the country. They (Kiir/Riek) failed to establish a viable state and build vital institutions right away from the independence of the republic of South Sudan. The only institutions that exist in South Sudan are the army (SSPDF) and the national security forces which are predatory institutions.

After being in the presidency for two years after the independence of the republic of South Sudan, the two leaders (Kiir/Riek), revealed their own true colours of Kiir being a demi – dictator and Riek a vicious self –aggrandizingwho care for their own selfishness.

In 2013, Kiir and Riek squabbled in the SPLM/A about who was going to be the leader of the SPLM/A, with Kiir accusing Riek Machar of attempting a coup, the move which plunged the country into a civil war which caused a battle between the ethnic Dinka and Nuer in the presidential guard division. The notorious recruited Dinka paramilitary known as Maithiang –Anyor and other non –civilized armed Dinka civilians in Juba took the law into their own hands, hunted down ethnic Nuer and targeted them in the capital Juba.

The fighting swiftly spread across the country causing serious destruction in the country with civilians of either ethnic Dinka and Nuer being targeted on ethnic basis. Launching a full –scale civil war in the country that resulted in the death of nearly 400,000, and displacement of more than 2 million people. As a result, Riek formed his own movement the Sudan people liberation movement/army (SPLM/A), with the reform agenda.

The two leaders got pressure from the international community and signed a power – sharing agreement in Addis Ababa in 2015, which was violated in 2016, by both leaders (Kiir/Riek) in tragic circumstances when fighting erupted in J-1 known as J-1 dogfight. Riek fled to Congo in a hot pursuit day and night for 41 days. Several of Riek’s fighters were killed on the way.

In 2018, the peace that was violated in 2016, as a result of J-1 fight, was revitalized under the auspices of the IGAD countries and another agreement was signed in Khartoum known as the (R –ARCSS) that reinstated Riek as 1st vice president and this time around with other more vice presidents which resulted in the formation of the fragile and embattled revitalized transitional government of national unity (RTGONU), and it was agreed controversially to hold elections in 2022 or 2023, with the recent reconstitution of the revitalized transitional national legislative assembly (RTNLA), while the formation of the unified command and graduation of the unified forces as stipulated in the provision of the security arrangement is far from over.

After staying in power for 16 years, and for his own political survival, Kiir has revealed his true color by indulging in a dictatorial and kleptocratic tendency and has created his own private paramilitary security apparatus to intimidate,  torture, execute people, lynch political dissidents for crimes they did not commit, too much corruption with impunity by embezzling or misappropriating or stealing state resources and millions of dollars from the U.S in form of grants and donations for fiscal year and other humanitarian assistances for over 12 million poor people of South Sudan who largely depends on the foreign aids.

Kiir has failed to resolve the proliferation of fire arms which is the cause of rampant inter – communal violence, revenge killing, rape, cattle raiding in the countryside.

1. Question: In the light of the above explanation of the root causes of the conflicts in South Sudan, now who caused the conflicts in South Sudan so far?

2. Answer: The root causes of the conflict in South Sudan are Kiir and Riek. The leadership of the two leaders has been a disaster in the country. Kiir and Riek have become obstacles to peaceful democratic and economic development in the republic of South Sudan.

3. Solution: if people of South Sudan need a genuine and permanent peace in the country, the two leaders must step down to allow the people of South Sudan to choose their own leaders because they are unable to resolve South Sudan internal political conflicts which they themselves caused.

4. Celebration of the 10th anniversary of the independence of the republic of South Sudan: Nothing to celebrate until Kiir/Riek step down so that people of South Sudan enjoy their freedom and celebrate with Jubilation.

The author is the Secretary of Defense of the South Sudan United Front/Army.

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