Kiir threatens to allow civilians ‘fight till the end’ without government intervention

JUBA – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has threatened that he won’t send in members of the armed forces if civilians were to fight again in the country’s restive Jonglei state saying he will leave the heavily armed rival civilians fight until one of them is totally defeated.

The South Sudanese president made the remarks during the closing session of the Jonglei-Pibor’s ‘People to People’ peace conference which brought together representatives from different counties of Jonglei state and Pibor Administrative Area.

‘’I will maintain the small army and police around me,” the visibly furious Kiir told participants. “I have decided that if any fighting erupts again I will not send any soldier or police. I will allow you to fight till the end.’’

Kiir also deplored what he said is hatred by some people in many parts of Equatoria state saying his cattle were expelled from Central Equatoria state something he said “was wrong and promotes hatred between our ethnic communities.”

‘Defeatist language’

Reacting to the comment, South Sudan academic Jok Madut Jok deplored the president’s remarks saying “I’ve never heard a head of state talking in such defeatist language! With this, he is essentially withdrawing the state monopoly of the legitimate use of coercion to protect citizens!”

“So now it’s up to the citizen to hold her ground and fight back when attacked by another, or run to Juba? President Kiir really knows how to delegitimize his role! He really needs to initiate a program to end his leadership of this country, identifying his successor and handing over power in an orderly transition that will guarantee a semblance of legacy for him, or he eventually exit this mess under duress and in a disorderly fashion, after which he will have nothing left to salvage about his otherwise glorious liberation history. What a shame, that such a hero could potentially end up going down in such a dishonorable way!” Jok wrote.