Salva Kiir provokes a dangerous situation in the South

By :Tut Gatwech

 The First Vice President of the Republic of Sudan, President of the autonomous Government of Southern Sudan and Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), 1st Lt. General Salva Kiir Mayardit, has proved beyond any reasonable doubt that he is not for peace and unity of the people of Southern Sudan by allowing ill-advises from his ethnic group to divide the SPLM and create a rift between him and his Deputy, Dr. Riek Machar Teny.

Kiir is now spearheading a conspiracy against a number of top SPLM leaders notably among them is Dr. Riek Machar as the SPLM Second National Convention is just a few weeks away.
 Kiir has been ill-advised by those who are not interested in democracy, peace and unity of the people of Southern Sudan that his Deputy, Dr. Machar has been winning the hearts and minds of the people in the country and in the region as a whole and that he might seek to take over the chairmanship of the SPLM in the coming Convention.

It looks like the Chairman is so jealous and wants to punish his deputy surprisingly because of his hard work in the government and peacemaking in the region. What surprises many intellectuals in the South is the fact that Kiir himself last year circulated a Circular to all organs of his government giving additional important assignments to Dr. Machar. And these included among others the supervision and monitoring of the 5-year strategic plan of the government, the annual plans of the Ministries, the independent Commissions, the Presidential advisors, the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the Population and Housing Census, the coming elections in 2009 and the referendum in the South in 2011.

These powers were delegated to Machar by Kiir who himself signed and circulated the Circular, a copy of which I obtained via internet. I don’t know whether somebody advised him to do so in the first place. Now, maybe the same advisor has again explained to Kiir that Machar is seen to be the one running the government by the people and Kiir is seen as incompetent and doing nothing.
 The Ugandan peace talks which Machar successfully mediated and only awaits signature of Joseph Kony is another source of jealousy which Kiir took from his advisors. He forgot that he was the one who authorized Machar to mediate the peace process on behalf of the Government of Southern Sudan.

Kiir also feels guilty of being incompetent to run the government which is full of corruption and loses hope in the SPLA army he doesn’t have good relations with its senior officers.
 Kiir has also proved he is not capable to face the National Congress Party in implementing the CPA and guaranteeing the interests of the people he governs in the South. His recent failure to stand his ground on the issue of census in the Presidency meeting in Khartoum to defend the resolution of the southern autonomous government is a big blow and embarrassment to him.
 
Then why add fuel to an already burning fire? Kiir should instead study the motives of his advisors who want to cause conflict between him and Dr. Machar. These people spearheaded by Pagan Amum as Garang’s boys plot to remove Kiir from chairmanship but fear his alliance with Machar. They want to create a situation where they will finally get Kiir vulnerable without Machar’s support. Kiir is so naïve to analyze things. This is why his advisors treat him like a lazy school boy!

The answer to Kiir’s weaknesses is not to create a rift with his deputy who has been trying to lift his government up despite Kiir’s incompetence. Kiir should better resign if he is so incompetent. Targeting Machar in an attempt to destroy his future succession just on jealousy and ethnic hatred between Nuer and Dinka will be a grave attempt with far reaching consequences that Kiir and his advisors will regret and regret forever!

*Tut Gatwech is a former member of SPLA Red Army or Child-Soldiers. He can be reached at: tutgatwech_born_in_1980@yahoo.com