Return of Former Political Detainees: the saga of hopes and disappointments
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By Jok Madut Jok
There is no doubt that ordinary South Sudanese who suffer the
consequences of the on-going political violence are desperate for
peace and would make any compromises for the return of stability if
given a chance. However, they are hostages of the politico-military
elite and hardly have any say in the many political developments that
shape the future of their country. Nothing can be more indicative of
this morass than the recent hoopla about the return of the
ex-political detainees from their self-exile in luxurious Windsor
Hotel outside Nairobi, Kenya. It is evident that most people would
swallow whatever grievances they may have and let many of these elites
off the hook if there can be any assurances that these leaders will
not simply revert to their old ways in which they prioritized their
egos, pockets and political power. If their return could bring
political unity, an end to the violence, a program of reform within
the ruling SPLM, a vision for development, commitment to post-war
reconstruction and repatriation of refugees, a genuine reconciliation
project that goes beyond the usual lip service, reform of the security
sector and nation-building project, I can bet that most South Sudanese
would look away from the past misdeeds of this shameless crowd of
politicians. Yes, it takes two to tango, or three in the case of South
Sudan. If these gentlemen are honest about the search for a
settlement, and having chosen to stay away from violence may be
evidence they are, it will take comparable commitment from the
government and Riek Machar’s rebellion.
Unfortunately, have we not been here before? For the past 18 months,
from Addis Ababa peace talks to Arusha Intra-SPLM dialogue to numerous
other efforts by world leaders to reconcile South Sudanese leaders,
all that we have seen in response has been vindictiveness of the
former political detainees against the president, trying to absolve
themselves entirely from responsibility for the causes of the crisis
the country is in. We have only seen intransigence of the SPLM in
Opposition, blaming the crisis entirely on the President despite the
failures and misconduct of the office of the former Vice President
that are known to everyone in this country. Likewise on the part of
the government we have also seen lack of compromise, wedging the
country between talking peace while committing to war. Meanwhile, the
furnace of violence continues to consume too many lives. Towns being
overrun at the speed of lightening, only to be retaken just as fast,
racing them to the ground, abusing civilian residents, and wasting
resources in what everyone calls a “senseless war.”
So why should this ballyhoo about the return of exiles be trusted as
the panacea for the country’s crisis? Is it not evident that, coming
on the wings and protection of the South African and Kenyan
governments, these people are being imposed on the country by the
international community, and that these men are simply posturing for a
return to public office on the back of our desperation for peace? Have
South Sudanese become so politically invisible as to have the world
community determine who should lead their country? What have they
done, beyond the empty mantra of “we liberated this country” for them
to imagine themselves as the saviors of this country? Who did not
participate in the liberation? To what end did they liberate the
country, to give themselves the right to a looting spree?
Their return has spurred a slew of debate on social media and Juba tea
stalls, with some expressing cautious hope that these men may have
become politically born-again and could be genuine in their quest, and
others entirely dismissing any talk of peace and political value of
the return. If all that the SPLM could do is to simply reinstate them
and free up their ill-gotten properties that had been frozen in the
wake of the violence in 2013, without such an action being accompanied
by any accountability, handing the party powers over to them without
any program of internal democracy and without plans to groom and make
room for a younger leadership to shape the future, the party may well
start digging its own grave, for it will die together with this aging
leadership.
The author is a fellow of the Rift Valley Institute and a co-founder
of the Sudan Institute, a policy research center based in Juba, South
Sudan.
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Kind regards,
The Sudan Tribune editorial team.
23 June 08:43, by Eastern
Good questions to the politico-military rag tags, Dr. Madut. A
person how has tasted the venom of this group can certainly have that
kind of discerning lense you are wearing!
repondre message
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