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It's said that a "scapegoat" is a person who is being "blamed and punished" for the sins and crimes of others as a way of distracting attention from the real causes. Whenever something happens in the south GoSS always blames SPLM-DC, NCP and other militias.

As a matter of fact, the new elites of ruling SPLA\M are mismanaging the resources and playing dirty politics among themselves.

For instance, when the some officials and generals looted the Nile Commercial Bank (NCB), it collapsed. Why does a public servant or an army general consider the national funds his daily pocket money? If some public servants and army generals have decided to eat the widow' food, drink the orphan's milk and starve the martyr's family to death, where is the responsible leadership for enforcing the rule of law? Who should be blamed for the embezzlement?

Lt. General Athor's rebellion

The background of Gen Athor's rebellion is the power struggle between Khorfulus and Atar communities from Genglei State over the headquarters of the county. To exacerbate the matter, Lt .General George Athor contested for governorship post in the last election, but he didn't concede the result of the election. On the contrary, Gier Chang Alwong, who merged as winner in the newly established county known as Canal asserted his power and leadership by trying to eliminate Lt. General Athor. Who should be blamed in this situation of power struggle?

Politics of Ethnicity

During the war against Khartoum's regimes 1983-2005, the southerners were united regardless of their ethnic diversity. But as SPLA/M started ruling the south the divisive slogans e.g. ‘We are the liberators' and ‘we brought the peace' are becoming rational justifications for the unprecedented political domination. The supposed national government is formed according to tribal seize not the leadership abilities. As a result of such a highly tribalized environment, corruption, nepotism and conflict of interest have flourished within the government institutions.

More importantly, our political situation nowadays could be summed up in the Arabic saying "I and my brother against my cousin and I and my cousin against the stranger." An example of that toxic-ethnicity a SPLA general has made a public statement that Lt. General Athor, is "a brother and a colleague" who shouldn't be fought. Only SPLM-DC is implicated in the events to cover up the politics of ethnicity which has plagued the south.

Tribalized SPLA Forces

In light of the recent fighting in Malakal town, SPLA has shown itself beyond any doubts that it is not a "national army of the south." Indeed, it is becoming a tribal tool for implementing of ethnic cleansing policies. The atrocities that were committed against the local population of Panyikang County were shocking, horrible and inhumane. In other words, the systematic killings of young people and boys are horrific crimes against humanity that amount to a genocide.

A German poet and pastor who was a victim of Nazis wrote about Holocaust against Jews that "First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out -because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out -because I was not a socialist. Then they came for me -and there was no one left to speak out for me." (Martin Niemoeller).

Unfortunately, last year 2010, during the so-called "arm disarmament" innocent young people were fire squadded in Kodok County simply because of their tribal backgrounds. No one has spoken out about that "hideous massacre of the young people." Now the same scenario of targeting the young people is taking place in Panyikang County. Consequently, there is a growing belief among the people in Panyikang County that a paramilitary within SPLA is deliberately torturing and killing the Chollo villagers in the County. If there are paramilitary units within the SPLA divisions whose tasks are the physical extermination and grabbing the community lands of other tribes in the south. Then it is a matter of time before SPLA disintegrates into tribal armies. President Thomas Sankara once warned that "a military without political training is a potential criminal." It is no coincidence that, SPLA inflected abuses on the innocent civilians, because the tribal indoctrination among the rank-and-file is a predominant deviance.

Insecurity in Malakal

Typically, the prevailing insecurity in Malakal town and around it needs to be addressed by GoSS. Many serious fightings took place in the town without Juba's elites taking any action. They only reacted by deploying ill-disciplined SPLA forces and other tribal paramilitary units to terrorise the civilians and grab their land. Whilst, official spokesmen are busy blaming Khartoum's regime? Who raped the girl in Owach village?

Hence; the deployment of SPLA forces among the civilians across the Chollo-land is a myopic conspiracy by the enemy of the free south of prosperity and equality. Although the local community elders and leaders reported the abuses and atrocities to the governor, Juba's authorities keep deploying the oppressive army to extent the SPLA forces have outnumbered the local populations.

In conclusion, if the land grabbing is not addressed in Upper Nile State as well as in other states in southern Sudan. Soon or later the insecurity and moral-panic will engulf the entire south. Furthermore, SPLAM as a political organisation must stop practising leadership as an art of blaming and dehumanising others.

If the current oligarchy leaders in Juba will not look at themselves critically, the anarchy will prevail then "Hyenas and Foxes" will take the South into Somaliaization instead of the "Promised Land of prosperity and equality". The End.

Daniel Ater Deng is a concerned southerner who can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.