President Salva Kiir’s Self-Coup d’état as a power game!

Wole Soyinka stated that "Power is domination, control and therefore a very selective form of truth which is a lie".

While south Sudanese were waiting for the outcome of SPLM National Liberation Council Meetings. President Salva Kiir appeared suddenly in a 'camouflaged tiger uniform' (15th December, 2013) on the national television to announce a failed coup attempt against his government. The president revealed the instigators who turned out to be comrades from his ruling party. In unprecedented rhetoric President Kiir labelled the coup plotters as criminals with history of stagging coups. He informed the nation that the key suspect is the former Vice President, Dr. Raik Machar. His Excellency, the Public Prosecutor and the Judge charged the conspirators and promised further investigations. A political deception has been dramatised on the national broadcast. For a leader whose rule is dictatorship... power is a licence to corrupt, mislead and murder.

It is worth mentioning that the president and the senior members of SPLM were engaged in power struggle before National Liberation Council meetings. A breakthrough was needed by both sides. Therefore, power cunning games gained the momentum. An auto-coup was an attractive option to the president's camp in order to take extra-constitutional powers. For instance, having the state of emergency in place would provide ideal conditions to execute the vicious purge. In this scenario the so-called coup attempt was a smart way to expel definitely all the critics from the ruling party. Following the faked coup attempt the government immediately arrested SPLM senior leaders and declared curfew.

As a result of such a fabricated show, the ethnic conflict has engulfed the young nation. The news of coup attempt ignited tribal killings which escalated to dangerous rebellion. The bloody conflict quickly spread to many parts of the country especially the Upper Nile Region. Who is going to prescribe the solution? So far some regional neighbours want to contain the crisis and others are planning to adopt the sick baby. A notorious hyena is reported to have offered some assistance to the suffering child. In animal kingdom hyenas are famous for their greed and covetousness.

It appeared, beyond doubt, that harsh politics of ethnicity might have intoxicated the new leaders. They have gone publicly reviving the bitter memories whilst their supporters are exchanging Kalashnikovs and Rocked Propelled Grenade (RPG). So the white lies and half truth of the regime have produced unnecessary lost of innocent lives.

Now the political turmoil is devouring the nation, the peaceful resolution should be sought carefully from professional doctors. Any double-standard approach by our regional and international friends will complicate the worsening the situation.

In conclusion, to avoid the occurrence of politicised conflict in the future our leaders must consider playing with different mechanisms such as multi-party system, political dialogue, and democratic elections. These political practices will give the orphaned nation a healthy growth.

Although the south Sudanese people are known by many wonderful names (Dinka, Nuer, Acholi, Latuka, Madi, Zande, Shullik, and Bari.....etc,) the most important family name is the Republic of south Sudan. Building it into a united and prosperous nation-state is an achievable dream if "cultural diversity" is appreciated as a blessing from Almighty Creator. Different Leaders will come and go, but people and land will remain.

Long live United Republic of South Sudan

Long live the Great Martyr Dr John Garang de Mabior

Long live the fallen heroes and martyrs

Long live south Sudanese people

By Paul Deng
A Concerned south Sudanese from Malakal, Upper Nile State