South Sudan should be expelled from the UN & AU

I totally support the Norwegian government statement on Wednesday 12th March rejecting Juba's claims over UN arms seizure calling it "unreasonable and groundless accusations." The behaviour of the leaders and government of South Sudan towards the UN (UNMISS) and its staff in South Sudan is barbaric, embarrassing and totally unacceptable to most civilised but silent South Sudanese.

Hilde Johnson might not be an angel but subjecting her to constant harassment is a reflection of gender bias typical of male chauvinists dominating the failed regime of Salva Kiir.

If the fledging state cannot cope with demands and rules of modern civilisation necessary for the efficient operations of world agencies like the UN, South Sudan's membership to the world body should be terminated; and put on probation subject to fulfilment of satisfactory requirements before readmission.

South Sudan has only been in existence as an independent state for less than 36 months and already the UN has faced more problems in South Sudan than ever recorded in other similar situations.

For over a week now, Juba has taken UNMISS and its head of operations in Juba, Hilde Johnson, to task accusing them over an alleged incident of seizure of UN truck in Lakes state loaded with weapons en-route to embattled Bentui.

Explanations by UNMISS that the weapons and ammunition belong to the newly arrived Ghanaian peacekeeping contingent and that its transportation by road rather than by air as per agreement was a regrettable error, failed to abet Juba's furore over the incident.

Juba insists that the UN body operating in Juba is not neutral but is supporting the rebel group or SPLM/A-In-Opposition of Dr. Riek Machar.

I am not a fan of Hilde Johnson and indeed for some of us Hilde has had a rather cosy relations with regime in Juba which might compromise her role as an independent operator.

Nonetheless, she is not in Juba on her own accord, she is representing a world body of which South Sudan is a member and therefore, she deserves to be respected on that basis.

To disrespect Hilde Johnson is tantamount to disrespecting an agency we have voluntary chosen to be a part of.

We cannot have it both ways and therefore must decide whether we want to remain a part of the UN or opt to withdraw our membership. That's what responsible people do.

The attack on Hilde Johnson and the UN at large, comes against the backdrop of a stinging attack by President Salva Kiir in January 2014, when he accused the world body of wanting to operate as a parallel government in Juba thus undermining his so called elected government.

Wasn't it the government that rushed to ask for the UN forces in the country to be increased from about 8000 to 12,000 plus?

Isn't it the UN that is protecting our civilians whom our government is unable to protect?

Isn't it the UN that stood with the people of South Sudan and provided humanitarian assistance during the long bitter liberation struggle 1983-2004?

Isn't it again the UN which is feeding our 80,000 or so internally displaced people inside the UN compounds as well as those outside the country in refugee camps in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan?

And now UN is forced to send in a probe team to conduct an investigation over the incident. What a waste of world's resources and utter waste of time and energies to try and contain the unreasonable SPLM led government of Salva Kiir Mayardit.

To add salt to injury, James Wani Igga, the clown Vice President of Salva Kiir, who at long last, found his lost voice, has joined the bandwagon. He has declared to fight Western government accusing them of colonialism.

Wani, who is university educated unlike his primary school drop-out comrade Salva Kiir, is bewildered as to why the western countries have not bought their lies of a foiled coup.

The vice president should know that leaders in the western countries are accountable to their educated and enlightened electorates who demand evidence to support decisions of their governments, and therefore cannot just be told packs of lies and are expected to believe it without evidence, as thoroughly explained by El hag Paul's in his award winning article posted on this website about Barnaba Marial's failed UK mission.

If the said mission was so successful as the foreign minister wanted the government to believe and the government in-turn wanted the public to believe why nearly after one month is the vice president frustrated at the western governments and said as reported on ST, "no one knows why they{western governments} failed to accept that the government foiled attempt to remove the democratically elected leadership, he stressed."

Even if the leaders wanted to support the lies of Kiir the western electorates will not let them. Also unlike in Juba, those countries have independent legislature and judiciary and can impeach reckless presidents or prime ministers.

So Wani Igga, before you join the bandwagon of unreasonableness, you now need to acknowledge that you and your belligerent comrade Salva Kiir are living in different time-zones from the West.

Leave the western countries alone. Don't divert attention to those who one time assisted you and gave you the freedom and power you are now abusing.

Just because Khartoum that was perceived to be responsible for everything that went wrong in South Sudan is now your friend by force of circumstance, doesn't mean that you have to find another scapegoat to blame for everything that is going wrong in South Sudan today.

You cannot be a leader and yet escape the responsibility that goes with it.

Throughout the liberation struggle and the interim period, SPLM/A has fed the nation on the diet of nothing but lies, but their lies are catching up with them.

They have perfected the art of manipulating the public by using the blame games. The worst culprit seems to be the governor of Western Bahar-el Ghazal Zakaria Rigzig who is ever ready to mobilise his citizens to chant anti-UN slogans.

This is reminiscent of Khartoum type of politics which reflects their emotional culture which we do not need in South Sudan.

The UN is in south Sudan because the government that cannot protect its own people nor feed them or provide them services.

What's more, the government begged the UN to come as they are not begging the IGAD to deploy a force to protect oil fields.

If we had a functioning government the UN wouldn't be here. Why is the UN not in other well run neighbouring countries such as Uganda, Kenya or Ethiopia?

South Sudanese leaders should stop creating public hatred towards the UN and other western countries or their leaders. We need leaders in the new republic who can take up responsibilities and defend their decisions or apologise to the nation when they get it wrong.

Wani Igga, people thought you could be a moderating influence on these extremist dinkocrats but you are a total disgrace and disappointment to the peaceful and progress minded people of Equatoria.

Why can't you stand up to the president and tell him not to undermine your authority by allowing dinkocrats like Daniel Awet or Ateny Wek exercising more powers than you do?

Ministers in the national government usurp your power daily and are speaking on national issues with more authority as though there is no vice president.

Even a mere presidential spokesman is being sent to foreign countries to lobby on behalf of the government as if there is no vice president.

Do you lack self-confidence or is your docility a tactic of self-preservation? Whatever the case, you are no better than a Jieng slaves.

It is interesting that when it is about attacking scapegoats you quickly find your voice. Why do you want to fight some imaginary enemies "colonialists", when you can start with the ones grabbing our ancestral lands right here in Juba?

If you can start by fighting this colonial dinkocrats like brother Alfred Lado Gore or walk out of a meeting as Obuto Mamur has reportedly done, then perhaps we can rekindle the hope for the beloved country.

It's not in our culture to defecate in a plate we have eaten in or to bite the fingers that has fed us.

It looks totally out of character for you to stand there and declare war against the western countries- USA, UK, the EU. Leave such kind of empty propaganda to the hooligans.

It must mean something to be an Equatorian in this land of the blind. Please do not allow yourself to be used to tarnish the image of the great people of Equatoria.

With this sort of mentality who will ever come to your aid again?

Just because you have oil doesn't mean that you can abuse the world with impunity. One day, someone or some country is going to stand up to you and say; you can go to hell with your oil.

Didn't the North(Sudan) say so? Didn't you have to lower yourself and beg them after your mock fight with them in January 2012?

South Sudanese leaders are nothing but selfish brutes. They want to antagonise the UN and certain western countries because any retaliation will not affect them and their families.

Most of our leaders have their families living in neighbouring countries such as Kenya and Uganda.

The foreign minister who was mocking the British during his visit in London in February paradoxically has his family living in London. This is true of many in Kiir's government including his minister for Cabinet Affairs Dr. Martin Lomuro.

It would be interesting for the British Embassy here in Juba to establish whether these ministers are supporting their families in Britain or their families are defrauding the British welfare system in-spite of the millions they have stolen from the public purse in Juba.

If the Western countries whom Wani Igga has declared war against want to respond they should do so by freezing the accounts of these corrupt leaders who don't care about the common men and women but themselves and their families.

If the families of these ministers including the president were in Bor, Malakal or Bentui, or Rumbek, they would not be beating the drums of war.

But they are happy to continue with the status quo because their families are hundreds or thousands of miles away, where they live in peace, and have access to education and health services among other privileges.

Their children will return one day to come and rule our illiterate children who will only be good enough to be recruited in the army to continue dying in the front lines.

It is important for the general public whose sons are sent to the front line or whose children are dying needlessly from government or rebel armed forces to wake up to these facts and say no to war and no to violence on our streets.

The Addis Ababa Peace Process

When the conflict erupted on 15th December and Kiir lost 3 state capitals, he quickly accepted for peace talks to be held in Ethiopia as demanded by the rebels under the leadership o f Dr. Riek Machar.

Kiir was scared not only that his government might collapse but there was a real possibility of the rebels coming to capture him alive in Juba.

But once Museveni agreed to send him troops to secure him and to secure Juba, he got a new lease of life.

When the UPDF started to help him recapture the towns of Bor, Malakal and Bentui the hitherto frightened commander in chief became emboldened and started to talk tough.

He not only brought charges against the political detainees but now is in the process of trying them for treason.

This is in spite of the regional and international outcry for the release of all the detainees and allowing them to participate in the ongoing peace process in Ethiopia.

Since the January 23rd Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, both the government and the rebel side traded accusation about violation of the Agreement.

But what is more worrying now for the nation of South Sudan is the president's intransigence for continuation of the war demonstrated by his uncompromising attitude against peace and reconciliation.

If the president was for peace and reconciliation, as a principle partner to the peace process, he would show some measure of leniency and release the detainees and give chance to the peace process.

Unfortunately the president flanked by his mafia gangs he calls ministers or presidential advisors, seem to believe in the possibility of either isolating Riek Machar or having an outright military victory against him.

In other words, Salva Kiir wants to push for a win-win situation which is a very rare commodity in today's world.

Apart from trial and error tactics it would be an exaggeration to claim that the government has a clear strategy to end the war.

This is reflected in the confusion and utter frustration at the pinnacle of the government.

On the one hand it's trying to undermine IGAD mediated peace process by denouncing individual member countries or their leaders such as Ethiopia, on the other it is begging the regional body to send it troops to protect the oil fields and protect other national facilities.

After frustrating the peace talks in Addis Ababa, Juba confidently formed a so called high level SPLM committee to work on peace and reconciliation within the embattled SPLM party.

Unfortunately for Kiir, his advisers advised him to include Taban Gai, the chief negotiator on the rebel side whom he has not only dismissed from the party but who along with 6 others have been accused of treason!

When Dr. Justin Ambago exposed on southsudannation.com website on March 7th, the absurdity of including people who are not under his jurisdiction into the said committee; the President did what he does best: denied ever forming such a Committee.

It is very clear that by its deeds and words, the government in Juba is not seeking a genuine peace.

The world needs to realise that the unreasonable government of Salva Kiir Mayardit is not negotiating peace in good faith.

Let us not forget that it took the world 10 years to negotiate the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which brought the north –south conflict to an end in 2005.

If that is the sort of record of a people we can go by, then IGAD and UN and the international community at large has to braze its self for long haul.

The CPA talks got underway in earnest only when the then US peace envoy in John Danford released a report in 2001 which sought to hold both Khartoum and SPLM/A accountable should they not negotiate the peace in good faith. And it worked.

The US is today understandably lukewarm about directly engaging with leaders of the new republic, because of their unreasonableness. Not everyone wants to or has time to waste on people who seem to be living in another planet.

It is thus difficult to see who can weld such a "stick" to bring seriousness into the negotiating table.

The US had at onset of the mutiny threatened sanctions against personalities on both sides of the conflict, what is stopping them form carrying out the sanctions since the peace process is deliberately being impeded primarily by contradictory and unreasonable behaviours of the president and his ministers.

During the CPA negotiations, the leading personalities and their so called resource persons earned good daily allowances, enough to maintain their families in relative comfort while the rest of the suffering populations languished in hunger and poverty in the refugee camps or in the bushes of south Sudan.

Juba will be sending in a team of people for the negotiations to earn daily allowances to prop their meagre and irregular salaries in Juba to ease financial strains on ministers which will in turn relieve pressure on government.

In typical South Sudanese style, ministers and other constitutional post holders or even opposition political parties will be scrambling to be included in the peace negotiations not just to enjoy the relative peace and comfort of Addis Ababa but also the financial incentives to boost their take-home pay.

Thus the world needs to know that the peace negotiation is another weapon in the hands of Salva Kiir to use for bribing support within his beleaguered government.

Those who get chosen to go to Addis will feel loved by the president and those left out will work hard to be included to show they too are in the president's inner circle. And the war will go on and on while the ordinary people suffer the consequences in silence.

The Trial of the 4 detainees

On Tuesday 11th March the SPLM led government has started the trial of the 4 detainees: Pagan Amum Okech, Oyai Deng Ajak, Majak Agoot , and Ezekiel Gatkuoth. This trial is an unfair trial for two reasons if nothing else.

First and foremost South Sudan operates a selective justice system. The principle of universality of justice demands that all must be subject to the same system of justice.

In this particular case, a principle personality who was present with all the accused in the December 6th Press Conference namely Rebecca Garang is exempted from prosecution.

There is no legal justification for this exclusion except a political consideration, which means that there is no equality of persons in the country.

If Salva Kiir can pardon Rebecca Garang for political reasons, for the same political reasons he should pardon these individuals.

Pagan Amum and Oyai Deng have unquestionable contribution for the liberation of our people from the yoke of Arab colonialism which unfortunately has now been substituted by dinkocratic colonialism. Furthermore they have been principle actors in the CPA implementation during the interim period 2005-2011.

These are not only comrades of Salva Kiir Mayardit but Kiir has wined and dined with them many times over.

By putting these gallant sons of South Sudan on trial, Salva Kiir has put himself on trial for humanity Whatever these people have done; cannot be worst that the personal responsibility Salva Kiir must take for bringing ruins on the country.

Oyai Deng has won battles against jallaba more than Salva Kiir ever did if any. These gallant sons of south Sudan are being personally persecuted by Salva Kiir because in my view they form the core of the so-called Garang boys.

Because of their personal competence and confidence in what they do, they are a threat to the self worth of Salva Kiir and therefore, Kiir must publicly humiliate them in a pathetic special kangaroo court to make his small ego feel big.

There is nothing we can do to rescue you guys but do not despair, take courage, the Lord Almighty will be with you in your darkest moments as you are tormented day in day out by satanic Salva Kiir Mayardit.

We also know that you have already been convicted by the State and the so called special court is just set up to pass its sentence.

No one can expect a fair trial and fair sentencing when the government calls on the judiciary to pass the maximum sentence.

What fairness is there when there is a premeditated outcome? And we can also see where the sentence is heading. Comrade Pagan has already been subjected to derogatory treatment and his human rights curtailed for over a year.

All of you have been tried by the public, the media, the SPLM special branch and now the so-called court.

In normal justice system, an accused remains innocent until proven guilty but in South Sudan's dinkocratic justice system, an accused is guilty until proven innocent.

How can the accused prove himself innocent when there is no access to fair trial or representation? This is the reality of the world we live in and this is what every south Sudanese who want to live in peace and love with his neighbour must work to change.

The only way these people can receive fair trial is if they are accorded the opportunity to be tried outside the country in a neutral and non coercive environment.

And one actually wonders why the trial cannot be moved to Addis under the auspices of the AU.

No one ever comes back when they die. And therefore if anyone is to lose their lives, they must exhaust all options and fairness that could be accorded to them.

Denying these people justice will lead to a another scenario where the president will be subjected to torment by the ghosts of these comrades.

As for the group of 7 who have now been recalled back to Juba, you have your fates in your hands. You may be tempted to return simply because you believe you will get lighter sentences but by now you should know the unpredictability of Mayardit.

Your conditional release also puts the Kenyan president on the spot light. He has a tough decision to make to allow you to take asylum in any country of your choice definitely not Kenya, or to bring you back for the slaughter.

People of your calibre should know how to handle Mayardit. The choice is yours. As for President Uhuru Kenyatta one would expect him to do the decent thing.

In as much as Kenya needs to do business with Juba for the obvious economic benefits it has enjoyed since 2005, money is not everything hence I hope the Kenyan people will not like their government to release clearly vulnerable detainees into the hands of its unreasonable president.

Kiir had said that the reason he released these detainees into your custody was because he couldn't guarantee their security in Juba. Only last night a 'top' military officer was gunned down in the centre of Juba , can Kiir promise safety of these people before they are returned to Juba?

If you cannot secure such guarantee, as a head of state of a sovereign country you and the other IGAD leaders should bring pressure to bear on Kiir including suspending his membership of IGAD and most importantly of the AU.

The neighbouring countries cannot continue to do business as usual with a regime that is slaughtering its own people. Membership of these bodies as well as that of the UN must be premised on fulfilment of internationally accepted norms or conduct.

Kiir's government should be put on probation until it fulfils the basic requirement of belonging to a community of nations. It is high time the IGAD leaders differentiated between the needs of the people of South Sudan from the interest of a sinking president.

President Kiir has not accepted your demonstration of solidarity and goodwill in good faith. As long as he is concern, the neighbouring countries needs him because he is the rich guy on the block.

I hate to think that he might be using our oil money to throw his weight about in the IGAD block by bribing other leaders to be on his side.

To be sure that IGAD is not fuelling the conflict by empowering Kiir, they should not react emotionally or selfishly but take time to study this creature and his dinkocratic system, to ensure you do not create a monster amongst yourselves whose existence you will one day regret.

Juba behaves like a spoilt brat or the new kid on the block who demands underserved respect and importance or else. Because we have a president who is incompetent and feels deeply inferior he has a burning desire to be seen, and acknowledged.

It is said that Kiir is wondering why he cannot be respected and revered in his view as John Garang was. This is why he surround himself with cowards whom he calls his loyalists because these yes men and women worship him unconditionally and can do anything demanded of them.

Attention seeking has thus become the number one political strategy of the government. Like a new kid on the block they will cause as much havoc as necessary to be recognised including colluding with other bad guys on the block to push their views across.

This means attention seeking is their lifeline or blood line. It is what is making them go to sleep and wake up in the morning. Every morning they wake up to push on the old buttons or devise new ones to keep them on the headlines.

Today, its attacking the UN or ordering trial of the 4 detainees, tomorrow it will be issuing this or that decree. Everything is aimed at instilling fear among the citizens.

Any of these realities send chilling waves through spines of reasonable people. These people are so blood thirsty that they can do the ultimate: rob off these comrades off their young lives.

Whereas the rebels are insisting that their demands for releasing the detainees be met on the other hand this demand has now put the government on a stronger footing because it is using it to intimidate and blackmail the world.

To be able to stand up against Juba's unreasonable intransigence we need to liberate ourselves from the bondage of fear of the unknown; bondage that the group of 4 may be summarily executed by Kiir.

We need also to free the UN and the international Community from this unreasonable behaviour of blackmailing the UN or the international community.

The UN or international community must be free to discharge its duty without being drug into impotence by a belligerent government that has never shown the ability to stand on its own two feet.

Salva Kiir released the detainees because he needed a breathing space and also deceive the world that he was genuine for peace.

Now that they have been guaranteed the UN force to protect the oil fields, their worst nightmare is over and they are back to where they were in January at the heat of the moment.

Salva Kiir and his mafia gangs in Juba ought to understand that South Sudan voluntarily opted to join the world body in July 2011 after its declaration of independence.

By opting to join the UN they have opted to play by the rules of the United Nations as a family of nations. The United Nations does and fulfils a number of functions in keeping peace in today's world.

If the government of South Sudan doesn't want to be a part of the world body, it should withdraw its membership and leave the world body to those who are matured enough to partake in world matters.

If I were to have a view, I would suggest South Sudan be suspended from the world body until such a time when it can demonstrate respect for a body they want to be a part of.

If Salva Kiir's regime is isolated by the UN, AU, IGAD and the international community at large, it might be forced to think again and start talking peace in good faith.

It's only then that the government of Salva Kiir will be able to seriously address the issues facing his country in earnest.

At the moment, he has too many people or agencies to use as scapegoats to cover up his incompetence and failures, thus avoiding and evading real issues which matter most to the people of South Sudan.

When Salva Kiir is left alone, or isolated from the world community, the South Sudanese will be able to feel the brute force of their dictator president and perhaps they can be moved to do something about him.

There is an armed rebellion, what is now left is an internal uprising for this hated government to collapse.