South Sudanese politicians use tribal differences as a ridding horse

South Sudanese politicians use tribal differences as a ridding horse 

By: Abraham Daljang Maker

KAMPALA:  It took me a week to gather my thoughts about the unfolding events in Juba; I had to take time in sorting out my words so that I should not be labelled in anyway.

Back to the point, I can now see south Sudan has become a boiling pot with serious bloodshed in the country where innocent civilians and foreigners lose their lives in this horrific fighting. Sunday incident which could be a mere fist fighting among the indiscipline presidential guards has turned into different dimension. It is hard to catch the gist of the matter in this scenario; president Kiir calls it a coup attempt blaming his former Vice President Dr. Riek Machar of masterminding it while his former VP Dr. Machar calls it a misunderstanding amongst the guards which he has nothing to know about. On the contrary, the independent observers see it as a tribal fighting between the Dinka and the Nuer. It is hard to jump into any conclusion in these varied views but one can draw a leaf from the experiences because South Sudan is a country where tribal tendency runs as a blood in the veins of the citizens. This can manifest itself through assaults in comments on the website which is used by many “elites” to sow the seeds to tribal differences; thank God that I have never opened my mouth to utter such heinous words either verbally or in a written form!

Looking at the history from 1983 during the movement, it can easily be judged that something is wrong in our people’s mind. The 1991 was the genesis of these tribal politics, although I was a little boy, I am able to retrieve the information later; many Thanks to archives both oral and written one.  The founder of the new Nation Late Dr. John Garang and Dr. Riek Machar had their differences which let to their fall out, leading to the defection of the latter. The resultant was the massive loss of lives of the civilians, it was just a misunderstanding between the two Elephants but the victims were the Grass (innocent people). The Dinka and the Nuer took it upon them and attack each other. This ethnic hatred later turn into cattle raiding and killing of the susceptible children, women and elderly on both sides especially in 1991, 1994 and 1997 where each of these two pastoralists took on the vicious cycle of  rampant killing disguised in cattle raiding with a lot of retaliations.

The demise of Dr. Garang in 2005 saw president Kiir in power and Dr. Machar as the Vice, the trend of tribal allegiances remains strong even after having hard-earned the independent. When the delegated powers were removed from the Vice, the message was transmitted in the tribal circuits of the two tribes; the Nuer saw this as conspiracies by the Dinka meanwhile the Dinka were jubilant because of their stereotype of dr.  Machar.  Each of these two tribes looks at the two men as tribal leaders rather than seeing them as the national figures who do not belong to them only but to other 62 tribes. Delegation being an English word, It took long  for the ordinary people of these ethnic groups  to understand that the Vice was not remove but only the powers bestowed to him were remove and his constitutional powers were still with him.

The shocking episode was when President Kiir dissolved the entire cabinet including the Vice President was also striped off with his powers. The incident did not surprise the two tribes but the whole world was tongue-tied with their arms akimbo to see what next. However things went well but it seemed that it was running through the blood of the people. Many events followed but on Sunday 15 December when the presidential guards exchanged blows according to some rumours, it turned out to be what many people describe as ethnic fighting between Nuer and the Dinka; each loyal to their “tribal leader.” Unfortunately, the hearsay revealed that the civilians who could not able to speak Dinka were targeted and killed and vice versa.  This alleged report is believed to have vexed some army officers to rebel because they felt that their tribes have been targeted leading to sporadic fighting, the victims again this time are the children of the poor whose fathers toiled to bring them up only to be killed by those seeking glory.

The question is that, why would the quarrels between two men over political seat always leads to the killing of the innocent people?  The past misunderstanding between Machar and Garang made the Children of the poor to suffer on both sides, now that the same thing happens; it is the same naïve children who are dying of hunger, thirst, diseases and being killed. Someone with sanity will never take up arm against his brother; sister, mother, and father just because he wants to fulfilled someone’s interest. You can never be anything without Nuer, Dinka, kakwa, Zande, Shilluk, Bari… name them. In fact south Sudan would be nothing if it was for only Dinka, or Nuer or Kuku or Bari or any other tribe; but we can make a meaningful nation if all of us believes that we are one and we cannot do without the other party. Not to blow my own trumpet, I have never labelled anyone basing on his or her ethnic background. I strongly believe that I need someone by my side in any given situation. Conflict is inevitable in any social set up but the way of solving it matters a lot, but if it is taken on tribal basis then it becomes a very dangerous one. Tribal politics have been seen having a lot of negative impacts on Somalia, Rwanda, Kenya and the scars of these tribal politics are still visible until now.

Fellow South Sudanese, you must know one thing, you are one people without any differences. If you cut yourself, it is only red blood that pours out but not a blood with a labelled of Nuer, Dinka, Murle, Acholi etc. what would you gain if you murder your own brother? Who can remove the dust from your eyes if you terminate the life of your own mother, sister, brother and father? Fellow people, you must gather your sanity and don’t be used by the politicians to pursue their political agenda who will later enjoy what they never reap while you remain in sufferings. May God bless South Sudan!!!