Salva Kiir, Riek Machar must deal with each other delicately

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni gave his South Sudan counterpart Salva Kiir an earful.

He told him last week in Addis Ababa that he had fought an unjust and wrong war, in the wrong place and at the wrong time. President Museveni was referring to the bloody 20-month-long civil war in South Sudan at a deal-signing ceremony to end the conflict.

He was right to chastise Mr Kiir. From 1983 when the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and its military wing the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SLPA) under the late John Garang and Kiir squared up to the oppressive Khartoum regime, progressive forces backed the rebels against Khartoum.

That was a just war which is why global pressure forced Khartoum and the SPLM/A to the negotiating table under the aegis of the Djibouti-based Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad).

Under Igad’s stewardship the two parties signed the 2005 agreement that ended their 20-year-long civil war.

This war was just because it was waged for the freedom and independence of South Sudan. With the advent of independence on July 9, 2011, President Kiir was tasked with delivering his people from the bondage of poverty and economic hopelessness into prosperity and the endless opportunities freedom begets.

TOOK UP ARMS

But, alas, in 2013, two years after the pomp and circumstance of independence, things fell apart. Mr Kiir, a soldier-turned-politician, locked horns with Vice-President Riek Machar, a smiling happy-to-defect-and-defect-again political chameleon. Mr Kiir recklessly sacked Dr Machar in July and then accused him of plotting to topple his government by force of arms.

Dr Machar, troops and politicians loyal to him and his tribespeople took up arms against Juba. Mr Kiir, troops loyal to him, tribespeople and supporters, too, went to war against Dr Machar & Co. A power struggle pitting Mr Kiir against Dr Machar had by December exploded into an exceedingly violent civil and spreading through South Sudan.

It was a wrong war especially because Mr Kiir appeared to ignore the volatility of tribal dynamics and transitions which could easily splinter a young nation trying to come to grips with independence and its new dynamics.

It was a foolish war because, despite the foregoing, Juba unwisely thought it could pulverise the opposition into submission.

So Mr Kiir must now eat humble pie kavu! Thanks to the wisdom of Igad and unrelenting pressure from Kampala, Nairobi and Addis Ababa and under the peace deal signed in the Ethiopian capital, he must delicately work with Dr Machar as his VP. Igad, having been involved in Sudanese negotiations since 1993, knows something about Juba’s politics.

And Mr Kiir must know Igad wishes for a secure, well governed and calm South Sudan. This will ensure the security of the region which is destabilised by refugees; boost trade between South Sudan and its neighbours; instil confidence in investors in the region and Juba and enable Mr Kiir pursue his mandate of developing Sudan.

KENYAN INVESTORS

Some South Sudanese may not like Kenyans, but I think Juba should be happy to remind them that by 2012, Kenya had established itself as South Sudan’s leading trading partner, with Kenyan firms firmly driving the banking, insurance, construction, hospitality, aviation, transport, ICT, wholesale and retail sectors. They are investors and not vultures.

According to the 2013 Economic Survey, in 2012 Kenya’s exports to South Sudan accounted for 10.2 per cent of all its exports to the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (Comesa) which, in turn, account for 34 per cent of Kenya’s exports to the world. Juba matters to Nairobi, Kampala and Addis and vice-versa.

Juba must make up its mind about managing its resources, but the region wants to see it take charge and control of these resources.

Juba’s oil is useful only when it is being exploited for the development of South Sudan and not by protagonists to prosecute wars for political and personal aggrandisement.

Dr Machar appears in a hurry to be president, but he must remember President Museveni’s words, especially after his commanders rejected the peace deal he and Mr Kiir signed on separate days this month.

The only way to take on Mr Kiir is at the ballot later in the year.

Last? Igad is reminding the region that it exists to expand areas of cooperation; increase members’ dependence on each other; and promote peace and stability in the region in order to attain food security, sustainable environment management and development.

Now Mr Kiir and Dr Machar must deal with each other delicately.

Opanga is a media consultant; [email protected]