World cannot sit back as South Sudan burns

South Sudan President Salva Kiir (Left) with his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta on December 26, 2013 during peace talks at Kiir's office in Juba. AFP PHOTO/PCSU 

The world cannot afford to sit back and watch South Sudan end up in smoke. But as we watch, a country that was created in 2011 and after close to 2.1 million people were dead now threatens to sink once again into internecine war.

Part of the current political-turned-ethnic duel is about failure of the Salva Kiir regime to build institutions that can withstand democratic tests of the time. President Kiir had a chance to develop such institutions but he chose to concentrate power on a few individuals close to him.

He also conveniently forgot that South Sudan is a state created under the barrel of the gun and that the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, that ended the North-South war, did not address the enmity between the Dinka and Nuers.

By attempting to sideline Nuer leader Dr. Riek Machar – who was his former vice-president - President Kiir made a political blunder. In the same vein, Dr. Machar should not see violence as the only avenue to achieve his ambitions.

The ordinary men and women in South Sudan want political stability not bloody confrontations. Similarly, President Kiir needs to learn the politics of accommodation or will spend his presidency fighting wars. Political marriages of convenience require more flexibility on both sides.

As the African Union tries to mediate this new war, we must understand that this is not the first time that Dr Machar is taking off to the war fields. He did so when he quit Dr. John Garang’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and started a fierce civil war against the Dinka population. This should not be allowed to happen again.

The war might get complicated since South Sudan has extensive oil fields and other minerals. Like Democratic Republic of Congo, these might fuel what was initially a political war turn to a tribal feud. Again, the fields are now held by Dr. Machar’s militia and he might use that as bargaining tool.

But this can only happen of the world disregards the South Sudan crisis. Both President Kiir and Dr. Machar must agree to find a political solution. Our fear is that Khartoum may once again, as it did in 1990s, play the two sides. Interested parties should keep off South Sudan for now.

 

It is now upon the United Nations Security Council to protect the civilian population. Piecemeal sending of troops will not help the situation.

The only way out of the crisis is by having a government of national unity set up in Juba to safeguard the country from sliding further into war. Such a government should be inclusive and democratic.

Otherwise, South Sudan will not have a happy 2014. And that should be avoided.