SSPDF soldiers. (File photo)
The Government of South Sudan’s revenge against the civilians in the Eastern Nuer region of Nasir County because the Jikany Nuer youth rejected the deployment of non-unified forces to replace the decade-old garrison forces is uncalled for and unjustified for a full-scale military confrontation. Hence, an immediate halting of such deployment and engagement should happen as urgently as possible. The measure in question is timely, critical to de-escalate and consider amicable means and ways to the situation to save unnecessary loss of lives of civilian youth of Jikany Nuer and the government forces for the sake of peace and tranquility.
Like the majority of South Sudanese and friends, I am outraged beyond words by the developments, especially the decision by the government to resort to engaging the Ugandan forces-UPDF, against our young men and women. The consequences will impact socio-economic relations between the citizenry of Uganda and South Sudan, and aggravate mistrust among the young people against the government for engaging foreign troops against them.
Deeply shocked by a return to another conflict, I feel obliged to express how upsetting and disappointing the recent government decision is, and do publicly condemn it in the strongest terms possible.
Sincerely, one encourages and urges national, regional, and international bodies and governments to intervene and to urge the parties to cease hostilities and de-escalate tensions. The government should also order the withdrawal of Ugandan forces from South Sudanese territory to prevent an escalation of the conflict across the country.
The incident has drawn wide attention from different regional and international bodies and organizations, witnessing the shocking development in the eastern Nuer region of Nasir County and its surrounding areas, and the fear of a potential breakdown into nationwide ethnic conflict far worse than the past decade’s conflicts. The recent government action, for example, the heavy use of military force, involving gunship helicopters, artillery, and tanks by the South Sudan People Defense Forces (SSPDF) against the civilians in Nasir County from 3 March to-date is not permissible and has no any legal grounds under the Interim Constitution of South Sudan 2011, as amended. So, the declaration of conflict against civilians in Nasir certainly constitutes a gross violation of the rights of the citizenry to life, and it is an intentional crime against humanity under international law. Therefore, those involved in such a crime must be held accountable by national and international laws.
The government should have followed a peaceful process to replace the forces to avoid the current tension, and the likely possibility of a wide-scale ethnic-based political conflict across the country could have been avoided at all levels.
Why does such a cycle of conflicts continue unabated in the country, despite President Salva Kiir’s rhetoric of not returning the country to war?
- weak policies and bad politics by the top leadership,
- Absence of functioning, accountable institutions; and
- Poor resource management and use.
As a result, barely two years after independence, on 15 December 2013 and 2016 respectively, the young nation was plunged into a violent political conflict in the capital Juba within the SPLM Party leadership between the groups led by President Kiir and his Vice President Riek Machar.
Sadly, thousands of innocent lives were lost, particularly amongst the Nuer who were targeted during those years of the fighting (2013 and 2016), according to reports from regional and international human rights bodies. The African Union Commission of Inquiry and the UN Human Rights Division have registered in detail those unprecedented crimes against humanity perpetuated by armed groups against women and children during the ongoing violence against civilians in Nasir County in Upper Nile State and other parts of South Sudan.
Unfortunately, we have seen that all efforts and brokered agreements have continuously been dishonored by the parties, for example, IGAD, TROIKA, UN and religious groups, have expressed the intentional lack of commitment and political will from current leaders in Juba Government (SPLM-IG, SPLM-IO & SSOA).
Given an imminent threat to fragile national cohesion, one would strongly appeal to the parties to the current conflict and stakeholders – President Kiir’s government, SPLM/A-IO of Dr. Riek Machar, the white army youth of Jikany Nuer, and the regional and International Community to:
- Immediately halt hostilities and suspend the current deployment of forces unconditionally from Nasir county and across conflict-prone areas;
- Engage in positive media messages and refrain from arbitrary arrests and draconian measures that fuel or escalate tensions;
- Allow humanitarian corridors to provide humanitarian aid to victims;
- Give access to human rights, civil society bodies to witness and document all forms of human rights violations for accountability;
- Accept genuine efforts of conflict resolution through a credible arrangement to end decades of mistrust and severed working relations between the two rivals.
In conclusion, to restore peace and tranquility in South Sudan, the majority of South Sudanese clearly echoed that: “Enough is enough from Kiir and Machar decades of bloody political power rivalry”, and both should step aside for a new generation of leaders to transform the country into a democratic governance.
The writer, Dr Joseph Madak, is a public policy practitioner and a researcher in development and governance. He has held senior capacities in both the governments of Southern Sudan and South Sudan. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
SSPDF soldiers. (File photo)
BY JOSEPH MADAK WUOL, PhD.
The Government of South Sudan’s revenge against the civilians in the Eastern Nuer region of Nasir County because the Jikany Nuer youth rejected the deployment of non-unified forces to replace the decade-old garrison forces is uncalled for and unjustified for a full-scale military confrontation. Hence, an immediate halting of such deployment and engagement should happen as urgently as possible. The measure in question is timely, critical to de-escalate and consider amicable means and ways to the situation to save unnecessary loss of lives of civilian youth of Jikany Nuer and the government forces for the sake of peace and tranquility.
Like the majority of South Sudanese and friends, I am outraged beyond words by the developments, especially the decision by the government to resort to engaging the Ugandan forces-UPDF, against our young men and women. The consequences will impact socio-economic relations between the citizenry of Uganda and South Sudan, and aggravate mistrust among the young people against the government for engaging foreign troops against them.
Deeply shocked by a return to another conflict, I feel obliged to express how upsetting and disappointing the recent government decision is, and do publicly condemn it in the strongest terms possible.
Sincerely, one encourages and urges national, regional, and international bodies and governments to intervene and to urge the parties to cease hostilities and de-escalate tensions. The government should also order the withdrawal of Ugandan forces from South Sudanese territory to prevent an escalation of the conflict across the country.
The incident has drawn wide attention from different regional and international bodies and organizations, witnessing the shocking development in the eastern Nuer region of Nasir County and its surrounding areas, and the fear of a potential breakdown into nationwide ethnic conflict far worse than the past decade’s conflicts. The recent government action, for example, the heavy use of military force, involving gunship helicopters, artillery, and tanks by the South Sudan People Defense Forces (SSPDF) against the civilians in Nasir County from 3 March to-date is not permissible and has no any legal grounds under the Interim Constitution of South Sudan 2011, as amended. So, the declaration of conflict against civilians in Nasir certainly constitutes a gross violation of the rights of the citizenry to life, and it is an intentional crime against humanity under international law. Therefore, those involved in such a crime must be held accountable by national and international laws.
The government should have followed a peaceful process to replace the forces to avoid the current tension, and the likely possibility of a wide-scale ethnic-based political conflict across the country could have been avoided at all levels.
Why does such a cycle of conflicts continue unabated in the country, despite President Salva Kiir’s rhetoric of not returning the country to war?
- weak policies and bad politics by the top leadership,
- Absence of functioning, accountable institutions; and
- Poor resource management and use.
As a result, barely two years after independence, on 15 December 2013 and 2016 respectively, the young nation was plunged into a violent political conflict in the capital Juba within the SPLM Party leadership between the groups led by President Kiir and his Vice President Riek Machar.
Sadly, thousands of innocent lives were lost, particularly amongst the Nuer who were targeted during those years of the fighting (2013 and 2016), according to reports from regional and international human rights bodies. The African Union Commission of Inquiry and the UN Human Rights Division have registered in detail those unprecedented crimes against humanity perpetuated by armed groups against women and children during the ongoing violence against civilians in Nasir County in Upper Nile State and other parts of South Sudan.
Unfortunately, we have seen that all efforts and brokered agreements have continuously been dishonored by the parties, for example, IGAD, TROIKA, UN and religious groups, have expressed the intentional lack of commitment and political will from current leaders in Juba Government (SPLM-IG, SPLM-IO & SSOA).
Given an imminent threat to fragile national cohesion, one would strongly appeal to the parties to the current conflict and stakeholders – President Kiir’s government, SPLM/A-IO of Dr. Riek Machar, the white army youth of Jikany Nuer, and the regional and International Community to:
- Immediately halt hostilities and suspend the current deployment of forces unconditionally from Nasir county and across conflict-prone areas;
- Engage in positive media messages and refrain from arbitrary arrests and draconian measures that fuel or escalate tensions;
- Allow humanitarian corridors to provide humanitarian aid to victims;
- Give access to human rights, civil society bodies to witness and document all forms of human rights violations for accountability;
- Accept genuine efforts of conflict resolution through a credible arrangement to end decades of mistrust and severed working relations between the two rivals.
In conclusion, to restore peace and tranquility in South Sudan, the majority of South Sudanese clearly echoed that: “Enough is enough from Kiir and Machar decades of bloody political power rivalry”, and both should step aside for a new generation of leaders to transform the country into a democratic governance.
The writer, Dr Joseph Madak, is a public policy practitioner and a researcher in development and governance. He has held senior capacities in both the governments of Southern Sudan and South Sudan. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.
