Tribal politics won’t help: A response to Mr. Isaiah Abraham’s 'Kiir’s Time is Up.'

By Chol K. Thon, CANADA

SEPT 21/2009, SSN; Mr. Isaiah Abraham has been known as a man who frequents southsudannation.com to vomit his feelings only to lick them back later. Compare what he wrote about an article by Manyok Biar, which to him was too generalizing of Lou Nuer, with his letter which appeared 19/09/09 here on southsudannation.com. Read his other articles and you will never fail to see that the man contradicts himself. Read also an article (Removing Kiir is inevitable) by one cynic called Gatcharwearbol.

I never wanted to write anything concerning Gatcharwearbol’s article because I thought ignoring it would sent a rebuke to him that what he had written did not interest anybody. But here I am compelled to talk a little about it because his sympathizer (Mr. Isaiah Abraham) has provoked me by writing an equally unhelpful article.  

The opinion by Gatcharwearbol talked about how Pres Kiir has failed to live up to his expectations. He is concerned about the supposedly invincible evils that have flourished at the watch of our President. These, to him, are tribalism, corruption, and Hon. Kiir’s absconding of the office of the Vice President of the country. A pessimist like Gatcharwearbol would not suggest any means of removing the man he has put all the blames on. He would never see that the GOSS is composed of many other individuals and tribes. He failed to understand that his scapegoat would not make decisions alone or he would be a dictator.

But Mr. Charwearbol went further than just pointing out the supposed evils. He mentioned the Dinka Community as the power behind Kiir and as such they are accomplices with Kiir in everything he does. He attacked the community by charging them with looting of other people’s property, rape, murdering of innocent civilians and many more. This is poor Charwearbol! He needs to be told that his prosecution had not provided sufficient and solid evidence to implicate the entire Dinka community in the mentioned gruesome crimes.

He badly needs to be told that the civilians who were killed in Abyei in 2008 were Dinkas and they would not have been killed by their own brothers. The Arabs were the ones responsible. The civilians in Twic East were killed by Lou Nuer from Uror County. The Duk attack of Sept 20th 2009 in which heavy artilleries were captured was carried out by the same people from Uror.  The LRA is responsible for atrocities in Western Equatoria and the most recent massacre in Upper Nile was carried out by an organized armed group from the Shilluk community. Mr. Gatcharwearbol, being a judge who has never been to school and self-appointed, failed to point the finger where it should be.

If I could borrow the idea of Isaiah Abraham, the opinion by Gatcharwearbol is too general.

The above is just a background to my reaction to the letter by Isaiah Abraham. I had expected Mr. Abraham to react differently- maybe by telling his pessimistic twin brother that his article was unequally yoking the Dinkas together. But instead he picked up where Charwearbol had left and probably invited him. Read this closing statement by Gatcharwearbol, “These chronic behaviors shown by our brothers who claim to be our liberators need to be rectified in order for things to go smoothly in the south”. Isaiah did exactly this rectification and by so doing he has shown himself to be a man who indulges himself in tribal politics.

Mr. Isaiah kick-started his war of words against the Dinka by saying that they are ‘living the lie’ by just ‘thinking that their population is enough to keep Gen. Kiir in power’. It is a fact undisputable that the Dinka community had been behind Kiir since the beginning of the war to the time the CPA was signed. Thanks to their numbers! Even now most of the Dinkas are still with Kiir because he is a symbol of our unity as Southerners.

Moreover, he has an exemplary past. Kiir will always be remembered, by at least Dinkas, as a man who always stood with Southerners in both good and bad times. If Isaiah Abraham can remember the man he calls his ‘father, before his fateful death, had bequeathed the Presidency of South Sudan to Gen. Kiir. You may read his last speech in Rumbek. He had not consulted Ngundeng here: he was being guided by his experience with Gen. Kiir during the war. Don’t you see here the reason as to why most Dinkas are riding with Kiir to the ‘promised land’?

If we go by the assumption of Isaiah Abraham that all Dinkas are behind Kiir, we will never fail to understand that his (Isaiah’s) critique regarding the popularity of President Kiir defies common sense. His hypothetical 3.5 million (Dinkas are about 40% of SS population though), put together with a few supporters from Nuer, Shilluk, Balanda and Equatoria could retain him in power. Even your dreamland will agree with my analysis. Mr. Abraham will need to conduct a research to find out if all the tribes but Dinka are against Kiir. It is only after this that we will believe him as a professor of politics.

You don’t care ‘where Dr. Machar comes from and his club’ yet you have categorically stated in your article that it is the ‘majority’ (Non-Dinkas) against the Dinka. You urged your anointed King to stay in ‘the party’ and let Kiir run ‘away to form his community’s’ (Dinka) party. The man (Gatcharwearbol) whose article you are amplifying made the following statement:

‘As much as I know Dinka, he (Kiir) will never be removed unless something happened to him. Dinka community has been known for supporting someone from their community regardless of how insincere or weak that person is’. Why would anyone wish Dinka ‘a scale’ when others are riding to the ‘promised land’? Here we can safely say you are playing tribal politics which is dangerous or that you are being politically a novice.

Mr. Isaiah, what makes you think that everybody living abroad is a lost boy or a lost girl for that matter? There is nothing wrong with being a lost boy but people should be called by their proper names (lost boys for lost boys, asylum seekers for their name, and those who went on scholarships by their name). If it is true that you ‘witnessed and participated fully in the struggle’, you would not fail to know that some of the guys you contemptuously call lost boys participated with you in the struggle. Even your brother Gatcharwearbol is a lost boy but to you he is a special case.

Our community needs theologians. By the way, do you know that religious teachers can influence those youths who attacked Duk County this Sunday? Where else can we get the greatest Commandment (love your neighbor as you love yourself)? Loving your neighbor means not coveting his property and not killing him. Religion preaches peaceful coexistence among different communities. Christian theologians could tell those youths that Sunday is a day of worship not of murdering and stealing. Where then is the sense in your belittling the so called ‘soft sciences’?

Mr. Isaiah, the reason for my writing this article is to try to bring you back to where you originally were. In the first few days of me reading your articles I thought you were a great thinker. Now you have betrayed that trust.

I beseech you to stop being complacent by just staying at the foot of the ‘tree’ when grandchildren are climbing ‘on top of the tree’ to see better.

I am reachable at cholk.thon@yahoo.com

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Kiir's Time is Up: Yes to Change

A Letter from Isaiah Abraham, JUBA

SEPT 19/2009, SSN; To Mr. GatCharwearbol, be positive. Gen. Kiir's time is up; the chicken have come home to roost! The time for the South to say no to mediocrity is here and yes to change. A moment like this one won't come our way again, fellow Southerners. This a serious matter we got to give it our efforts wherever we are. A peaceful political revolution however, to wrest power from ineptitude and poor governance system that has lorded against the majority.

It's true however it might not be easy, but with a cost worthy, this is a cause we need to stand up for; rights aren't given they are claimed. Let's stop the self serving and directionless regime today and we shall see things moving fast. Gen. Kiir should pack and go, enough is enough!

One must read the signs and join the rest of Southerners. It won't be nice to get isolated. This campaign isn't against our brothers, especially Jech Amer/lost boys from Dinka as a community but about an individual who refuses to lead and who has failed miserably. He has committed too many mistakes and shouldn't be forgiven. The boys who cough loyalty and seriousness when they won't be there when things go haywire must hold their horses and listen carefully to what is being whispered down here. Gen. Kiir is irredeemable, he goes. If he beats Al Bashir that is great for us. We wish him good luck there.

If our brothers Dinka think their population is enough to keep Gen. Kiir in power, they are living the lie. They must think again. 3.5 million can't be equated with 8.5 million others (assuming the population of South Sudan is 12 million). They will be left with a scale when others ride on another vehicle to the promised land.

For Dr. Machar, he must not accept to settle for anything short of the Southern Presidency; he must refuse Kiir's trick to go to Khartoum. This can be betrayal of the people if Dr. Machar backs down for Gen. Kiir. People need him to steer the wheels and connect from where our father, Dr. Garang, left it.

I'm pretty sure he's up to the job! We wouldn't have been at this situation if he was in charge. He has been so humbled to work with Gen. Kiir faithfully and should be rewarded. This is a God sent moment and shouldn't be wasted.

Please Guandit, if you think its not yet time to do it, then forget about the presidency anytime now. Other offshoots are angling around and it would be too late. Nhial is around, Mr. Pagan and Mr. Wani, all of whom have what it takes to lead, are eying the presidency with their mouths watering.

Don't however leave the party, he will accuse you of running away, let him run away and form his community's party. Dinka people are highly educated and I believe they won't follow him. He can't refuse to go to Khartoum and claim to be trusted again, what that means to you. Isn't that a plot to do away with you and poke a pain on the people of Southern Sudan? Through a peaceful democratic means (not violence), Gen. Kiir must go!

When we open our hearts like that we don't have tribal bones in us; I don't care where this man called Dr. Machar comes from or his club, I'm after what is best for the people of Southern Sudan. People are crying in silence. Kiir isn't the best and we must go for the best.

Some of the boys who shouted at my name using their vernaculars don't know they are the ages of my children and I'm therefore talking from a view point of an experienced Southerner, who had witnessed and participated fully in the struggle. An African proverb says that 'what an old man sees while sitting, a young man can not see even if he climbs on top of the tree', is true.

The boys brag about academic qualifications, big men don't do that; these days its unthinkable to see young ones prancing about what they have done and would do. Even then why would anyone go to moon on soft sciences such as psychology, religious studies, sociology, community work etc. Talk of hard ones and with excellence and distinctions. Again isn't that 'let my people go' on Ds and Cs? Be serious when life is serious! Cover up and old stories wouldn't help; change is here!

Viva Southern Sudan!

Isaiah Abraham-Juba

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