South Sudan: Opposition Warn of Disintegration Over Exclusivity
15 September 2014
Juba - A senior South Sudanese opposition politician has hinted on
possibilities of the young nation disintegrating along ethnic lines, should
its current leadership ignore the strength and capabilities of those opposed
to the Juba establishment.
Gen. Dau Aturjong told Sudan Tribune he was optimistic some parts of South
Sudan could rejoin neigbouring Sudan, from which it seceded in 2011 or
become part of Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Central African Republic and the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
"We urge our people to see the differences between Dr. Riek Machar, who has
accepted to take the challenge to champion the cause of the movement and the
propaganda of the government," Gen. Aturjong said Sunday.
"They have to make clear distinction and join the movement earnestly so that
we all rescue the country from disintegrating into ethnic enclaves, South
Sudanese rebel commander", he added.
David de Chan, a renowned South Sudanese academic recently criticised the
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) protocol of agreed
principles, instead recommending the breaking up of the country into smaller
administrative units.
"I highly recommend that South Sudan should be disintegrated because it has
already been disintegrated compared to the island nation state of Cyprus
that has divided itself into two (2) vs. the Greco-Cypriots on the west side
of the tiny island of Cyprus and the Turkish-Cypriots on the eastside of the
island nation of Cyprus and the case of the former Yugoslavia federation
that disintegrated into seven (7) nation states in the Balkans," de Chan
wrote on 29 August.
"The greater Upper Nile region would not return to Juba, but it would govern
itself as an autonomous region like Kuristan-Iraq in northern Iraq and would
eventually seek political divorce from South Sudan," he stressed.
GROWING SENTIMENTS
But Gen. Aturjong, a former South Sudan army division commander who joined
the opposition in May, warned of growing sentiments in the country should
the current conflict drag on for another year.
"I do not deny such possibilities and this is why the movement [SPLM in
Opposition] appeals for mass defection of our officers in this ailing
government to live up to the cause of liberation struggle. Our people did
not sacrifice their lives in order for them to come and install the regime
with similar tendencies to perpetuate the suffering", he said.
According to the senior rebel commander, there is already a feeling in other
parts of the country, apart from Upper Nile state, allegedly to break away
from the country, if president Salva Kiir does not willingly accept
democratic reforms and inclusivity in national affairs.
"There are voices calling for annexing the Upper Nile and Unity States to
Sudan and parts of Equatoria States to Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Democratic
of Republic of Congo and Central African Republic. Such voices are serious
and they are actually inspired by the Russia-Ukraine case of Crimea," Gen.
Aturjong explained.
"And I think some countries with interests in the region can quickly support
local initiative, like it happened in the case of Russia and Ukraine over
Crimea", he further stressed.
Meanwhile Peter Adwok Nyaba, a former South Sudanese education minister, now
with the rebels, advocated for an increase in the level of struggle to cover
other parts of the countries, saying it was the only way to bring change in
the country.
He claimed president Kiir was "insensitive" to calls for peace in the young
nation.
"SPLM in opposition does not belong to Riek Machar and those who refused to
join because of him are mistaken. The resistance to Salva's regime is
acquiring a national and democratic character," Nyaba told Sudan Tribune.
"The contradiction now is between democrats' revolutionary and liberal,
social or Marxists and the dictatorial regime and other position or stand is
fact support for the president," he added.
President Kiir's loyalists, however, say those opposed to the present
leadership only became critics after they were removed during last year's
cabinet reshuffle, which also affected former vice-president Riek Machar.