Wednesday, December 11, 2024

The majority of South Sudanese had put their hope on IGADD that it would be able to help the fledgling nation in finding a peaceful settlement to the crisis. But what many of them have been witnessing over the course of months since the conflict began has been a general lack of mediating strategies by the IGADD. In fact many would see IGADD as an adversary agent with the desire to prolong the conflict in the war torn nation rather than adhering to principles that could help bring an end to the violence.

There is just more to this belief given that IGADD did not emerge as a joint solver of the problem in the beginning but instead acted in a way that many would argue would aggravate the already dire situation regionalizing the conflict.

This, for instance, is explained by Uganda’s behaviour being in the mediating team as an IGADD member yet took side and abused its position by trying to force the opposition to agree to a deal that could only last for hours if they shy away from addressing the root cause.

All these inspire the South Sudan government to behave like a mad dog if indeed its brain is any better than that of a dog. We cannot deny the fact that President Kiir is responsible for any misery the South Sudanese people have been going through and still continue to suffer as a result of his actions. IGADD does not need to be a rocket scientist to figure out a resolution which is beneficial for both parties.

But to try to use the Kenyan and Zimbawean solution for their disputed elections as if the South Sudan civil war was caused by vote rigging is utterly nonsense and a complete failure to IGADD as an organisation. This will have serious ramifications on its credibility for years to come not only from the African perspective but also the international community such as the United Nations.

Article 33 of the United Nations charter gives regional organisations the power to mediate crisis but abandoning the issues which caused conflict in the first place restores the potential of a future major dispute because leaving the cancer undiagnosed will never bring any relief on the situation of South Sudan.

The rebels or SPLA in opposition on their part will not be blamed for any fall out of talks because IGADD seemed to have abused its principles of impartiality. Just to try to create the position of Prime Minster and offers it to the rebel forces is in fact an absolute abuse of human rights and the lives of those who perished unnecessarily.

What IGADD needs to understand is that the war in South Sudan was not created by Dr. Riek nor the civilians who died in the hands of thugs. But it was the president himself who imposed it upon the people of South Sudan spending a great deal of time particularly on his ninth year on the throne creating a private army basically from his clan who caused the mayhem, an horrendous crimes East African had ever seen after Rwanda.

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