07/06/2025
To the SPLM-IG Leaders: Release His Excellency Dr Machar Teny to save your political future and the future of this country
I hope by now, those SPLM-IG leaders who were behind the arrest and detention of His Excellency Dr Riek Machar Teny have realized that it is counterproductive to do so. If up to now they don't feel anything and the sufferings of the citizens of South Sudan, then it means that they don't have the country at hearts.
In fact, the whole country has now come to stand still. The national and state governments are not normally working as there is no coordination between them all all. Parliaments at all levels are not working.likewise the executives and judiciary across South Sudan.
Numerous challenges facing citizens throughout the country are not being addressed by the government. This shows that the government is not operating in reality. . Except in Juba and other towns in South Sudan, crime rates and insecurity at country side and among the rural people are at highest levels because the citizens only depend on their personal protection and use of self-help in addressing the needs for justice.
The institutions of government that are operating, are operating without checks and balances For instance, since the arrest of Dr. Riek Machar Teny, tbe council of Ministers and Presidency at national level never sat. Therefore, the national issues are not being discussed and addressed by the national government.
It is also important to bring to the attention of the public that the only office working at the present is the office of the Chair of economic cluster. Unfortunately, the normal operatinon of the government that is based on mutual cooperation and collaboration is not longer in operation.
The Office of Economic Cluster is now performing the works of the Ministry of finance and economic Planning, the work of Parliament, the work of Central Bank and the work of Revenue Authority. .
Unfortunately, the Office of Economic Cluster is is currently working without oversight from the Parliament. All its expenditures are not being reviewed by the Parliament as the Parliament has become more less redundant.
Citizens of South Sudan are no longer view the government as an organization that provides them wtth services. They don't get anything in return for taxes that they pay to the government.
Moreover, the government is being isolated regionally and internationally. As far as I know, the government has failed to secure loans even in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where they used to secure such loads. The World Bank has so far failed to extend emergency funds to South Sudan to deliver services and i pays its workforce as it is expected of the responsible government.
The government appears to have difficulty in clearing the arrears and also paying salaries on time. This is why the announcement date and payment date are not regular. As we currently know, our security and justice sectors are not being taken care of well, which is the cause of insecurity in this country.
The Parliament that is supposed to be opened to address the issues facing our people is not working and it will remain closed until further notice. It was our how that the change in the leadership in the SPLM-IG will bring relief for the people of South Sudan.
Nonetheless, the change in leadership has even dodged our hope on the hard ground of hopelessly. For instance, the head of Economic Cluster who is a new breed of leadership was supposed to come with new energy to break the vicious circle of conflicts by valuing objective dialogue can honestly address the apparent and latent conflict.
However, the tough line approach being adopted by the New Vice President on the side of the SPLM-IG, which is inspired by Uganda has even worsened the situation.
As the new leader who has been given all powers, he was supposed to engage the experts on conflict resolutions across Africa to come up with the new roadmap that can address the gaps that may be in the Revitalized Agreement in South Sudan.
He was not supposed to adopt the Uganda techniques of governance since they can more destructive in the context of peace building in South Sudan. The Uganda government thought that the method of dealing with opposition in Uganda will work in South Sudan.
What must be made clear is that Uganda does not have a good intention for our country as it is looking for where it can engage and maintain its army so that they cannot remain redundant inside Uganda . This is one of the tactics of a Prince as it is explained in the Prince, which is a book by Nicole Machiavelli.
In that book, the Prince, the Writer Machiavelli states that for a Prince to survive, he must create instabilities in the neighbouring countries where he can engage his army since leaving the army redundant is not good for the prince.
What I expected of Uganda as one of the Guarantors was to be neutral as its role is to oversee the effective implementation of the Revitalized Agreement instead of taking side. Due to the peculiar situation of South Sudan, the interest of Uganda was ensure that peaceful co-existence is fostered in South Sudan
Uganda was supposed to be the one working in the support of the Revitalized Agreement. In case of any suspicion that one of the parties to the Revitalized Agreement was volating the Agreement, it can report the violations to the IGAD and African Union. It is the African Union that can give it go ahead tto take actions against any Party against peace.
The decision of Uganda who is one of the Guarantors to take side is to blame for the current crisis. As a result of the crisis, the country is now stuck. The attempt to seek for the support from other countries is met with resistance and demands that for supporting to be given to South Sudan, the government must release Dr. Riek Machar Teny and other political detainees and go back to dialogue and reconciliation.
We all support the call for political dialogue and reconciliation because the crisis of South Sudan are political in nature other than pure crime as many are looking at it with emotions. South Sudan issue is more of a conflict than being a civil war. In order to resolve a conflict, dialogue and reconciliation are the only way to achieve positive peace.
Hence, the only way forward to achieve stability and lasting peace in South Sudan is sticking to the strick implementation of the Revitalized Agreement. Those SPLM-IG Leaders who were behind the arrest and detention of His Excellency Dr Machar and other SPLM-IO leaders did not understand one thing. They did not understand that Dr. Riek Machar was not only ordinary Vice President but he is also someone that represents millions of South Sudanese who are not happy with the current system.
It is clear that all South Sudanese whether quarreling and opposing the system silently or talking or even fighting the government under different groups, all sympathize with Dr. Riek Machar Teny and the SPLM-IO as an Organization.
The continued attempt by some leaders of the SPLM-IG to detain Dr. Riek Machar complicates everything and makes the conflicts continue unendingly. The conflicts in South Sudan can only be ended through political approach where dialogue and reconciliation are the key. The two can also be implemented through the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement in letter and spirit.
As a matter of fact, the Revitalized Agreement has covered all root causes of the conflicts in South Sudan. Even if the government fails to implement it now, the future Agreements will still be modelled on the same issues. The clear example is Tumaini Peace Initiative that copied the exact content of the Revitalized Agreement verbatim.
The adoption of the same issues in the content of Tumaini Peace Initiative shows that no any other Agreements whether now or in future in South Sudan will address issues of South Sudan more than the current Revitalized Agreement.
For us not to waste time and resources in negotiating other peace Agreements, the Revitalized Agreement should only be amended to accommodate other oppositions that are not party to the Revitalized Agreement. This will give the government time to continue with the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement and go for elections as planned.
Implementing the Revitalized Agreement needs inclusivity because excluding other parties or leaders without a just cause is not healthy for the peaceful settlement of dispute in South Sudan. As we have now clearly understood, Dr. Riek Machar Teny is innocent.
Dr. Riek Machar Teny was wrongly detained. He even has a case against those who detained him as a citizen of South Sudan. Fortunately, for the sake of peace and the welfare of South Sudanese people, he will forgive those leaders who arrested him falsely.
The arrest was politically motivated with the thought that they would finish him off politically without knowing that their actions would backlash. All of us have to appreciate His Excellency Dr. Riek Machar Teny for not defending himself that would have put the country into crisis in more crisis.
The action of Dr. Riek Machar Teny of accepting humiliating has helped expose some SPLM-IG leaders to the public. The public has now understood that Dr. Riek Machar all along has been the victim of set up or trumped up charges.
Although we are not happy with the way our Chairman has been treated, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the majority who love peace in the country and who want South Sudan to move forward for the release of our Chairman.
Political dialogue is the only option remaining for the SPLM-IG to save this country. We must go back to the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement in letter and spirit. I once more call upon the leaders of the SPLM-IG who were behind the arrest of Dr. Riek Machar to release him without further delay. I call upon them to Save their political future and future of this country.
Insisting on forceful retirement of Dr. Riek Machar Teny is a wrong decision and political miscalculation. No where on earth can a head of a different political organization can be forcefully retired by the leadership of a different political organization. This odd and absurd.
Moreover, the attempt to forcefully retire Dr. Riek Machar exactly shows that the SPLM-IG has a very serious weaknesses that needs the whole country and the whole world to pay attention to it. It is an organization that if we don't pay close attention to it, the SPLM-IG can destroy this country and everyone.
Summary, I would like to make it clear to those who are trying to forcefully retire Dr. Rlek Machar Teny that they will end up like the dog trying to catch the bird in the picture below and the man trying to cut the branch that he is sitting on as it is also shown in the picture below.
Please SPLM-IG leaders, release His Excellency Dr Machar to save your political future and the future of this country. We, the members of the SPLM-IO are committed to peacefully resist the SPLM-IG until our leaders are released.
Hon. Juol Nhomngek Daniel, MP, TNLA Cueibet County, Lakes State, the SPLM-IO.
