By Pel K Chol

If freedom was the stirring factor the South Sudanese fought for in the war against Khartoum regime, many would have wished they had never taken up arms. What transpired in South Sudan after the independent under Salva Kiir’s leadership is not the aspiration and the hope so many had fought and martyred for.

It is completely a different sphere worse than the treatment many had endured under all rulers of the Sudan since the Independent from Great Britain.

Democracy and the desire to be free was the factor for secession. However, after the country had gained independent, Salva Kiir had become ruthless centralising power dashing the hope of so many people not only on the local level but all the way to the top.

Among the ten states in the country, no state has ever held election to choose their own destiny. None of these states were given their right to elect their own governors. Everything has been centralised with all the governors handpicked by Salva Kiir himself through what he calls decrees.

Kiir’s decrees go down to counties levels as well as those governors selected by him follow suit handpicking commissioners. In a sensible democracy, it is undoubtedly the work of suburban (“Payams”) people to hold elections and choose commissioner positions.

Unfortunately, the country has been under autocratic rule since inception with Kiir dismantling all principles of an ideal democracy which enables free and fair elections. The right to vote and democracy in general has become a daydream. As Kiir’s tendencies for tyranny grew bigger, there was an opposition within the SPLM party opposing Kiir for the lost direction.

Some of the key opponents were Pagam Amum, the former secretary of the SPLM, Taban Deng Gai, the former Unity State Governor and now one of the five vice Presidents, Uyay Deng Ajack who once held a senior position and Dr Riek himself who is the first vice President and now under the House Arrest.

This group contained a few from many who cherished for a democratic country. They had a concept of an SPLA convention where senior party members were to held a meeting and choose who they wanted for a nomination as party leader.

Kiir was aware that the South Sudanese have no appetite for being under dictatorial regime again. Knowing that he would lose at the convention, he staged a coup that resulted to the chaos the country has been going through since December 2013.

With the violence that followed, Kiir strengthened his grip to power ignoring every peace deal vowing to crash any opposition. He brought in the Darfur rebels, the Ugandan Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) and organised and funded  militias purposely to fight democratic sympathisers.

Militarily the Opposition has somewhat been neutralised through fake peaces designed to weaken them.  While on the political level, Kiir is resisting following peace deal agreements. At the same time, he got involved in  a brbibing MODE offering millions of dollars to prominent members in Machar’s camp.

Kiir unilaterally removes Ministers in Machar’s party who do not adhere to his ill gotten ideology. Until this time, the only person left standing is Dr Riek Machar. Everyone else has either fled the country or caved in.

With Machar’s arrest, many South Sudanese seems not to understand what Machar stands for and why is Kiir having a rough time on him? To a few, Machar is fighting for democratic rights of everyone the same way he fought for an independent South Sudan which now benefits everyone eventhough Kiir is doing his best to make himself the sole beneficiary of the struglle.

Machar’s view  differed significantly with the vision of Late Leader John Garang who stood for the liberation of the whole Sudan, a vision which is so hard to achieve based on the religious differences between the North and South Sudans.

Although Machar is always proven right, you still got some many who have been brainwashed who see him as a problem and a distractor to Kiir’s rule. This group of people have completely misunderstood him.  Others knew exactly what he stands for which is for South Sudan to be a free country as so many people paid this freedom by their blood.

That is why Machar does not hesitate to put his head in the lion mouth for the sake of peace and freedom for the younger generation even if it means putting his life in jeopardy. He is not willing to give up telling it like it is.

But everything Machar says or wants about how the country should be governed falls into Kiir’s deaf hear. Kiir’s brain is a brick wall to democracy not sure if the issue was to do with the limited understanding with the way in which democratic countries are governed or an influence from his friend Uganda who co leads South Sudan exploiting mineral wealth.

Intrinsically Salva Kiir is using the country’s resources not only to bribe everyone to support his cause but also to buy weapons and mercenaries as well. The current army in South Sudan is not only made up of his tribal men and militias to help him stay in power but there are contingents of the Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF) paid by Kiir and permitted by Museveni to kill the people of South Sudan and exploit their resources.

With killings subjected to the South Sudanese, many who opposed Kiir have either fled the country or succumbed to his autocratic rule. Those who have fallen in the wrong category in support of Kiir are the ones whispering “Riek Machar is Bad and Kiir is a good man.

These people include the likes of Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, general Taban Deng Gai to say the least. They scream loudly adding to the dismay of the broader population who believe such people should have known better the direction Kiir is taking the country into. Should Kiir succeed, it would be harder to get the freedom back.

This article was written and prepared by Pel K. Chol

A contributor to Gambella Vision. He could be reached via p.*******@*************om.net