Civil society divided on Kiir speech
South Sudanese citizens and civil society activists have expressed mixed views on President Salva Kiir’s speech, which he issued on Monday with a clarion call for justice, healing, and reconciliation.
With the country reeling from the political heat caused by differences among protagonist peace partners, President Kiir took advantage of the opportunity to address the nation, clearing the air about the heavy deployment of security in Juba, particularly around the residence of First Vice President, Dr Riek Machar.
“What is being done in Juba by the army and security forces is a normal thing. It can happen in any country because here in Juba there are criminals who have embedded themselves among the citizens, “Kiir said.
But for Guot Gaberial Manyang, the President of the Centre for Rights and Democracy, the president’s speech did not live up to the hype, even though it diffused the tension in the country.
“There is nothing that has convinced the South Sudanese about the purpose of the heavy deployment that caused panic in the city.” So, giving an overview of the situation in South Sudan, “does not justify [it] as the reason to deploy heavy forces around the residence of the first vice president and around Juba,” said Guot.
He posed: “If it is a normal routine, why does it have to be particularly at the residence of the first vice president?” “What about his residence? What about the residence of the other vice presidents? And the rest of the people?
On Monday, the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, said in a statement that the deployment of troops in Juba sparked “unnecessary tensions among the civil population and was reminiscent of the 2013 and 2016 developments that led to the civil war.”
Committed to peace
However, in his press conference, President Kiir reiterated his commitment to peace and assured the nation that he would ‘‘never return the country back to war.’’
“I have pledged that I will not deliberately return this country to war again,” he said. “I remain committed to this pledge.”
In addition, on Monday, President Kiir directed the National Security Service (NSS) and a BRL law firm to make public the information about the instigators of the deadly conflicts in December 2013 and July 2016. He claimed that doing so would help propel the country towards permanent peace.
“We must say the truth because genuine reconciliation has its basis in it. This will also support the process of healing in our country,” he said.
Guot, on the other hand, believes that dealing with the chapter of truth, justice, and reconciliation will require more than words, and that without action, the address will be merely lip service.
Nonetheless, the Executive Director of CEPO, Edmund Yakani, hailed the president’s speech, saying it had restored a state of calm in the city. He, however, challenged the president to put his commitment to action by implementing Chapter five of the agreement.
“In his address of the new year, he mentioned that mechanisms of chapter five would be established by late January. Now we have lost January and February now we are now in March and heading towards the end. We hope that we shall not get the same promise that we have seen with regards to Chapter two implementation.” Yakani emphasises
According to Edmund Yakani, the establishment of Transitional Justice Institutions is critical for addressing the serious violations of human and people’s rights committed during the conflict by facilitating truth, reconciliation, healing, compensation, and reparation.
