HLRF: What is IGAD’s priority on the ARCSS peace revitalization process?

“Committing mistakes is something human and sometimes inevitable. However, not learning from mistakes may suggest that something is fundamentally amiss because it subjects the individual, group, country or society to perpetually commit the same mistakes”~Dr. Peter A. Nyaba

By Bol Khan, Nairobi, Kenya

Wednesday, May 30, 2018 (PW) — What is IGAD’s imperative priority on South Sudan’s tedious peace revitalization process? Is IGAD aiming to bring about a peace accord that saves the lives of suffering ordinary people of South Sudan or a shaky peace deal that serves only the politicians’ interests?

The HLRF’s Phase II that recently ended in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, without a signed deal was supposed to be the last round of South Sudan’s Peace talks. Ahead of time, the public leaked it that in case the delegates fail to reach a comprehensive deal by themselves until 21th of May 2018, then IGAD would be coming up with a neutral and moderate proposal to narrow the gaps between the parties.

This was what in the mind of every South Sudanese citizen. However, unexpectedly, when the IGAD’s “Bridging Proposal” was out, circulated everybody was dumfounded including the author.  I surprised and bewildered because the proposal squarely appeared as if South Sudanese’s politicians drafted it themselves, in their own interests.

My Hypothetical New Cabinet for South Sudan

By David Mayen Dengdit – Denver- USA

Wednesday, May 30, 2018 (PW) — A couple of weeks ago I made up a hypothetical cabinet for a transitional government of South Sudan. Of course, as free citizens, we all have the right to exercise the privilege to choose those who should lead “our” country. We can do so at any time when we feel that objective conditions have robbed current leaders of legitimacy. And in our case, massive human flight, pervasive victimization of innocent non-combatant citizens of all ages- including children, documented ethnic-based war crimes, etc. constitute the grounds for automatic withdrawal of legitimacy from those who have abused the power of incumbency.

The power of incumbency includes: control over deployment of security agents as prescribed by the constitution of the land. Essentially, these entail military deployments for protection of national borders from external aggression, while other security operatives mainly police and prisons service to provide internal security.

The rest of other services controlled by incumbents are essentially economic in nature. These include regulating international, regional and national trade through setting up a taxation system to collect monies from the market and divert it to paying for other services such as healthcare, education, sports, improved agricultural production, and all other things that make living in a country a worthy experience for citizens.