events in juba

It’s a little bit difficult to explain the past few days’ events in South Sudan. It’s gone from incredulous to wtf? It’s easier to become emotional and talk about;

Anger. Disappointment. Confusion. Surprise. Resentment.  Fear.

First I was angry that a group of people would take for granted our hard-won nationhood and attempt a coup. Whenever people I know would talk about the possibility of a coup, I was always in the group of the naysayers. Nah, we are too proud of being a republic to risk that. Or nah. We might have our differences but really? A coup? SPLM would not dare take us back to war. We’ve waited too long to have a country to return to.

Then I was disappointed. At Kiir when it felt like the events had been overplayed- what had actually been a skirmish among the presidential guards had escalated into a night of gunfire in Juba. That was that. He need not have shown up in full military regalia to display his military credentials/ intimidate the rest of us. This was not actually an organized attempt at overthrowing his government and his reaction displayed a sort of panic.  Besides, Machar came out and said he had nothing to do with a coup.

Now im just confused. We have moved from, ‘coup? What coup? No im not organizing a coup. The old man is confused.’

To ‘I control 20% of South Sudan, and my forces continue to gain ground. I will shut off all the oil revenue flowing to Juba and will deal directly with Sudan'

So now that this is apparently a coup against a president that has become dictatorial and sat under a corrupt regime (although Machar seems to have forgotten that during the entire time he is complaining about he was a vice-presidential with some executive powers – therefore he is as culpable).  The question now being- so how is overthrowing a democratically elected government – regardless of the shortcomings – in view of the fact that elections are to be held in 2015- going to make us more democratic?  How will a military regime, serving a hostile tribally motivated and resentful population, ensure peace and stability – and no vengeance – while at the same time establishing democratic principles that they say have been over-ridden?

The worst of this is it has fueled the most irresponsible reporting ever by the international media. sensationalis, to say the least

its as though they are clamouring for an ethnic cleansing so as to have a news cycle.

i fear that this crying wolf will result in exactly what they are predicting for south sudan.

what has started as political wrangling of the worst sort (machar must be having de ja vu's of 1991) is being reported as a purely dinka-nuer thing. its disgusting. 

people out in the states probably do not have access to viable reports/ information and are listening to disinformation. This is the kind of fear that could have severe repercussions.  its already bad enough that things escalate very quickly in south sudan.

i hope the media wont be culpable in this