President Salva Kiir recalled during a speech on Monday that he previously had opposed establishing South Sudan’s capital at Juba. He left open the question of whether the capital should be moved or not.
He raised the subject during his address to a consultative conference involving the ruling party and other ‘stakeholders’ in Juba.
“There is also another issue of the capital, the capital city of South Sudan… During the war we discussed it while we were still in the bush, when we saw that the agreement was coming,” he said, referring to the period before 2005.
Kiir went on to explain that he had opposed bringing the capital to Juba because of memories of the ‘Kokora’ – a movement of Equatorian particularism, which he said resulted in violence against people from other regions.
“There were people who were resisting coming to Juba – and I am one of them. Because what happened in 1983 is a lesson. There were people who were victimized for no reason. And people died,” he said.
Owing to such fears of ‘Kokora,’ SPLM leaders including Kiir considered alternatives to Juba prior to the 2005 peace agreement. These alternatives included Rumbek, but ultimately Equatorian leaders reassured the SPLM chairman that the capital should be at Juba.
“So we were talking among ourselves. This was endorsed by our late chairman [John Garang] that we go to Juba. It was done because very senior members from Equatoria – intellectuals – were always going to Nairobi to meet the leadership of the SPLM/SPLA to tell them to change their position of taking the capital away from Juba.”
He continued, “So we gave in. And we accepted to come to Juba. Unfortunately we lost Dr. John before we could come to Juba.”
“After that, what we were afraid of appeared again in Juba. So, what should we do? Every time there are problems around, every time there are problems around. What is it that we have not done?”
He went on to criticize those among the native community of Juba who have benefited from the growth of the capital and yet have land disputes with the government or its officials.
“There are benefits in the presence of the capital in Juba, there are benefits that people of this area are reaping, which are not available to other citizens of other states.
“And so we don’t see why the same people who are benefiting are not happy,” he said.
Concluding his remarks on the subject, Kiir linked the matter to the war effort and political division within his party: “We must stop this thing and let us unite our ranks against the external enemies instead of we fighting ourselves alone. There is nothing. So let us leave this issue of the capital.”
File photo: Salva Kiir with the Governor of Western Bahr al Ghazal Rizig Zacharia
Related:
Dissent in Wau over ‘president’s initiative’ to transfer capital (8 Aug.)
Governor explains plan to transfer South Sudan’s capital to Wau (4 Aug.)
Demonstration in Wau calling for transfer of South Sudan’s capital (24 July)
Analysis: Kiir looking at scenario for moving capital (23 July)