BY DAK BUOTH RIEK GAAK
On 9 January 2025, the tripartite South Sudanese opposition parties to the Tumaini Peace Initiative namely; the South Sudan People’s Movement (SSPM), South Sudan Opposition Movement (SSOMA), and National Salvation Front Revolutionary Command Council (NAS-RCC) shocked the world by not only remaining undivided and unintimidated for the last one year, but also by solidifying their unity and togetherness like never seen before.
On the fine evening of 8 January, I was sitting and chatting with Chairman General Stephen Buoy Rolnyang over our internal caucuses and commitments. On that very day, he came and appeared to be contemplating a lot. Unlike his usual demeanor characterized by a smile and laughter, he was looking possessed by ideas whose time had come.
The following day when the announcement came out, I said this is long overdue. When I read the document entitled ‘United Peoples’ Alliance (UPA),’ I immediately added three words that I think capture and carry the objectives that we have been struggling for all these years in the trenches.
I added three words namely Reform and Democracy to make it appears as the UNITED PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE FOR REFORM AND DEMOCRACY (UNIPARD) with this simple slogan ‘‘Freedom is here.’’
UPA is a New Year’s gift
I must say that the establishment and subsequent announcement of the United Peoples’ Alliance (UPA) is the substitute for the New Year gift that we missed presenting to the South Sudanese after the Tumaini Peace Initiative reached a deadlock following the second withdrawal of the RTGoNU delegation on 14 December 2024.
The formation of UPA is welcomed not just by the constituent parties of UPA, but by South Sudanese who are yearning for change by all means. It is the desire of everyone in the opposition to unite with all and sundry. From the point of knowledge, we, in the SSPM and SSUNA fraternity have expressed ourselves eloquently on the demand and desire for unity of purpose.
The SSPM Constitution is not a restrictive but a permissive legal document in the sense that it frees and gives the chairman and the entire leadership of SSPM/A the mandate to join hands and unite with other like-minded parties to expedite the change and revolution that we are longing for.
In Article 69 and Article 7 subsections 5 and 6, read together with Section 7 of the Amended SSPA Act 2021, we are very explicit on the need for unity of the opposition. These provisions give meaning to the old age that says one hand cannot clap itself.
Moreover, ours is a total belief in the ideal of unity of purpose. By nature, and by law, the gallant members of the South Sudan People’s Movement (SSPM/A) are unity and peace-loving people. As you have read therein, the SSPM has demonstrated and put down its vision in writing, thus making the leadership responsible for unity a necessity in so far as the struggle is concerned.
This clear show of love for unity also means that the SSPM is not greedy and gluttonous. We believe in shared work and the togetherness of all colleagues and comrades in the struggle for change.
Over the years, the greatest undoing and shortcoming of the South Sudanese opposition parties are their division and selfishness, which the de facto RTGoNU regime has capitalized on to maintain its iron hold on power.
Fortunately, we have now corrected this challenge by creating a coalition of like-minded parties with a clear goal to bring rapid leadership change to South Sudan. As they always say, ‘‘United we stand and divided we fall,’’ the creation of UPA is nothing but surety and safety of the opposition. With the formation of UPA, the opposition parties are certain of life and longevity owing that they will continue to stand strong in their quest for change in South Sudan.
Coronation of Opposition Unity
As I mentioned above, this latest political development is long overdue. The announcement of UPA is nothing, but a coronation of our existing political unity that had been in existence for a year now.
You will recall from the onset of the High-Level Mediation for South Sudan alias Tumaini Peace Initiative, the Real-Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (Real-SPLM) leader, General Pagan Amum, has been the de facto and de jure representative of the opposition parties in the Tumaini Peace initiative.
General Amum’s representation of the opposition in the peace talks did not come by accident. It was a well-thought-out decision by our leaders during the negotiation. As we have seen and heard in 2024, the articulate representation by General Amum is part of what made the opposition remain intact and inclusive.
Happily, if you combined the outspokenness of Pagan Amum, the consistency and bravery of General Buoy Rolnyang, General Oyai Deng, General Mario Loku, the professorial skills of Dr. Cirino Hiteng, and the intellect of Eng. Benjamin Wani, the wisdom of Genera Paul Malong Awan, diplomacy and simplicity of Ambassador Adel Sandrai, this is what you get at the end.
Having stated that the aforementioned opposition leaders are not just the brainchild of UPA, but staunch advocates of opposition unity now and in the future. The establishment of UPA was necessitated by several factors, two of which are the desire to lead by example and the quest to abandon self-seeking leadership as was seen in past opposition parties which signed the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCISS) on 12 August 2018. As of 9 January, the South Sudanese downtrodden have something to smile about with this gift of unity that has come in the form of UPA which I nicknamed the POPULAR PEACE COALITION FOR REFORM AND DEMOCRACY (PPECORD).
The writer is the South Sudan People’s Movement (SSPM) National Chairman for Legal and Constitutional Affairs and can be reached via eligodakb@yahoo.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.