Lual Dau, a former deputy governor and now key participant in the Nairobi peace talks, said the talks aim to rescue the country from collapse and disintegration.
In the last part of an exclusive interview with Radio Tamazuj, Dau, a former deputy governor of the defunct Lol Sate and a leading member of the South Sudan United Front (SSUF), which is part of the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) faction, shed light on the ongoing negotiations to achieve an inclusive peace process.
He also emphasized the importance of unity among the different ethnic groups in South Sudan, while urging all the opposition groups to join the Nairobi peace talks.
Below are edited excerpts:
Q. Mr. Lual, the word “rescue” was used several times during the recent opposition press conference. Do you think this will be realized, if there is no political will?
A. Upon the independence of South Sudan on July 9, 2011, one of our elders, Izaiah Kulang, spoke to us after the official celebration, and asked: “Our unity was very strong because we had a common enemy, the central government. Now that they are gone, what can unite us again as South Sudanese?”
Nobody answered the question. It remains unanswered to date.
There are people in South Sudan who think that their ethnic communities are superior to the others, and when in power, they only hire their relatives. All the communities in this country are part of our society, yet nothing is uniting us. Our states too will not unite us. Our regional sectarianism will also not unite us. We need to unite as South Sudanese people.
To answer your question, I do believe that there was no political will to implement the 2015 and 2018 agreements.
Q. Some opposition groups are not part of the Nairobi talks, what will be their fate if you reach an agreement?
A. We were united under several opposition names such as the South Sudan Opposition Alliance or SSOMA. They have their own legitimate concerns and that is why they did not come to the talks. We do not have any differences with them and we all seek to resolve the conflict in South Sudan.
All the agreements that have been signed, including the 2028 peace deal, were on power sharing. So, any agreement built on personal interests will not solve any problem. You can appoint ministers but they fail to deliver to the people. If the Nairobi peace talks ended with a similar agreement, our opposition brothers will continue their struggle.
Our presence here at the Tumaini Initiative is different. We want to resolve the root causes and for all. If the government is positive and agrees to address the root causes of the conflict, those who are still in opposition will join us, because they will be seeing themselves as part of the solution.
Even if they do not join us now, but we resolve the root causes of the conflict, and go to Juba to establish a constitution, provide security across the country, improve the economy, pay the civil servants, provide roads, health facilities, justice and the rule of law and organize free and fair elections, I am sure they will join us.
According to the statements we got from the neighboring countries and the international community, people are tired of South Sudanese. During our struggle with the Sudanese government in Khartoum, we sought peace in Abuja One, Abuja Two, Kenya, and many places. After our independence, we went to Ethiopia, Khartoum, Tanzania, Rome, and now we are back in Nairobi. People are getting tired of us.
This is the last chance to rescue our country and it needs all the efforts of our people in both the government and the opposition. We should all come together at some point and move forward with the agenda of nation building.
Q. You seem to be agreeing with the Thomas Cirillo group and the other holdout formations about addressing the root causes of the conflict. Why didn’t you try to convince them that it was the same thing being discussed in Nairobi?
A. When we received the invitation from President (William) Ruto, we discussed this as SSOMA leadership, including Gen Thomas Cirillo. First, we all do not agree that we want to solve the root causes of the conflict. However, we all agree that we want a country of justice, equality and a federal system.
We also agreed that negotiating the peace is one of the solutions. We also agreed that some of our opposition activists were arrested in Nairobi and handed over to the government in Juba. Therefore, Kenya is not a safe place for us.
Cirillo and others insisted that the insecurity of political activists should be addressed in Rome. However, we said, with due respect to President Ruto, why we did not accept the invitation and thereafter raised the security concern to them. We came and expressed this concern and now we are here for more than one month. We are well protected.
Q. Was what happened to Gen. Stephen Buay a few weeks ago a case of insecurity?
A. Every country encounters issues of insecurity. The Kenyan government took serious measures against the matter, which has since been resolved. Gen Buay is here participating in the talks and we are moving forward.
When you accept to take part in any negotiation, it means you care about finding a solution to your problem. In addition, as we are here, our lives are not more important than of any other South Sudanese. Therefore, if our presence is recognized as part of finding a solution to the problem in South Sudan, this is something to be considered.
Our country is about to disintegrate. That is why it is better we come and rescue the country. Personal security is not important now.
Q. Are you allowed to travel now?
A. Of course some members of the opposition came here and were allowed to travel. There are those who requested to travel, and I would not disclose their names, but we have our passports and can travel anytime.
Q. If the opposition groups agree, will you agree with the government?
A. The issue is not personal but about how we can continue with the nation building. If the government of Juba is ready to establish institutions that serve justice and security, we will have no argument. Even if we sign an agreement with the government and we go to Juba and do not do that, some will continue opposing this agreement. Anybody in South Sudan is a potential opposition if the root causes of the conflict are not resolved.
Q. In case the holdout groups agree to join you, where will the talks start?
A. We all agree that the conflict in South Sudan will only find a solution from all of us. In addition, I hope that all of us in the opposition and those who are still outside should come to Nairobi and we focus on a durable solution. This is not only our conviction as the opposition, but also of other stakeholders such as civil society and religious leaders.
If they accepted to participate in the talks, that means they are convinced that this negotiation is on the right track. What we have presented at these talks are the same issues agreed on in SSOMA, non-signatories and the National Consensus Forum.
Therefore, I do not think that if the holdout groups join us today they will have a new demand.
Q. Is there a timeframe for this negotiation?
A. We will not stop because the situation in the country needs an urgent solution. If we reach a solution today or tomorrow, there will be no reason for the negotiations to continue. If we are convinced that the solution will be reached in five or six years, we are ready to be here until we achieve that.
Q. If there is trust between you and the government, are you ready to continue the discussion in Juba, as suggested by the Norwegian ambassador?
A. The only peace negotiations that I know inside the country was the Khartoum Peace Agreement in 1997, between the government and Dr. Riek Machar. In addition, all of us know how it ended. If some were afraid to come here in Nairobi, what do you think about Juba? The issue is not where, but people need to be serious about the solution.
Q. What is your message to the South Sudanese at this point?
A. First of all, I would like to thank Radio Tamazuj for this opportunity despite all the challenges facing our country. I remain hopeful that South Sudanese will win one day. This is not my own illusion but history is always a reference. We, who celebrated the independence in 2011, had been enslaved for a long time by the Khartoum government. Our people went through a serious famine for so long. We lost millions of our people. We did not give up until we raised our flag on July 9, 2011.
I believe that with the same determination, our people will continue to hold on until we have justice, equality, rule of law and respect for women and children’s rights.
We are aiming at a South Sudan that will one day donate food to other nations because we are a rich country. Our people should not lose hope, for a better tomorrow.