The infamous and largely unpopular Legal Advisor to the President of South Sudan HE Telar Ring Deng has confided, in a secret confidential letter to the President that Saakam has acquired – his ‘perspective’ on the current situation in South Sudan detailing a strategy to woo and court Equatorians in favour of Kiir’s administration.
The undated letter that referenced the recent framework agreement signed in Addis Ababa is believed to have been written a few days ago. It sheds some light on a disturbing approach and strategy of the Government of President Kiir to ensure it remains in the helm by pitting tribes and regions against each other and without considering any thing that bears a slight resemblance to a comprehensive national solution to a problem that is in essence political.
Courting VP Igga
Telar Deng, the defacto president of South Sudan, suggests that it is time to court Vice-President Wani Igga into a more useful role. To them, the peace negotiations in Addis Ababa with the rebels will all boil down to who will be the next Vice President during the interim period. The Presidency – it appears – is out of the question as President Kiir (and almost everyone from Bahr El Ghazal) believes that will never change.
“We must find a role for the Vice President to participate in the talks. As the negotiations in Addis move to considering substantive issues of power sharing leading to interim period etc, it is essential that the VP takes the lead in the peace talks,” Telar wrote.
“In essence, the political quarrel concerns the position of the VP. The rebels eye this position and the VP must be in the forefront defending it,” the letter continued.
“We do not want to be blamed later that we gave away positions in government”, he said.
VP Igga is a known sworn Kiir-loyalist, and with his bosses planning to give him an assignment and make him feel important, they are setting him up for a task he could never win. And when that happens – when he fails – no one but himself will be around to blame.
Not wanting “to be blamed later that we gave away positions”, Telar positions VP Igga to, first and foremost, defend the legitimacy of Kiir’s Presidency – a stand he has repeated voiced. Being in the negotiating team, he will also have to or try to keep his VP position (or that of Equatoria) and at the same time strike a deal with the rebels for the formation of an interim government.
VP Igga’s task will be close to impossible. If he manages to strike a deal that require he step aside as VP for the sake of South Sudan, his masters will have no one but himself to “blame for giving away positions”.
And that is not all…
“Involving the VP in the talks will demonstrate national unity i.e involving Equatorians and takes it [negotiations] away from the Dinka vs Nuer affair/issue,” argued Telar.
The current leader of the government’s delegation to the peace talks is Nhial Deng Nhial. The fact that he is a Dinka from the same state/clan as the President could have been a coincidence if someone did not know better.
Shopping for (more) Ministers from Equatoria
This conflict appears to have put the spotlight of appeasement on Equatoria as the Government tries to come up with renewed old tricks of offering or trading ministerial positions in exchange for loyalty and security in the helm – or as Telar Deng puts it “our strategy to prevent Riak Machar from building a support base in Equatoria.” and “courting” the Equatorians.
A reshuffle is already been pencilled with names and regions being short-listed against the portfolios of key ministries such as Finance, Interior and Defence.
According to Telar Deng, the Finance portfolio “should remain within Greater Equatoria”, and if need be to replace the incumbent, there is a candidate who just fits Telar’s taste.
Dr. David Nailo Mayo, an MP from the Didinga tribe – Eastern Equatoria – has been proposed. According to Telar, Dr. Mayo not only solves the problem of representation in Eastern Equatoria but he is also “competent and loyal to [Kiir’s] leadership”.
Next in the shopping list is a strong candidate from Western Equatoria. Telar has expressed dissatisfaction in Jemma Nunu saying she has been “a disappointment”. Doubting her usefulness and popularity, Telar further wondered “how much support she can muster” in Western Equatoria for a government keen on clinging to power.
Based on the above, Telar believes the cabinet needs another Western Equatorian preferably in the person of Ex-General Alison Monani Magaya.
Since the objective and strategy is just to court them [Equatorians], the ministry need not be key – the Minister of Labour and Public Service will be good enough, Telar proposed.
“Equatoria has a history of becoming slippery”
However, the strategy to court Equatorians into loyalty and, in the process, deny Riek Machar a support base in the region needs to be tread carefully. That whole region of Greater Equatoria – larger in size than Uganda – “has a history of becoming slippery” and must not be trusted in totality.
In other words, Equatorians might not be able to avoid this fact, but it appears they will be used yet again. Equatorians are not to be trusted but again, it is a situation that overrides all national interests (whatever that means) and secure Kiir’s reign.
Has the strategy been used before? Did it work?
Surprisingly (or not) the answer is yes.
“In the wake of the 1991 Split, the SPLM/A leadership successfully courted Equatorians (i.e Professor George Bureng, Steven Wondu, Dr. Samson Kwaje etc) to deny the Nasir Faction any tangible support in the region. Under the current political climate, we need to pursue this kind of policy,” Telar reminded the President.
Conclusion
The confidential letter has already appeared in a couple of sites and mailing lists and will be publicly availed very soon. When we first got it, it shocked us how superficial some of these strategies tried to deal with issues that have claimed the lives of thousands who care less for a ministerial position here or there. But that might have been how politics in South Sudan is being carried out by those in power.
As for Equatorians, they seem to get a boost everytime Riek Machar or the Nuer fall out with a Dinka government.
NOTE: This is not a satirical piece – I swear!
Saakam! 
July 24, 2015 at 10:40 am
In the Holy scripture, people needed someone to represent them before God, someone to go between them and God. The mediator was Moses. He went to people, taking to them God,s message but the mediator the mediator works to bring both sides together. So Moses also went to God. He took the needs of people to God. Am so proud to find that Equatorians, these civilized people of south Sudan acted as peace makers and appeared smart as Moses did in Israel. Professor Bureng was not used to go against Dr Riek Machar but he acted patriotically for the well being of South Sudan and it,s people. Wani Igga is not after the power, just like prophet Jeremiah of the Bible he needs peace to prevail in the young nation. Wani is an Economist, he can do without the post of VP. Remember Aliso Magaya is also an Equatorian who will not be pleased to see his people mistreated. Southerners should stop acting like the Jalaba who used to give them to manage, the ministry of Animal resources and the post of Second vice president whose station was south Sudan and visits the north casually. Remember that Equatoria alone can have their own country in Future through their own initiative, but we are too nationalistic that is why our country is holding together. We are not idiots but we are good thinkers and tolerant. But if our tolerant fade away the people known to be cowards shall fight with all their strength and might to have their human dignity respected. Fellow southerners, let us respect and embrace love and peaceful co-existence.
June 4, 2014 at 12:08 am
This is so sad that the Dinka led Bureaucratic system have finally came up with the inside truth. For those who are on the Diaspora and were active on the referendum should remember now the truth about the letter that was circulating asking the communities to vote for the separation because the Dinka will not enjoy power. Now I encourage all the Equatorians to have the real Judgement of the nation and think of lives we have lost. Iga is used as a puppet to gunner the Equatorians. I believe in Federalism where by every southerner have the right to service and say. rather than tribes rule or one man’s show for that matter.
June 3, 2014 at 12:27 pm
Equatoria is Never going to be used for window dressing!. It is a big lie by those hallucinating in Juba that offering the current Vice President more roles would reward the dwindling support of the current regime in Juba.
If Telar think he is wise enough than the sum of Equatorians, he would have given Kiir a decent alternative.
I personal believed that some people are yet to understand the logic behind this conflict conflict (Willful blindness!).
IF WANI IGGA WAS A DINKA, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PRESIDENT OF S. SUDAN SINCE DECEMBER. In other words, THE JEINGES WOULD HAVE UNRESERVEDLY TOLD KIIR TO CEDE HIS POST IN FAVOUR OF WANI. YES, NO DOUBT!
What ashame for South Sudan and S. Sudanese!!!!
June 3, 2014 at 5:44 pm
I do not think that Equatorians need to be wooed to support the current government. Equatorians had a profound dialogue about federal government system but the government of South Sudan did not listen. The government should listen to the citizens concerns.
If the government aspires to woo Equatorians, let the government implements the federal system. The federal system will serve all the South Sudanese. If the federal government would have been implemented as three governors of Equatoria had been advocating, there would have been no violence in South Sudan.
The government should not woo Equatorians after the fact that South Sudanese citizens had been murdered in bright day light in Juba. Instead, the government should now pay attention to press issues than to woo individual people in Equatoria. Equatoria have learned the tactic that South Sudan government is using to lower Equatorians. The government should treat every South Sudanese equally.
Equatorians are no longer need hands pick to serve them. Equatorians are capable elect their own sons and daughters to serve them. Hand picking doesn’t serve the interests of Equatorians community nor the interests of South Sudan community at large. Telar and his likes should think twice about the situation which South Sudan is falling into.
June 3, 2014 at 9:48 am
It is not easy to fool we (Equatorians) for we know where the devil will strike
June 3, 2014 at 8:36 am
Tellar is shaking empty tins around, i am so disappointed for his inadequate poorly master mined vision. he is not planning for the citizens but proclaiming a fallen kingdom of kirr, The next government is more than a mere leadership, they should be ready to answer for the deaths they successfully carried out, killing patients on beds. The message is simple and clear, he is incompetent to be a leader in many respects. we are sick of their cancer cells spreading around and affecting every citizens, its all over they will see a phase of parallel moves to their fake politic of tribes other than the people as a unit.
June 3, 2014 at 12:54 am
Yes, Thinking that wooing Equatoria reflects back political miopere in the mid 19th century was asnap-short and a slap in the face for marginalized communities in the country.
June 2, 2014 at 3:02 pm
So this is the time when the Dinkas can think of Equatorians? Where were they before with this good ideas?, I said Equatorians are no longer Slaves to Kirr’s regime. Equatorians should not accept that nonsense, If it’s bicos of that, Let Tera go for the peace deal with that strong ideas of his.
October 28, 2014 at 5:13 am
You are right let telar go and negotiate with those rebels with his one sided dinka opinion and we shall hear his results.
June 2, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Equatorians are not ladders for other people to go top
June 2, 2014 at 5:37 am
I highly doubt telar claimed and ill advices in his letter,i believe it was because of his negative advice at the past that made this country in chaos and the equatorians of today are different from equatorians of the past we want change in all aspects.
June 2, 2014 at 5:01 am
Well, I think it is too late to woo Equatorians at this time when many hearts are still bleeding from the wound and the pain that the regime in Juba had created. The old days have gone. Those who will still be wooed by the evil regime in Juba are the heartless who do not care about humanity.
It is sad that the regime wants to woo Equatorians when our brothers and sisters had been killed in Juba and we have not mourn them yet. Telar in his associate to should be heading to hell by now.
June 1, 2014 at 6:00 pm
Tellar is idiotic and by the way he is not a lawyer.they are losing the game
June 1, 2014 at 10:05 am
It is so difficult to solve our current problem with the same attitude that had created it.
June 1, 2014 at 7:56 am
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