AFP reported on Sunday July 31st 2016 that Washington has warned that those who perpetrate atrocities in South Sudan’s civil war will be held responsible for their crimes. This followed a heavy fighting which lasted for several days where nearly 300 people were killed in the violence. The violence erupted between Government Forces and those loyal to the former Vice President Riek Machar. The US statement read, ‘Those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other violations of international humanitarian including those who order or incite violence or encourage or contribute to the commission of crimes – will be held accountable’.
Comment:
South Sudan was admitted by the General Assembly as the United Nations’193rd member after was declared independent on July 9th 2011. Since its ‘independence’ the newly country born out of conflict has descended into another conflict- civil wars where many lives of innocent civilians have been lost. The political power struggle between the incumbent President Salva Kiir and former Vice-President Riak Machar has left the country to plunge into massacre. The coined patriotic slogan ‘South is for Southerners only independence is our option’ has proved wrong. This has proved the fragility of the bonds of nationalism and patriotism are prone to violence over dominance and power and therefore cannot bring any long lasting unity amongst the people power.
All the resolutions reached between the two rival Kiir and Machar such as Addis Ababa Peace Accord have ceased into mere empty narrations which turns into more chaos. Both sides keep hurling accusations at each other over the fighting which continues spilling innocent blood. This rivalry is resulting from struggle of interest between the US and UK who are key players in situation of South Sudan. Their interest is all about plundering resources including oil.
The US statement, ‘….those responsible for war crimes…. will be held accountable’ is a mockery to south Sudanese this is because the one who issued this statement is the schemer of all atrocities. The massacres could not have been committed had it not been under the custodian of America the one who initiated the vicious secession plan. It is America who effectuated the crime of separating South Sudan through its local tools and such as African Union, Arab League and several Arab leaders. America today tops the list of those who should be held responsible since the US and Europe are the key architects of massacres such as Darfur Massacre in 2003 not to mention many full blown killings in Syria and Iraq. Ironically this is all happening under the watch of International humanitarian law!
The one who scrutinized the US secession plan in South Sudan in its early days could see the real calamitous political and strategic consequence not in South Sudan and Sudan but the whole region of the Horn of Africa. America has created its permanent base to exute her vicious plot and strategies in the region. It appears that the continuation of the conflict in South Sudan is causing some jitters to her because she wants to be closer to the issues of the region (Situation in Somalia and war on terror). So the more South Sudan turns violent, America becomes harsher as this somehow hinders its strategic objectives.
Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya