By Charles Kisanga
Yes the agreements on paper were beautiful words but then when it came to the really implementation the manipulators of SPLA came in as usual to undermine and neutralise the agreement.
The EDF forces which came out ready to join the SPLA and the EDF political wing that prepared to the join SPLM were twisted here and there and manipulated in such a way that the political and military forces would eventually collapse without any proper integration except for small portion. In the end the s merger and integration became absorption and then it became not as absorption of a group but as individuals.
In the face of all these I still believed in the value of SPLM as preached by late hero DR. John Garang and not the manipulators and gangs who had seized control of SPLM for their own benefits. Hence I persisted and we eventual went to Rumbek when the Naivaisha agreement was clinched and we had to go and resume NLC and process of forming government and turning SPLM and SPLA into governments organisations. There in Rumbek I continued to struggle for the official announcement of integration of all the members of EDF as stipulated in the merge agreement, either to the political or military wings. The announcement came via the collaboration with then Deputy Chairman of SPLM now Lt. General Salva Kiir. I had great confidence in Salva Kiir because the man was very sincere and talked all the facts happening and pointing all those who were obstructing EDF integration. He also wanted the fully impetration of all EDF forces and political wing without any conditions. He struggled hard to meet our demands though he had little power himself then and I’m sure the other members did not like him that much but of course Commander Salva Kiir had the previous November/December survived the leadership challenge with Late leader Dr. John Garang and so he was now untouchable.
Today I’m only baffled to why now Lt Gen Salva Kiir abandoned his desire for equality and really consideration to the masses of South Sudan and the allow corruption and bad Governance to flourish under his leadership.
I think the answer could be found in my, until now, unpublicised letter/appeal to late DR. John Garang and copied to Salva Kiir also detailing the corruption/fund mismanagement which dodged the EDF integration. While Commander Salva Kiir and some few others were genuinely considering integrating EDF from the bottom of their hearts others saw EDF integration as a means of making money via the funds obtained to integrate the forces and the political leadership into the SPLA/SPLM. These funds were so manipulated that the little EDF integration that happened was as if there was no funds ever allocated for the integration. As somebody who was going into SPLM again for the second time with the idea of eradicating corruption I decided not to leave this misuse to go uncovered and I so I gathered all the facts and put term in a hot memo to late leader Dr. John Garang and appealing to him to take action because he was talking serious about fighting corruption and the misuse of EF integration funds was something I saw as an open corruption and misuse of public funds.
At any rate in Rumbek I had also raised the issue with all of Dr. Theophilous Ochang, CDR Martin Kenyi. CDR Obute Marmur and Salva Kiir. The man in charge of funding usage was Dr. Samson Kwaje, the Chairman of integration in Equatoria, and we had a big quarrel with him in Rumbek before he escaped to go back to Nairobi leaving us stranded in Rumbek.