South Sudan: Presidential Guards in Juba - Mistiming the Nation's 'Zero Hour'

18 December 2013
analysis

The eve of presidential guards' clashes in Juba on December 14, 2013 trailed the long awaited convening of the Political Bureau by the ruling party, The SPLM; whose political party structures had adhered to linearity in the order and commissioning of business since 1994 when the first National Conventions was convened in Chukudum, Eastern Equatoria. Business protocol of the party had been to convoke The National Convention, a gathering of several hundreds of delegates nationwide; The National Liberation Council, which is composed of no more than 275 members; The Political Bureau, whose membership stands at 27; and The General Secretariat, from where the start of the party national activities work their ways upwards through corridors of intervening powers.

The year 2013, however, introduced confusing changes. In the least, president Kiir on November 15, 2013 made a controversial dissolution of the party organs, a very surprising move that indicated was aimed at SPLM heavy weights who were recently part of the government, including Dr. Riek Machar; himself a self-declared aspirant for the party mantle for 2015 presidential elections. Consequently, the convening of National Liberation Council (NLC), contrary to the anticipated Politbureau, took priority but did nothing to alleviate already simmering political temperatures over party leadership. SPLM party wrangling had had immense impact on the nation's viability three years into freedom.

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