Political leadership as a quality: a critical study of John Garang in promoting peace and reconciliation in South Sudan

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to look into John Garang's political leadership qualities and his role in promoting peace and reconciliation in South Sudan. The research argues that he used his vision and inspiration to rally his followers towards their common enemy, Khartoum. He always strived for the unity of the Sudan’s Peoples Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) having examined the warring parties' perpetually failing peace treaties. Ethnic tension changed political rivalry into toxic ethnic conflict through brutal mobilisation and rhetoric. The research findings indicated that Garang was an inclusionist political leader that embodied the struggle and aspirations of all people irrespective of identity-based differences. He fought against any attempt to divide and separate the Sudan. Though he did not achieve his objective in his lifetime, Garang advocated for a united ‘New Sudan’ free from injustices of the past, where everyone had a sense of belonging and could function in a democratic and pluralistic society. His biggest achievement was the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Thereafter, a comprehensive all-inclusive South Sudanese peace process was formulated to address the political aspects of the conflicts. South Sudan was administered by a pro-Khartoum grouping before the referendum for self-determination. This grouping used the divide and rule principle to create mistrust and hostilities among the ethnic groups. Garang’s vision for the liberation of South Sudan underpinned some of the key aspects captured within the CPA, which made unity attractive and separation the last resort. This aspect demonstrated his maturity as a political leader and served as a model for contemporary leaders to embrace all Sudanese ethnic and religious groups. Garang ensured that the CPA laid the foundation for effective governance in South Sudan, to address social, economic and political challenges. This included establishing power sharing tools that were aimed at ensuring equitable distribution of power and just representation for the different ethnic and religious groups in governance. Rotberg’s theory of transformative political leadership, specifically the Mandela model of transformative political leadership, was employed as a theoretical frame of reference because of its contextual relevance. Given the normative nature of the study, a qualitative methodology was adopted. Interviews with individuals and key role players that worked closely with the research subject constituted the primary sources of data used for the study. This contributed immensely to achieving the objective of the research which was to investigate the political leadership qualities of Garang and his role in establishing peace and advancing reconciliation in South Sudan.

Sepheo sa patlisiso ena ke ho shebisisa makhabane a boetapele ba lipolotiki ba John Garang le karolo ea hae ho khothaletseng khotso le poelano naheng ea Sudan Boroa. Patlisiso e bolela hore o sebelisitse pono ea hae le ts'usumetso ho bokella balateli ba hae ho sera sa bona se tloaelehileng, Khartoum. O ne a lula a hahamalla bonngoe ba Sudan's Peoples Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) kaha a hlahlobile litumellano tsa khotso tse sa feleng tsa mekha e loanang. Khohlano ea merabe e ile ea fetola tlhōlisano ea lipolotiki hore e be khohlano e kotsi ea merabe ka ho bokellana ho sehlōhō le lipuo tse ngata. Liphuputso tsa lipatlisiso li bonts'itse hore Garang e ne e le moeta-pele oa lipolotiki ea kenyelelitsoeng ea kenyelletsang ntoa le litabatabelo tsa batho bohle ho sa natsoe liphapang tse ipapisitseng le boitsebahatso. O ile a loantša boiteko leha e le bofe ba ho arola le ho arola Sudan. Le hoja a sa ka a finyella sepheo sa hae bophelong ba hae, Garang o ile a buella 'Sudan e Ncha' e kopaneng e se nang ho hloka toka nakong e fetileng, moo motho e mong le e mong a neng a e-na le boikutlo ba ho ba oa hae 'me a ka sebetsa sechabeng sa demokrasi le se nang le mekhoa e mengata. Phihlello e kgolo ya hae e bile ho tekena Tumellano e Akaretsang ya Kagiso (CPA). Kamora moo, ts'ebetso e felletseng ea khotso ea Sudan Boroa e ile ea etsoa ho rarolla likarolo tsa lipolotiki tsa likhohlano. Sudan Borwa e ne e laolwa ke sehlopha sa pro-Khartoum pele ho referendum bakeng sa ho ikemela. Sehlopha sena se sebelisitse molao-motheo oa ho arola le ho laola ho theha ho se tšepane le bora har'a lihlopha tsa merabe. Pono ea Garang bakeng sa tokoloho ea Sudan Boroa e tšehelitse tse ling tsa lintlha tsa bohlokoa tse hapiloeng ka har'a CPA, tse entseng hore bonngoe bo khahle le karohano e le khetho ea ho qetela. Taba ena e bonts'itse kholo ea hae joalo ka moetapele oa lipolotiki mme e bile mohlala bakeng sa baetapele ba mehleng ea ho amohela merabe le bolumeli ba Sudan. Garang e netefalitse hore CPA e ralile motheo oa puso e sebetsang hantle naheng ea Sudan Boroa, ho rarolla mathata a sechaba, moruo le lipolotiki. Sena se ne se kenyelletsa ho theha lisebelisoa tsa ho arolelana matla tse neng li reretsoe ho netefatsa kabo e lekanang ea matla le boemeli bo nepahetseng bakeng sa merabe e fapaneng le lihlopha tsa bolumeli pusong. Khopolo ea Rotberg ea boetapele ba lipolotiki bo feto-fetohang, haholo-holo mohlala oa Mandela oa boetapele ba lipolotiki ba phetoho, e ile ea sebelisoa e le moralo oa boithuto ka lebaka la bohlokoa ba eona. Ho latela boemo bo tloaelehileng ba thuto, ho ile ha amoheloa mokhoa oa boleng. Lipuisano le batho ka bomong le bankakarolo ba ka sehloohong ba sebelitseng haufi-ufi le taba ea lipatlisiso e bile mehloli ea mantlha ea data e sebelisitsoeng thutong. Sena se ile sa kenya letsoho haholo ho fihlelleng sepheo sa lipatlisiso e neng e le ho batlisisa makhabane a boetapele ba lipolotiki ba Garang le karolo ea hae ho theheng khotso le ho ntšetsa pele poelano Sudan Boroa.