Opposition leaders criticize Kiir’s order to declassify data about past wars

Some opposition politicians have criticized President Salva Kiir’s decision to order the National Security Service to declassify all information pertaining to the 2013 and 2016 violence that erupted in Juba and his pardon of individuals implicated.

Addressing reporters in Juba on Monday, President Salva Kiir ordered the National Security Service to declassify all classified data at their disposal about the 2013 and 2016 civil wars in order to foster transparency. 

“For the implementation of the peace agreement to be genuine, we need transparency on the root causes of the conflict, it’s for this reason that I am directing the National Security Service and Its partner the BRL law firm to declassify all information about the conflict’s genesis in their possession.”

These data include intercepts, audios, and personal accounts. “This is very important so that the people of South Sudan know the truth and judge for themselves from the positions of this knowledge,” Kiir added.

Paulino Lukudu, a member of parliament representing Central Equatoria state in the Council of States says it’s the mandate of the Hybrid Court to look into classified information. 

“Declassifying the information and mentioning the individuals involved in the 2013 and 2016 crisis will not stop the hungry dog from doing its work. There’s no element of accountability.”

“I believe the only solution mandated by the president to do accountability for the crisis is the Hybrid Court of South Sudan and it’s only the Hybrid Court that can serve justice to the crisis that is happening.” Lukudu says, emphasizing that it would have been much better if the president held the news conference together with First Vice President and leader of the SPLM-IO Riek Machar to show the goodwill President Kiir reiterated in his speech on Monday. 

“The public wanted to see President Kiir and his First Vice President Riek Machar to come in front of the public with one press conference to address the nation.”

“The public wants to see the two leaders working together, the two leaders having a unified command of the army, and the two leaders working on all the chapters of the peace agreement in its implementation in letter and spirit. This is what the people want, they are not asking for so much but the guns to be silent, they want peace.” Lukudu said.

In Monday’s speech, President Kiir stressed the need to set up a commission for truth, reconciliation, and healing to document complaints and eyewitness reports from victims of the 2013 and 2016 violence. 

“We are aware of and acknowledge the views of those who view the establishment of Hybrid Court of South Sudan as the priority, However, we also strongly believe prioritizing punitive justice will take away the goal of reconciliation, which is what is needed most in our country,” President Kiir said. 

However, Albino Akol, the secretary-general of the Other Political Parties, says any attempt at reconciliation without giving people a platform to seek justice or without trying the perpetrators of crimes will not achieve sustainable peace. 

“For the principles of reconciliation to take place and bring a meaningful reconciliation whereby people will not go back to war or conflict, the court must be there to listen to whoever wants to raise some of these grievances to the court. And this court is what the agreement referred to as the hybrid Court.”

“All of us, all the parties who signed the agreement, agreed to form or establish this body,” Akol added. 

According to Chapter five of the peace agreement, the hybrid court is supposed to be an independent court established by the African Union Commission to investigate and where necessary prosecute individuals bearing responsibility for the violations of international law and applicable local laws of South Sudan. 

The peace deal states that the Hybrid Court of South Sudan shall have jurisdictions with respect to crimes amounting to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and other serious crimes under international law as well as gender-based crimes and sexual violence.