Last week, Machar – while speaking during the opening of the general headquarters of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) – argued that South Sudanese should not identify their country by name, suggesting the country should be renamed ‘to something like People’s Republic of Sudan’.
In reaction, several critics of Machar including high-profile politicians such as the former deputy minister of defense Majak De Agot berated Machar for being hypocrite. Majak said Machar was the head of the transitional committee ahead of independence in 2011 and was unable to convince his team at the time to change the name to what he now suggests.
“[Dr. Riek Machar] was a chair of transition committee which suggested the young country be Christened as Republic of South Sudan in 2011. With his new proposal in 2021 of People’s Republic of Sudan, could we say it’s an early sign of a ‘Lazy Brain syndrome?!’ he wrote in a tweet that has widely been shared on social media.
Dr. Lam Akol instantly replied in a separate tweet in support of Machar, but then said the competence body that is supposed to change the country’s name is the transitional legislature saying: “Lazy Brains are symptomized by inability or unwilling to revisit decisions taken 10 years ago. More so by not discussing ideas on their own merits however absurd they may sound.”
“However, the change of name is the competence of parliament.”
In a statement, member of the SPLM-IO National Liberation Council Dut Majokdit who is also a close ally of First Vice President Machar, described the criticism against Machar as a tribally motivated saying the suggestion should be treated as normal as Machar is one of the country’s leaders that are at the epicenter of the decision-making.
“Tribal mindset will not take this country forward. Please don’t stare at Dr. Riek Machar as a Nuer or as Chairman of the SPLM-(IO), but look at him as the First Vice President and a national leader in this country. Otherwise my advices to those want to build this nation based on tribalism is that they should cease this unconstructive criticisms and debate national issues with respect,” he said.
“The suggestion of the ‘People’s Republic of Sudan’ by Chairman Dr. Riek Machar is something normal; it should not be taken as the topic of the day. After all should the people be interested for the name, the parliament will debate it as an agenda or it will be subjected to a referendum during the permanent constitution-making process,” he added.
The senior opposition official also went on to accuse unnamed parties to the revitalized peace agreement signed in 2018 of intransigence and said actions of some parties including the lack will to fully implement the peace agreement has frustrated the peace implementation and that the opposition group will not go to elections without a unified army.
“The opposition, particularly the SPLM-IO under Dr. Riek Machar, the First Vice President, is ready for the end game – which is elections – if all the provisions of the peace agreement are to be implemented in letter and spirit. Otherwise lack of political will from key partner in peace has frustrated the whole thing in the process of the implementation for the last 21 months,” he said.
“You can’t go to elections without unified security forces in the country. If there are people who are thinking that elections will take place without the implementation of the peace accord, than they’re living in the world of assumption and that illusion must stop,” he added.