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UNISCI Discussion Papers, Nº 33 (Octubre / October 2013) ISSN 1696-2206across the world; their remit as vital channels of communication about clan, region andnational politics now implicated in the complexity of networks, identifications and intimaciesof a globally dispersed people. 12Building on these justifications, the paper construes the making and sharing of songs inDinka society as ‘acts of citizenship’, framed as the active mediation by individuals andgroups of ideas, opinions and ideologies aimed specifically at sociopolitical intervention andamelioration. 13 Through the analysis of a selection of songs, the paper will examine how theinfusion of old poetic forms with new actors, roles and imaginaries are given force within aculturally sanctioned framework of legitimacy, thus offering a potentially significantcounterweight to what are often considered remote, regulatory and culturally inappropriateinstitutional discourses on peace and reconciliation.2. Transitional Justice in South SudanA formal peace and national reconciliation process in South Sudan has been on the agendasince the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. With Independence in2011, President Kiir announced the government’s plan to organize a Peace and NationalReconciliation Commission, charging Vice-President Riek Machar with the responsibility tobuild on work previously conducted by the Southern Sudan Peace Commission (which hadbeen inexistence since the signing of the CPA) and the former Ministry for Peace and CPAImplementation. 14 In President Kiir’s words, the Commission, which would operate withsupport of multilateral and bilateral public partners and international and national NGOs, andin cooperation with national State and local authorities, would support ‘an inclusive andpeople-driven process in order to achieve true reconciliation’. 15 The need to expand atransitional justice process post-2011 was built largely on the recognition that unity in SouthSudan is built on a fragile notion of nationhood, its multiple ethnicities held tenuouslytogether by a collective history of struggle against Sudan and Anglo-Egyptian Condominiumrule before it. 16 As noted by Jok Mdut, ‘Despite violent discord within the Sudan People’sLiberation Army (SPLA) and the creation of ethnic militias that fought bitter wars against it,12 Impey, Angela: “Keeping in touch via cassette: Tracking Dinka songs from cattle camp to transnational audioletter”,Journal of African Cultural Studies, vol. 25, nº 2 (2013), pp. 197-210.13 Yúdice, George (2003): Expediency of Culture: Uses of Culture in the Global Era. Durham, Duke UniversityPress; Avelar, Idelber and Dunn, Christopher (eds.) (2011): Brazilian Popular Music and Citizenship, Durham,Duke University Press.14 For a more detailed summation of the history of the peace process in South Sudan, see ‘South Sudan Peaceand Reconciliation Commission - Strategic Plan 2013-2015’, Juba (2013). It is worth noting here that in theTransitional Constitution 2011(Article 36(2), Part 3, Fundamental Objectives and Guiding Principles) it is statedthat all levels of government shall: (a) promote and consolidate peace and create a secure and stable politicalenvironment for socio-economic development; (b) initiate a comprehensive process of national reconciliationand healing that shall promote national harmony, unity and peaceful co-existence among the people of SouthSudan; (c) inculcate in the people a culture of peace, unity, cooperation, understanding, tolerance and respect forcustoms, traditions and beliefs of each other; and (d) mobilize popular energies and resources for reconstructionand development.15 Martins, Alex: “Reconciliation committee Chairman encourages peace mobilisers”, Initiatives of ChangeInternational, 30 April 2013, athttp://www.iofc.org/reconciliation-committee-chairman-challenges-peace-mobilisers16 Mawut, Lazarus Leek (1983): Dinka Resistance to Condominium Rule 1902-1932, Khartoum, University ofKhartoum, Graduate College Publications.60
UNISCI Discussion Papers, Nº 33 (Octubre / October 2013) ISSN 1696-2206the undeniable fact is that all South Sudanese remained focused on the need for unity ofpurpose and ranks in the struggle for self-determination’. 17Since Independence, inter-ethnic clashes over cattle, land and natural resources haveescalated, threatening to further destabilize internal security and to undermine efforts to builda viable economic infrastructure. The situation is elaborated in the following excerpt from theSouth Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission - Strategic Plan 2013-2015:Along with independence came the challenge of building a new nation with the legacy ofthe past. Decades of war divided people along tribal lines, there is a high internaldisplacement. Cattle rustling is rampant and the huge presence of small arms exacerbatesconflicts related to tribal practices such as elopement and child abduction, in addition tothose related to competition for land and resources. Cross-border conflicts withneighbouring countries, refugees, a weak civil service, weak rule of law, lack ofeconomic opportunities, the needs of returnees and former combatants, corruption,nepotism and poor accountability are but some of the additional stresses weighing uponthe new nation. 18The country has not yet been able to establish a formal justice system capable of meeting thebasic requirements of all South Sudanese, and customary systems remain instrumental inresolving a wide range of civil disputes. According to Deng, 19 the development of a formaljustice system will require the government to overcome a number of challenges, not least ofwhich will be widespread impunity for inter-communal and politically motivated violence. Aspeace and justice are inextricably interconnected, Deng proposes that conflict sensitiveprogramming will necessarily require a thorough understanding of the complex socio-politicaldynamics that underpin violence, and substantial time and resources will need to be investedin research and analysis: ‘These tasks require people and institutions that have experiencewith cutting-edge research techniques, an in-depth knowledge of South Sudan and its historyand practical experience working in pluralist legal systems’. 20On April 14 President Salva Kiir abruptly canceled a national reconciliation effort thatthe Vice President Riek Machar Teny had initiated in the last quarter of 2013. The reasons forthe cancellation have been widely debated 21 and remain outside the remit of this paper.Suffice to say that in April 2013, President Salva Kiir officially reinstated nationalreconciliation as one of the priority agendas for South Sudan, appointing the non-partisanreligious leader, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, to Chair a new committee charged withlaunching a national campaign for reconciliation under the auspices of the Office of thePresident and the South Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission. 22 In accepting his role,Archbishop Deng Bul echoed the commendations made by President Kiir and Deng 23 aboveby calling for greater inclusivity and public consultation, appealing to peace mobilizers to17 Madut Jok, op cit., p. 2.18 “South Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission - Strategic Plan 2013-2015”, Juba, 2013, p. 11.19 Deng, op cit., p. 1.20 Ibid., p. 9.21 The Sudd Institute: “Peace and Reconciliation in South Sudan: A Conversation for Justice and Stability”,Special Report, 7 June 2013.22The committee will comprise three Christian bishops, a leader from the Muslim community andrepresentatives from women, youth and civil society organizations, as well as from each of the ten States (IoCI2013). As to whether placing the process entirely in the hands of religious leaders is an appropriate approach hasgenerated a range of new and different debates. The Sudd Institute, op. cit., p. 2.23 Deng, op. cit.61
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ISSN 1696-2206 Nº 33 Octubre /Octo
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Juan Emilio CheyreDirector, Center
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