Multiple phrases can be generated to describe President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his reign spanning nearly more than a decade in South Sudan. By standards of critics and his supporters alike, Kiir may fit frames of various definitions depending on perceived leadership style and handling of issues throughout his tenure. But on the eve of celebrating the 10th anniversary of independence, on Wednesday, July 7, the president assessed his experience at the country’s power summit.

At an unprecedented time, he poured his heart out as he spoke to Kenyan former BBC journalist Jeff Koinange—who now works for Citizen TV in Nairobi— narrating the ups and downs of being at the centre of the Juba peace process and fragile ceasefire talks.

Dressed in a black suit and a trademark cowboy cap, the president walked Mr Koinange into his office serving him bold opinions on the country’s politics and peacebuilding.

But few things stood out. He was calm, bold and armed to shoot to the point. He likened his plight to a caged cow destined for slaughter with no rebuttal as he expressed displeasure at the international community’s way of handling South Sudan issues which render him helpless.

‘‘I am helpless because the people [who are with me] come and slap me [but] when I want to fight them and slap them back I am told not to do it’’

According to President Kiir, he has a raft of issues that darkens his hopes but can only relish the fact that there is peace. He expressed that after the 2013 conflict, which ran for more than two years and devastated the country, he came to the negotiating table ready to lead and set an example. To this, he had to apologise to the country ‘despite committing no crime’.

And, it is this bold step that he would like his rival-turned deputy, First Vice President Dr Riek Machar to take.

‘Had to apologise’

‘‘I have apologised many times, in front of [Dr] Riek Machar, I apologised [but] he never apologised. It is because I am the leader of the country not because I have done anything wrong,’’ the president said.

Despite having relative calm which he said had unlocked access and facilitated travels to other states, the president said he cannot face his compatriots with confidence and tell them ‘I am proud of this and that’.

His mind flicked to the 2016 violence which left the country in ruins and he recounted this as part of his regrets. For this, he squarely put Dr Machar in the spotlight but committed to peaceful coexistence.

‘‘I have many regrets. For example, in 2016, what was the cause of that? Nothing! But because somebody wanted to sit in the office of the president of South Sudan, it was the same in 2013,’’ he remarked.

He went on to say, ‘‘In 2013 we were left with two years to an election which he said was too much for him so he wanted to grab it by force but he didn’t. I am still the sitting president.’’

The head of state revealed that he had plans to pass the power button to Dr Machar before the fights, saying:  ‘‘I am a very humble man, if he had just waited for a while then I would have called him and told him to take over.’’

But he soon gave a reassurance that all is well between him and the first vice president.

‘‘We are good [but] we are not so close like we used to be simply because he is unpredictable. But these days, the last few days, he has been good.’’

Kiir said the struggles of the SPLA had been whitewashed by the infighting that came after the death of the country’s founding father Dr John Garang.  He lamented that Dr Garang would frown at the state of affairs if he were alive.

Blasts IGAD

He blamed Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for what he considered a skewed framing of the 2018 peace deal that gave birth to the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU). His was a re-iteration of his recent sentiment that the deal as was framed is so cumbersome to implement.

He cited the creation of positions of five vice-presidential positions which he said had never been tried in any country and any dispensation. But he had to accept for the sake of peace and inclusivity.

‘‘My hands are tied not by the people but by the international community. This is why I have five presidents. Those who did not even fire a single bullet were brought in and said they are partners,’’ he lamented, as he threw in a sad face.

Embargo question

According to President Kiir, South Sudan had immense natural resources which remain untapped. Part of these is the revived oil wells in which the country produces 170,000 barrels of oil wells per day- a quantity below the country’s capacity.

But beneath this challenge is a hanging snag of the arms embargo which he said had clamped down the implementation of chapter two of the Revitalised Agreement for Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). He said this holds the key to graduating the forces.

‘‘Implementation of the agreement cannot be completed without arming the unified forces. All the parties to the peace deal are supposed to be armed,’’ he said.

When asked about efforts to mop out illegal arms, he replied:  ‘‘Can they go and disarm those people and bring me arms? Can they? Somebody sacrificed and sold his cows to buy arms to protect himself. He cannot give it easily.

‘‘If we were to complete the implementation of the peace agreement, we would think about getting arms off the hands of civilians buying them.’’

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