Despite the dangers attached if one chose to be a commentator in South Sudan, Biar kept it going and he has been outspoken on issues. The field of analysis, journalism, and activism are red zones and dangerous areas in South Sudan and have many people arrested or forced to leave the country. The best example can be of Dr. Luka Biong Deng who was forced to leave his lecturing role at the University of Juba a few years ago after he hosted a forum where different views were presented. Since Sudanese independence; various commentators, journalists, civil society leaders have been subjected to harassment, arrest, intimidation, and death. Some of these people were not taken to court but rather arrested at the National security facility without any charges being made public. Until now, no one is sure about the charges that led to the arrest of Dr. Biar Ajak Deng.
In June 2018, Dr. Biar did a series of interviews on Kenya’s TVs about the UN-led sanctions against officials in South Sudan, the arms embargo, the expansion of the government institutions by warring parties and IGAD. Many of these shows were shared by the online community and branded as educative by some. Addressing South Sudanese issues can be complex but Biar created a middle ground on which he was able to point out the shortcomings both all sides in the South Sudanese conflict.
At some level, many have called Biar the voice of the voiceless South Sudanese who can’t travel to Addis Ababa, Nairobi, and Khartoum to express their views during the talks. Biar’s political approach and analysis gave him a fan base and also created critics. Those who are supporters of the establishment disagree with him on the ‘generational exit’ strategy but some within the youth groups see the approach as the best way that would give youth a window. Even if the strategy is a subject of debate, some saw this as a controversial move to oust the older generation from the leadership and that wouldn’t go down well with the elites. Even if Biar has explained the context and the process involves when he called for ‘generational exit’ in South Sudan, few people have not been able to understand the term. Biar’s argument is centered on a call to involve youth in decision making when it comes to national issues.
As a political analyst, Biar had been very vocal on issues to do with peace, the economic crisis in South Sudan and in most cases question the motives of IGAD’s countries. Since South Sudan’s High-Level Revitalization Forum started after the collapse of ARCISS, many proposals have been put forward by mediators but they become the center of contention between the warring parties. One example is the Khartoum’s Agreement on which three and five vice-Presidents positions were created. The move was criticised by South Sudanese including Dr. Biar. Meanwhile, the troika’s countries (Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States) saw the move as a political rewarding other than finding a working peach for the people of South Sudan. On July 22, the White House issued a statement and accused Kiir and Riek of lack of leadership.
“South Sudan’s political leaders, including President Kiir and SPLM-IO leader Machar, have not demonstrated the leadership required to bring genuine peace and accountable governance to South Sudan. We remain skeptical that they can oversee a peaceful and timely transition to democracy and good governance. The United States will not be a guarantor of any agreement, and will not fund—or call for additional United Nations resources to support—the transitional government, in the absence of a sustained, demonstrated commitment to peace, inclusivity, financial accountability and good governance.”
As the western educated political analyst, Biar has been upfront in trying to let the public understand the benefits and the negatives that agreement or proposal made may bring to the people of South Sudan. At times, having a space to express such analysis can be hard inside South Sudan because there are no independent televisions or news agencies that can air these impartial analyses. The situation pushed South Sudanese analysts, activists, and political commentators to seek another way of expressing their views in foreign channel specifically on Kenyan televisions. Biar’s intentions could be that he needed peace for South Sudanese, but the ruling elites may see him as a westerner. Those who are seen as critical of the regime have been forced into exile, and some of the journalists like Nhial Bol Aken whose media organisations was n’t allowed these kinds of critical talks were forced to close down.
Biar is a son to General (Ajak Deng Biar), and son in law was the former Chief of General Staff (James Hoth Mai)for the Sudanese People Liberation Army (SPLA), he has always called for the reformation across government institutions, the army, and the security agencies. In an interview on Kenyan’s TV (KTN), He was asked if the international community was doing enough to help end war in South Sudanese.
“It has taken so long with international community threatening actions. Every time you hear, they say that if you don’t sign peace, if there is no progress then we are going to take actions. The kind of actions that have been taken so far has been quite inadequate and they are not the kind of actions needed for pressuring leaders. Some of the measures being proposed have even been imposed. There are the number of Generals and political leaders that have been sanctioned and their names in the part of the UN sanctions.”
Dr. Peter Biar Ajak Deng struggled like many other children who grew up during years of the Sudanese civil war that lasted 21 years. Biar went to Ethiopia, lived in Kenya’s largest refugee camp before going to the United States as an unaccompanied minor in the early 2000s. Biar used his presence in the United States to study hard where he studied the Bachelor ’s degree in economics at La Salle University, master’s in public administration/International Development in Harvard University (MPA/ID, Economics), and Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge (Ph.D., Politics).
Upon returning to South Sudan, Biar worked for various organisations including the World Bank and the Governmental departments. He co-founded the South Sudanese Wrestling Entertainment as the way to build peace between the Dinka and the neighboring Mundari communities. Dr. Biar and many other young people became the face of referendum’s campaign and subsequently the independence of South Sudan in 2011. Dr. Peter Biar Ajak also founded the Red Army Foundation (formerly known as lost boys/Jecamer). Dr. Biar is now a member of the Red Army foundation and current Chairman of South Sudan Young Leaders' Forum (SSYLF).
After the war broke out in 2013, Dr. Biar Ajak took a center stage on which he regularly denounced war and the role being played by the leaders. As an economist, Biar has been very vocal about the negative repercussions of the war. In an interview with SBS Dinka Radio in 2016, Biar said, 'People are suffering, and they need peace now.” Biar also lamented on the unregulated loans that were being taken by individuals on behalf of South Sudan without the involvement of the state agencies.
Since the time Biar founded South Sudan Young Leaders' Forum (SSYLF), he and the team of young people have been working hard to ensure that South Sudanese youth understand their roles in the country. Biar and the team organised various trips inside South Sudan and the neighbouring countries like Rwanda and Kenya. Since, the High Executive council’s government in the 1970s, never had any government initiated any strategy on diversity and the best ways the people of South Sudan can coexist despite their cultural differences? The 2013's war has widened the divide within communities and Dr. Biar concept is to find a working solution on which young leaders can work together for common good.
“We need to work together as young people across South Sudan in order to achieve a lasting peace. In SSYLF for example, each community is represented because we need all to have a say in the affairs of their nation.”
Even if Biar was calling the ‘generational exit’, he narrated the package that would come with such a move. Biar called for the dignified departure for the leaders that he still considers as his heroes. In another episode on Kenya's TV, KTN, Biar categorically called for the exit for both President Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar who is the leader of the opposition. The call by Dr. Biar can be a uniting factor for both the ruling elites for the SPLM in Government and the SPL in Opposition because none of them wanted to go that quick.
“What IGAD is saying here is that let divide a cake. Now, they are proposing a cabinet of 42 Ministers. This is a country that is extremely poor now where soldiers have been going for months without getting a salary, where inflation is among the highest in the world. Yet IGAD is coming here to say that ‘the cabinet is going to increase from current 32 cabinet Ministers by another ten Ministers.”
Biar also talked about the need to reduce a big Government because of that where the resources end up without any developmental projects being done. This was a reaction to a new proposal which was presented to the negotiation team in Khartoum. The new proposal before the Khartoum declaration increases the number of Vice Presidents, cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, and many deputies. Biar denounced the move to increase institutions while the country is still facing a severe economic crisis. Biar accused the IGAD countries of 'being the beneficiaries of the war' in South Sudan, a reason that many of these countries don't need to end the conflict. Biar called IGAD out on the various proposals made in the new agreement. He also called the new proposals as political accommodation which will leave the ordinary citizens in the same worse situation.
“They (IGAD) are also proposing to increase the Parliament from 400. Remember, our parliament was 322 members but in the last agreement IGAD increase it to 400. They are also proposing the creation of three Vice Presidents. Looking at this, the entire resources of the country is going to use to maintain these political leaders and their generals.”
On the 23rd of May, 2018, Dr. Biar in a short note posted on his Facebook’s profile doubted if the anyone outside Sudan would bring a lasting peace to South Sudan? Biar called for the domestic solution
“Our people must realize that nothing meaningful will come from outside. When we all voted in January 2011 for secession, what kind of country did we want to create? The creation of a country that meets the ideals for which they shed blood is the fundamental interest of the people of South Sudan. We are tired of being used as tools so that warlords and entrepreneurs of violence awards themselves power positions, which they simultaneously use to loot our very own resources! It’s time for us to forge our own peace and we invite you all to support #SSYLF youth dialogue. We need to mobilize and organize ourselves to reclaim our country back!”
After the arrest, the social media erupted in condemnation of the arrest and the petition is already circulating in demand of his release. South Sudanese authorities are yet to release any statement on what led to an arrest and what are the charges? The report on his arrest alleged that he has been arrested at the National Security facility according to the statement release by the family. We will update you in case of any new information.
