Ahistorical Rhetoric: Oil, Ethnicity and Genocide in South Sudan

Abstract

If one analyses the genocide in South Sudan from the definition by Travis (2008: 01), according to which genocide is “often the outcome acts designed to enrich a dominant racial, ethnic, religious or political group at the expense of smaller, weaker, or supposedly ‘inferior’ groups that possess valuable lands, monies, labour, or other resources”, it is possible to argue that the current genocide in South Sudan cannot be simplistically reduced to the failure of the newest state on the African continent to establish a functional bureaucracy or reduce it simply to ethnic conflict between the Dinka and Nuer. The genocide in South Sudan is a product of a process that has a long and complex history but one which has been ignored because those who can take meaningful action are benefiting from the mass murder as an economic policy. This article rejects the current media agenda which downplays the oil factor as a key contributor to the ongoing genocide, while amplifying the ethnicity card as an escapist way of exonerating the international failure to deal with and recognise a catastrophic genocide executed purely for economic reasons.

 Opsomming

 Wanneer 'n mens die volksmoord in Suid-Soedan ontleed op grond van die om­skrywing deur Travis (2008: 01), waarvolgens volksmoord “dikwels die uitkoms-handelinge is wat ontwerp is om 'n dominante ras, etniese, religieuse of politieke groep te verryk ten koste van kleiner, swakker of kwansuis ‘ondergeskikte’ groepe wat waardevolle grond, geld, arbeid of ander hulpbronne besit”, kan daar geredeneer word dat die huidige volksmoord in Suid Soedan nie simplisties gereduseer kan word tot die versuim van die jongste staat op die Afrika kontinent om as funksionele burokrasie te vestig of om dit eenvoudig as etniese konflik tussen die Dinka en Nuer af te maak nie. Die volksmoord in Suid Soedan is 'n produk van 'n proses wat 'n lang, komplekse geskiedenis gehad het; en wat geignoreer is omdat diegene wat sinvol kan ingryp, voordeel trek uit die massamoord as 'n ekonomiese beleid. Hierdie artikel verwerp die huidige media agenda wat die oliefaktor as 'n sleutelbydraer tot die voortslepende volksmoord onderspeel, terwyl dit die etnisiteitskaart versterk as 'n ontvlugter se manier om hulself daarvan te onthef om die wereldwye versuim om 'n katastrofiese volksmoord wat suiwer om ekonomiese redes uitgevoer word, te hanteer en te erken.