By Isaac K. Gang, PhD*
December 2, 2025 (SSNA) — When I had the privilege of presenting the Sub-Saharan Africa agenda for the next three years at the World Liberty Congress plenary session, I opened with the reminder that peace has a price. I stood before the delegates not merely as an individual, but as a symbol of the oppressed, representing an opposition movement and a leader currently facing politically and ethnically motivated prosecution. The ongoing court proceedings in Juba are, in every sense, a mockery of justice—unprecedented in their distortion and devoid of lawful merit. And the so-called crime? A genuine pursuit of peace.
Had Dr. Riek Machar heeded the warnings that returning to Juba without complete security arrangements—or even a minimal personal security guarantee—would expose him to arrest under a pre-planned abrogation of the peace agreement, he would never have been detained, let alone placed on trial. Those concerns were valid. Yet Dr. Machar understood precisely what he was doing. I witnessed this firsthand. He believed deeply that peace in South Sudan demanded sacrifice—both personal and collective. Although the verdict is still pending, I remain convinced he was right.
Against this backdrop, I proposed an amendment to the Africa Region agenda—an amendment I hope will be adopted not only continent-wide but globally. Using South Sudan as a case study, I urged that the World Liberty Congress include a provision in its manifesto explicitly discouraging and preventing authoritarian regimes from using peace agreements as traps to neutralize, detain, or eliminate opposition groups. This is exactly what is unfolding in South Sudan today. Should this tactic succeed, it will set a dangerous precedent for other regimes across Africa and beyond.
Dr. Machar’s Calculated Commitment to Peace
To understand Dr. Machar’s resolve, one must appreciate the conviction behind his actions. From the outset, he understood that he was entering a situation of open detention. He frequently noted—with somewhat an understatement—that he could not even attend church freely, let alone seek medical care outside the country, from the moment he set foot in Juba. Both the government and the regional actors are fully aware of this reality. Their silence, he often said, was deliberate.
In our many meetings—long, intense sessions jokingly referred to in Juba as “workshops”—he spoke candidly about the peace agreement and the government’s clear intention to dismantle it. He hinted repeatedly, though carefully, at their intention to arrest him, predicting that they would eventually manufacture an excuse to do so. What is remarkable is his acceptance: he did not resist because he knew he lacked the power to prevent the government from acting on its agenda. By allowing events to unfold, he would expose a truth that could not be revealed any other way.
Today, as he endures an unjust ordeal and stands before a political kangaroo court, that truth is increasingly evident. His captors, who fear not his actions but his very presence, remain unsure how to proceed. And in recognizing this, it was evident from Dr. Machar’s actions that he foresaw me playing a role in shining a light on his ordeal. In raising awareness about this injustice that he, his colleagues, and, in fact, the entire population of South Sudan is enduring. For this, I will not get tired or be deterred. I will not relent. When the next generation looks back and asks us what we did you do during this time of trial, tribulations, turmoil, and confusion – characterized by failure of leadership and governance, I hope to be proud of my answer.
A Nation Seeing the Truth Clearly
In a country where little seems to move in a positive direction—save for the national basketball team—South Sudanese citizens have begun to see the government’s true character more clearly than ever before. In a country where we have enough money to pay mercenaries to bomb our own citizens but not enough to build even a single fire station or buy one fire truck to put off a simple fire; enough money to conduct mock trials but not enough to build roads and hospitals; you have a right to be ashamed not of South Sudan but of the government running it. For this clarity, we must acknowledge Dr. Machar’s role in bringing the truth to the surface.
Yet even basketball, the one bright spot inspiring national unity, is being drawn into political manipulation and gimmicks. Two troubling signs illustrate this:
- The adoption of “ooyee” as a team slogan, a chant long associated with the ruling SPLM(IG) party
- The deliberate avoidance of any engagement with opposition figures, creating the false perception that the team belongs to the President, his party, or a single political faction.
There is not, to my knowledge, a single public photo of the team with any opposition leader—despite the reality that roughly 60% of the team’s supporters belong to opposition parties or movements. The use of “ooyee” reflects political opportunists exploiting the team’s innocence; the players themselves would not have chosen such a partisan slogan if fully informed.
Otherwise, believing that “ooyee” can unite South Sudanese is as misguided as believing Texans could unite under “Hook ’em” or “Sic ’em”—rallying cries forever tied to the University of Texas Longhorns and Baylor University Bears, respectively. It will not happen. If the goal is to unite the nation or change the narrative, the team must be creative and invent or embrace a truly neutral rallying cry. As an all-weather supporter of the team, I want to emphasize that this comes from a very good place.
Berlin: A Symbol of Freedom and Reunification
Berlin has long been synonymous with freedom, making it profoundly symbolic that this year’s World Liberty Congress general assembly coincides with the inaugural Berlin Freedom Week. The city embodies the triumph of unity over division. As former Chancellor Willy Brandt proclaimed after the fall of the wall, “What belongs together will grow together.”
In that same spirit, I close by affirming that the people of South Sudan have demonstrated their unwavering desire for unity. They refuse to be profiled, divided, or turned against one another. They know that better days lie ahead—and they continue to stand together in anticipation of the justice, peace, and shared future they deserve.
*Isaac K. Gang is the SPLM/A (IO) Representative to the United States living in Washington, DC. He can be reached at [email protected].