July 5th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – A South Sudan government official on Thursday evening told the Nyamilepedia in an exclusive interview that the problem of South Sudan is not about the incumbent, Salva Kiir Mayardiit and opposition leader, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, but about the South Sudanese whom he said need to first accept themselves as brothers and sisters before anything else.
Dickson Gatluak Joak, the former spokesman of Taban Deng’s forces who was speaking to the Nyamilepedia in an exclusive interview said South Sudanese people have lost trust between themselves for the last five years of conflict and that he can not assure the newspaper whether the peace will survive once signed by Kiir and Machar.
“The South Sudanese have lost trust for the last five years. We can’t have a full assurance for its survival with Machar as the FVP,” he said.
He was responding to the question whether he guarantees the survival of the would-be peace agreement that would witness the return of Machar to the First Vice-President position as it is expected to be.
He said the problem about the peace return to the country is not about Kiir and Machar working together as President and First Vice-President respectively but said it is about the people of South Sudan forgiving and accepting themselves as citizens of one country and leave theirs past behind which has been characterized by ethnic-based divisions.
“The problem here is not about Machar and Kiir but it’s about the people of South Sudan to forgive themselves accepting each other as South Sudanese and leave their past behind- divisions, tribalism and revenge,” he said.
Gatluak said the core objectives includes building trust between the people of South Sudan before anything else.
“The core objectives here is the trust that need to be build among themselves (South Sudanese) before anything,” he said.
