By John Chuol Bol,
Opinion
Feb 21, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — My patriot citizens, I am calling all of you to stand firm and never be checked by Cde Brig Gen. Lul Ruai Koang’s defection during our struggle. Cde Lul has earned our respects since the massacre of Nuer in Juba in 2013. He has been the voice of our Nuer Martyrs across the world, and he has the public gratitude for that. Cde Lul has been one of the few young politicians, who have won the popular supports from all the freedom fighters and their supporters. Those in uniform and the rests around the globe invested their trusts on him because is fresh young politician with bright future. I can say Cde Lul had won huge supports and popularity, especially from young educators globally not just the Nuer people.
Cde Lul used to advocate for change on behalf the South Sudanese citizens in order to achieve a just and a fair nation with full democracy after Salva Kiir has instituted his dictatorial model. I believe Cde Koang knew it very well that to transform and to build (institute) a just and a democratic nation/state are always difficult to achieve in any system because ideologies direct individual’s ambitions. In his January 1963 States of the Union speech, Former US President John F. Kennedy once said, “Democracy is a difficult kind of government. It requires the highest qualities of self-discipline, restraint, a willingness to make commitment, and sacrifices for the general interest”. That is, to achieve it, one must sacrifice at all costs.
Now is a one case for him, and I don’t believe Cde Brig Gen. Lul Ruai Kong will preach the freedom and transformation he used to advocate for the last 12 months starting from the day he arrived at the capital genocide of Juba this February 2015. As a comrade, I wish him the best luck in his future’s political career under the terrorist regime of Salva Kiir.
To all the freedom fighters, movement of the people both in diaspora and in South Sudan under Cde Dr. Riek Machar Teny, I wanted to remind you with this; “Learning to handle problems is like lifting weights. The more we do, the stronger we become. None of us wish for problems, of course, but when they come along-and we all must face [the] problems in our lives[time]-we can take solace in knowing that we are gaining coping skills that will help us in the future”. If we don’t stand firm, the future of south Sudan as a nation is in jeopardy. There is no short cut to transform it my friends.
While we may face multiple issues with some of our politicians and leaders for their own political tendencies during our struggle, we should never betray our South Sudanese Nuer Martyrs whose blood cemented in Juba in 2013. There is no any reason to reward a criminal who ordered the massacre in Juba to just join his camp. Our freedom fighters and Gojam have risked their lives to defend our dignity and freedom to live like the rests in South Sudan. To win this war, we as individuals share the victory as each participate directly and indirectly. I recall what Howard Schultz once empathized; “Victory is much more meaningful when it comes not just from one person, but from the joint achievements of many. The euphoria is lasting when all participants lead with their hearts, winning not just for themselves but for one another”. My SPLM/A-IO freedom fighters, SPLM-IO Chapter leaders, members, community leaders and members, I want to remind all of us with this; if we fail, we are failing our own nation of South Sudan and Nuer people in particular all together. Leaders come and go. Let’s unite under Cde Dr. Machar and fight to win this war. If one leader stops, other takes the lead. There is no going back to Juba while the same killers still the leader, No! Last but not least, please Do Not Spoil the Nuer Community value this time. Let our struggle continues!
John Chuol Bol
The author is a former SPLA Soldier (a veteran), former chairperson of SPLM Chapter who led the defection from the genocidal SPLM Juba and formed the SPLM-In Opposition Chapter of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 2014. He is now a senior SPLM-IO Member & a Political Analyst in Canada. He is reachable at: jbolbipal@gmail.com
