By Santino Aniek.
Opinion.
Jan 27, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — The historical analysis of leadership indicated that leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. In any country, leadership establishes a clear vision, creating right environment, mission, and mandate, sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly, providing knowledge, and coordinating the conflicting interests of all people. Such a theoretical can criticize on empirical grounds of leadership style in South Sudan and this practice is beneath the dignity of so called-leaders. As is always the case, the scope of leadership in South Sudan develops as they move into senior leadership by virtue of length of time and not because they have acquired leadership skills in the past. These leadership role patterns in South Sudan are outdated and they are still trapped in transitional style and have not moved to transformation style that is essential for a leader. More importantly, no matter how attractive, impactful, or authentic their leadership styles are, they have more than shady legacy that will follows them around into their graveyard, and this is serious issue for the so called-leadership in the new nation. In seriousness, the South Sudanese people need a fundamental drastically adjustment effort to improve leadership style and strategic approach of who will lead them in the future. However, let not forget there are many challenges that can disrupt the effectiveness of leadership’s goal achievement. But there is more than significant evidence that show all these self-proclaimed leaders in South Sudan are susceptible and the culture of abusing power is become a business as usual. With that being said, I have found these so called-leaders are unable to accurately articulate the purpose of their responsibility, because they have been part of the insecurity ever since in the new nation.
In today’s context, the title given to those who eloquently save a nation is a higher conceivable honor that represents a summit of human achievement and goodness and therefore, the name leader should not be given to those assassins in South Sudan because they slayed many people. Even today the attitude of these so called-leaders toward the citizens is completely ferocious as so many undertake, in all cases; exploitation, murder, rape, and torture has been going on in their present. In life, you might expect winners and losers and gosh, those in powers have totally lost it and they should go home for the rest of their lives. While these criteria are accepted as objective indicators, highlighting the lack of hullabaloos within the communities in the South Sudanese conflict may not help illustrate the future of this nation. Sadly enough, suffering in South Sudan is habitually described as being identical unique because of its relatively specific carnages that have been committed by the worrying parties and commonly known of growing into a civil war as the dry season is forthcoming.
Following the independent, South Sudanese citizens absolutely knew that the country would be significantly changed for the better and number of people have believed that the development would be a focal point of a struggle for the policies makers because of the culture of corruption in the regions. Although, this suffering has only a recent popularity in South Sudan and relatively those in power uses the communities as an instrument to execute their adversaries in order to keep them in control. In the course of 8 years period, violence has greatly impacted the contemporary environment landscape in the new nation. The two principal patterns of correlation between politics of division and tribalism emerge from the SPLM’s skirmish experience since independence generating a tremendous setback that divided the communities. These two principals have brought the new nation down to its knee given the party’s perception of national affairs unwavering South Sudan’s policy toward its citizens.
However, this extreme belief if you stand long enough behind somebody for many years would make you become a leader, is pure ignorance and hypocrisy at its best. The paradox here is to lead not to stand behind too long or the physically appearance or the closer relationship you have with the people would make you a leader, but to lead is an action that you have taken in the past or in the present, and sense of belonging and mutual understanding in every aspect, the compromise you have done once in your life time that will make you what is called leader in today’s world. It is pure and simple in this day and age, people assume that they can throw spaghetti to the wall and hope it sticks. Unfortunately this is the world of records and we need to be convince that these self-proclaimed leaders have absolutely achieved something sometimes in the past and succeeded during the struggle otherwise I would say this, I’m part of this history people are reclaiming in South Sudan and all of us have the records. As recently records indicated, those in power never take any initiative and never made a positive decision on their own accord for the goodness of nationhood and that eradicates them from being called leaders.
Given the enormous situation facing the new nation, fighting the two wars would be no reservation that the South Sudan would fight the third war because it seems that those in power have nothing to lose, but the people have lost trust in so called-leadership and there is no sign of hope among the South Sudanese communities would allow them to get rid of these enemies of the nation soon. In addition, our beloved citizens have laid down their heads in the rocks and have completely tossed their prides aside, by accepting what self-proclaimed leaders expecting them to do, and they have given up on who they are. Meanwhile, it was the hope of each and every South Sudanese people prior to independence, the majority of people thought they have made great strive and assumed that the country will be moving toward nation building.
Unfortunately, our people have always looked to the wrong inspiration and admired the superficial flash of success leaders that always create conflict among the communities. Indeed, we still have that song, dance mentality, and entertainment that these self-proclaimed leaders seem to be a gift from heaven to us, but however, they are indeed the brutal assassin South Sudanese people ever seen. As a results, each community today appears to be standing alone in the struggle because of that gifted leaders we always rally behind them, but now what we need the most is to heal the wounds of this division among the communities and appeal to the system of tolerance, compromise, forgiveness, dialogue, and peace that is designed to empower all the citizens and build a successful politics of understanding, compromise, and put our differences aside once and for all.
How many people have to be killed, raped, and tortured to count as a violation of human rights? There have been ongoing conflicts in South Sudan since independence and the human rights have admitted that violation of human rights, including murder; rape, torture and sort of genocide took place. It is this alleged violation of human right, which resulted in the infamous senseless war in South Sudan. However, one has to believe that a coherent position on the moral duty of humanitarian intervention does exist and can be reconstructed from the work of the international community, but sadly no one is seeing this atrocity. Nonetheless, this suffering of course takes far more than a physical toll on the South Sudanese people mentally, morally, and the majority of the people become extremely disgusted of facing the same carnages every year. However, envision being separated from everything and everyone you love. Imagine that feeling when you are not going to see them again; it makes the mainstream of the South Sudanese people feel physically ill at the madness brought forth by the narrowed-mined leaders who only wage war to keep them in power. This strange suffering is the most often experienced as the most atrocities the South Sudanese people have ever committed against themselves. This suffering has been brought forth by the system of corruption, nepotism, tribalism, and politics of division to keep them in power for the rest of their lives. Still, it is becoming a new normal, norm, and called it a culture in which South Sudanese people’s lives are affected on a daily basis by turning communities against each other. On the contrary, it is a challenge that the government of the Sudan should come forward with convincing justifications as to why South Sudan failed as a government and not to provide a alternative solutions and guarantees security for the future generation to come.
As this resilience suffering continues, South Sudanese people may still have hope that some days, lives will return to normal, but it is always one disappointment after another because both parties are gearing up for a dry season, and no one knows what 2015 has in the store. The irony is that the misery and carnages continuing to blow the South Sudanese people in each phase they attempt to survive and those in power take advantage, they did not show the same degree of sensitivity, recognition, and esteem only to the enemy of the nation. In both, they have revealed their true colors to make lives difficult for the South Sudanese people because this is the pride and dignity of their work. In this sense, it is neither helping nor beneficial to both clown leaders and the South Sudanese people. These so called-leaders are truly become a fellow of their Communities and not the representative of the nation. They intentionally surround themselves with bench of greedy and thoughtless individuals to mislead them. Equally, the gigantic 8 years in office is a blatantly insulting mockery of their promises of equality, transparency, accountability, and fairness to the South Sudanese people although draining the country’s wealth into their own pocket while they failed doing nothing to ensure the nation survived from a civil war is a giant record that will follow them to their graveyard. Subsequently, these humble people should not be in the backseat like feckless, clueless, and bystanders while their great nation is intentionally led astray and fundamentally destroyers by the likes of greedy-sympathizers leaders who have no characteristic of leadership from the time they were born until now. More importantly, we must become vigorous confronting this enormous trend facing our citizens and find immediate solution, because it is more than fights, books, speeches, articles, or protest; we know that the issues our innocent people are encounter bigger than the above mentioned. If we are to stop this mounting danger, suffering, and atrocities, South Sudanese people must be united, reconcile, compromise and rally under a united front of these humble society of the new nation that do not even seem to agree on anything, and still following the same greedy-sympathizers that replicate Hitler’s methodology and should be put to rest once and for all.
As is always the case, virtually dominant thinking in our society is guided by an obsession with condemnation without delivering a solution to the complex problems of our time. Our knowledge and brainpowers are at best double- edged here to challenge our soul and intellect at this point in time, but our generation seems to fall short of taking advantage to bring change to our society when the nation needs us the most. Nevertheless, I will say this though, with regard to the victory itself, worrying parties seem to be obsessed with victory, but it has been one year already and we are nearsighted that the window of victory is closing on them. As described, the reason we seem to be obsessed with writing is that our innocent people are now the targets of this senseless war not the government and their counterpart, and I fear that there is more to come then the victory the both parties are talking about all the time. Paradoxically, it is incredible to comprehend this sheer ignorance of our generation these days. They are quick to condemn the actions of these unreasonable based on what they are fed through brutal self-proclaimed leaders who are always after their interest of the day. The experience is not unique, uniformly, our generation is the potential source of hope for this nation, but this generation appears to be happy to accept this song without wanting to know the evidence, or the purposes of this song and it is extremely troubling.
Personally, I’m not interested in this senseless war, although what I know is this, this senseless war will come to an end one day, and I trust that the legitimacy and the resiliency of our people that one day, our communities will settle their differences once and for all. In addition, I’m also hopeful and convinced that the beauty of life and the presence of Nhialic of heaven and earth, our genius friend in heaven and gods of South Sudan will deliver peace to its people of this new nation and peace once again will return. To focus on this extreme situation, it was not the time to make a political statement by the elite in Juba, the murderer of innocent people across South Sudan was outrageous, and since those innocent civilians did nothing wrong to be killed in a cold blood nor do they have influence in the party’s reckoning. I have to say that juba took it very well on themselves, considering the government as authoritative giant intermediating, threatening people, and our citizens felt hence dehumanized from the time when those in power turned against them. However, analysis of the historical management of the nation’s affairs disclosed that the punishment for disagreement in the party is not by killing innocent people, or dissolving the entire government, or inventing war against humanity, but the process is to sit down and have a commonsense and middle ground approach and not rhetoric that has been witnessed in South Sudan. In the abstract, the moment our people defend a system that condemns people to death or killing without justice means that people have already given up their liberty to the assassin (leaders) of the innocent civilians. Even more critically, it is really amazing that people justify how those in power abusing their authority by allowing corruption and tribalism into the system of the governance and let me enlighten our citizens; there are laws in the world that do not make it right or justifiable for a leader to abundant his/her responsibility do just that this is extremely troubling and beyond sickening.
In other words, being a problem is a strange experience, but those in power made it clear that the South Sudanese people are their natural enemy by refusing to accept their pity orders, while in the begging our citizens never made it publicly knows that these so called-leaders are their natural enemy until the killing of the innocent civilians in Juba. The reason our citizens do not feel the same way is because they are wiser and realize that these men lack common sense in comparison to all citizens of the new nation. Although, the knowledge of trust among the South Sudanese communities are what these so called-leaders hate the most and despise due to the fact that it is destroying their unnecessary behavior for being not responsible and lack of leadership quality. Meanwhile, before we united the entire communities in South Sudan, let’s end the iniquitous practice of those in power, thenceforth acknowledge that a mistake has been made and reconciliation, forgiveness, dialogue, compromise are highly needed through meditation and assembly of all the South Sudanese communities once and for all. Nonetheless, people would say we have tried everything to have unity, but there is an inner side of us that needs balance. Yes, it is true in part, but every other race does indeed, and we have the ultimate ability to come together as one nation, as one people and forgive ourselves that is the spirit of lives. In addition, if we do not engage in constructive reconciliation, dialogue, forgiveness, compromise, and peace, those self-proclaimed leaders will completely destroy this country we liberated with our own blood from the regime in North. If we gesticulate our shoulders rather than become involved in this process, our children and grandchildren will face the real possibility of the same crisis we are facing today.
However, not all wars are bad, but when citizens are hurt by the self-same government they put in place, yes, it is indeed ridiculous to see those who contributed enormously to this cause of 21 years of unconventional turning their back on the citizens, is phony and heartbreaking. This appraisal, respect and professionalism are essential ingredients in all the leadership quality and it actually means nothing when leaders lack responsibility, recognition, and this is however, South Sudan as a nation is in the position of failing amortizable in the face of the entire nations that have been wishing them to thrive. Demonstrating respect and professionalism can involve anything from minor actions such as seeking right advice or accepting the right decisions that are communicated by others with experience, except refusing to accept anything is nothing but tremendously disturbing. These ignorance self-established relationships interest groups in South Sudan is the ultimate importance diseases in today’s world that need this generation to find a reasonable cure once and for all. Letting this unprecedented crisis to continue, is nothing but a shame on the so called-leaders of South Sudan. It is the same stunt when they don’t like their political opponents; innocent people are the victims of these self-appointed leaders. This is what the public outcry is all about, many leaders around the world have not done what Juba has done, but they are still in power, those in South Sudan want to be in charge while wearing the same hat of the 1990s and still being supported by their communities, is indeed heartbreaking. This is nothing but Hitler style at its best, trying to eliminate innocent people and still claiming to be leaders of the people is a behavior that needs to be addressed wisely by the South Sudanese people collectively. Though, the delinquent is our generation who are fighting for them; these so called-leaders have to be dealt with as an example to the continent-wide and disciplinary action should be swiftly taken so that they can learn from this mistake they have made and not let the history repeat itself. We the citizens of this nation should not accept this baloney suffering and reward these notorious, greedy, bloody assassins to ruin this country we liberated from ruthless regime in Khartoum get away with it once again. This is a proof of a mindset of these notorious; they are against the public opinion, against the freedom of speech, against democracy, and even against the success of the South Sudanese people. But with all these signs of fatigue, South Sudanese people have to be careful, changing the old guard with those notorious will be grief mistake.
To conclude, I know it will be a struggle and will not happen overnight, but differences among the party leaders is not something worth fighting for or lives lost and South Sudanese citizen cannot stand and take more of this behavior of these so called-leaders in South Sudan. It boils down to caring and those who do not care about innocent people’s lives. As citizens of this new nation, there is great need to care for one another to make things right and equitable for all the South Sudanese people. There is a need for more peace than war as we witness 13 months of blood shed without a victory. However, we need more unity among our people than division, and we need more understanding among our people than callousness, and more caring or sharing than greed. Most of the South Sudanese people are so overwhelmed with great emotions, grief, pain, hurt, sorrow, anger, disappointment, frustration, confusion, and much more during 13 months of atrocities that is quite difficult for any citizens to find the right words or any words that would materialize the situation our beloved citizens have been used as tools of fighting this senseless war and killing in the name of who can rule this nation. It is extremely difficult to find that balance in this difficult circumstances where everybody in South Sudan wants to be a president, wants to be a leader without deeds and all the most senior of the SPLM have been lacking leadership roles. I guess the best and the most appropriate place to start will be to first offer my heartfelt sympathy and deepest condolences to the South Sudanese people who have lost their loved ones including me. My thoughts and prayers are with them and may this year be the year of “everlasting peace “and bring to an end this resilience suffering in the new nation. We need to stop denying the system, laws and mentalities that exist in South Sudan and have been in place for far too long, which treat South Sudanese people differently to make them feel were less than human beings. That is just an unfortunate and extremely sad reality that needs to change, as facts indicate, there is no reason to hate one other and there is a need to create a system of forgiveness and tolerance because without peace in South Sudan, it will be tremendously difficult for our citizen to prosper in the years to come. That mentality or practice will fall and dissolve away if the entire South Sudanese people rejected this policy of we verses them.
More generally, we have a magnificent and resilient generation that must embraced the concept of a nationhood and its goals, objectives, values, and must be understood by all the South Sudanese citizens. In fact, all the nations were not fashionably building great from the very beginning and so do South Sudan. They all had its growing pains, up and down, butits endured because its principles of existence as nations were reinforced and passed on to the generations that followed, even South Sudan civil war was fought over through understanding or misunderstanding of those principles. There is so much discontent in the country and among our people today, and there is a need of changing the direction, our citizens are looking so desperately for guidance to get them out of these messes. All this kind of thinking in our country has to change, principles and culture of war has to change, our minds and thoughts have to be clear of the distracting clutter of foolishness in order to recognize our problem and understand the solution we need to provide to prevent civil war. A nation cannot be built on illusions and wishing to live the life of movie stars and athletes whose lives had open up and expose to so much ofannihilations that has no solution. Never before in the history of mankind have the societies’ lives been exposed to these masses theydid not asked for. We cannot afford to lose another 2.5 million people to another civil war and in the age of credit, South Sudanese people will give credit to those leaders who care about them, but not these thoughtless who think only for themselves. I’m saying all this to show that with foolishness desires constantly being reinforced, gives birth to selfishness, resilience suffering, atrocity, and we cannot have self-proclaimed leaders in charge and expect to have a genuinely unity among the South Sudanese people, impossible.
Santino Aniek is a concerned South Sudanese in Upstate New York, U.S.A. He can be reached at santino.aniek5@gmail.com and find me on Facebook, on Skype and on twitter @saniek.
