March 16th, 2022 —The honour of being a liberator is a profound achievement and a towering legacy. Those who took part in this noble duty of liberating the nation should be proud of themselves. They should be proud that they fought a war of nobility with a dignified ending.
The sad twists, those who died immediately after the declaration of our independence are much prouder and extremely happier for delivering on this noble task and witnessing the birth of the new nation on July 9th, 2011.
The liberators who lived on and died after the war of 2013 weren’t that proud and happy at all. They were not happy because some of their colleagues turned butchers against their fellow citizens and comrades in arms in the name of tribes.
Moreover, the worst and incomprehensible contradiction is the fact that those who are still alive are extremely depressed and in cruciating pain of hopelessness and regrets.
This is a new twist, a serious contradiction and unfathomable realities of the country we fought for. A country we have liberated from various Khartoum’s successive regimes.
In actual sense, the liberators’ current incomprehensible state of affairs can be blamed on two things: First, political scientists and academias agreed that liberators have themselves to blame.
Second, the country and the people blamed the men and women chosen to lead the country after Dr. John Garang died in a mysterious helicopter crash in 2005.
Where I sit, as an analyst, to some extent, both arguments are valid and resoundingly correct.
It’s true that the liberators failed to live up to their vision and mission. For example, they failed to do the necessary tasks of establishing the nation, the nation so proud of its liberators.
Second, the men and women installed to lead the people and the country when John Garang died failed to deliver and fell short of bringing the nation to a level of peace and prosperity.
Thus, they allowed the republic to self-destruct and balkanize based on tribal lines. Therefore, by all accounts, these two points are indisputable fundamental errors our liberators and leaders committed in the course of governing the nation and the people.
It was expected that our liberators were supposed to erect strong institutions and establish rule of law and order, but instead, they started looting the nation to its pathetic despair, crowned by lack of leadership. As a consequence, the republic we fought for, the country we have liberated was seized and hijacked by men and women who were dining with the enemies during the war of liberation. This is a disappointing wist and a regrettable fundamental error.
Plainly put, the country we fought for laid waste and lost its virginity, its innocence and bearing to men and women who have no idea how hard and how painful it was liberated.
Because some of the liberators turned disappointing looters and forgone the nation, the correct state of affairs we envisioned in the bush turned symbolic and word of mouth. Now, the country is bleeding and almost everyone is in a state of despair and hopelessness.
For instance, the ministers, five stars Generals and the senior civil servants across this country are all complaining. No one is happy with the direction in which this country has taken and the course set forth by those sitting on the throne.
Every person I know and met was winding, lamenting that everything we had fought for and envisioned had gone southward.
With this outcome, young and old, middle aged men and women with babies tied on their backs turned destitutes and beggars. A colleague of mine once said, the whole country has turned into a begging chamber in disguise. A good example of a good country, mismanaged, and then, sadly turned ungovernable.
Closer to home, two days ago, I crossed paths with two fairly dark complexions, tall, barfoot and naked young women along Airport road in Juba.
I mean, two naked young women, in the true sense of the word “nake”. The two were naked from top to toe. Both appeared to be in their mid 20s.
Both ladies looked sadly terrified, starving and clearly depressed. I felt uneasy and teared up knowing and recalling the sacrifices and promises made by our leaders to our people during the war of LIBERATION.
Promises such as the country we are fighting for will be secure, peaceful and prosperous.
As the two naked ladies passed by, some Khartoum civilized men were sitting in front of a shop owned by an Arab looking fellow.
The Khartoum civilized men spoke good Arabic. Not that kind of Arabic we used to speak in the bush, during the war. Clearly, it appeared these fellows grew up and were educated in Sudan. I hope the Arabic they spoke was not slang of whom many of them spoke just to muddy the water. However, I didn’t care and didn’t want to know.
I took note and then looked around. I saw an elderly man sitting at a distance on a broken plastic chair.
I glanced again in his direction, our eyes met in disbelief. Then, he said, “this is the republic; this is the country we fought for; This is the country you and I liberated while pointing toward the two naked women”.
My stomach turned in anger. I looked away to hide my facial expression which was communicating sadness and anger.
In actual fact, I was extremely angry and foaming inside me with searing and incredible anger.
I noted, the Khartoum’ civilized men were just there sitting, sipping their tea and chatting the day out unmoved. However, one of them laughed and pointed toward the direction of the two naked ladies fading in a distance.
I turned 180 degree angle and faced an elderly looking man sitting on the broken plastic chair. I moved closer and nodded. I nodded to affirm that I heard him. That I heard all he was saying, loud and clear.
Then, I lamented with sarcastical intent. This is the republic! This is the country we fought for. He smiled, and I did the same in return.
In resounding fashion, an elderly looking man took courage and spoke. He said, “I was an SPLA soldier and I am a comrade to many. Some of them are dead while others are still alive. I fought many battles including that of Torit and Kapoeta in the 90s. Gen. Wang Chiok was my commander in the battlefields around this damn city, Juba”.
And then, he said, “you looked fairly young and therefore you might not know what happened in the past during those tough days of war.” I protested and said, “I am aware. I was part of the liberation too. I am a member of the Red Army – “THE SEEDS OF THE NATION”.
His eyes widened with happiness mixed with disbelief and sadness. He said, “yes, then, you are aware”. This is the republic; This is the country you and I fought for”. I protested and responded. Well, this is not the country our leaders envisioned. This is not the country we fought for. He smiled and looked the other way. I sensed he was feeling uneasy and hurting.
Let me call this elderly looking man Gatluak. He didn’t approve of this piece to be written and his name mentioned. As this narration goes, Mr. Gatluak looked left and pointed to a man laying down under a shadeless tree. And he said, that man over there was a comrade too.
He is a war veteran and was wounded in Khor – William, battling Arabs in early 90s.
As he was saying this, his facial expression changed. He was clearly sad and angry. He said, “President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his First Vice President Dr. RIEK Machar Teny brought this nation to this disappointing level”. Say, to its knees and nearing collapse.
In general terms, I agreed and acknowledged the fact that we have had only one president since independence. All that happened good or bad during this time, under his tenure are his legacy and no one else.
Furthermore, I lamented, in principle, all our Generals who came from the bush are responsible for the country’s collapse. President Salva and his First Vice Dr Riek would have not collapsed this beautiful nation if our five stars Generals were not so greedy, complicit and naive. I stated, all bore the responsibility of caring and nursing this country to perfection.
Now that they are lacking behind and couldn’t put the country’s interest first, they are accountable for failing us, for failing the nation and for throwing the country under the bus and leaving it to the dogs. Those who have no idea how hard and bravely this nation was fought for with sweat and blood.
In this regard, people like Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk, Gen. John Kong Nyuon, Gen. James Hoth Mai and Gen. Awet Akot cannot just overnight turn complainers.
They too have the responsibility. They are liberators and were here and some of them took part when this country was tearing itself apart to pieces.
Nguen Nyol is a South Sudanese’ political commentator and analyst living in Juba. He can be reached at jamesnguen@gmail.com.
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