By Dr Isaac Ayii Ayii (PhD),
April 17, 2019(SSNN) — The South Sudanese had garnered enough affection from the world over from the time immemorial despite the fact of our lack of appreciation to those who deserve it e.g. the first attempt by the then colonial British powers in 1947, in what was called Juba Conference that would have led Sudan into two separate states failed in our hands, during Anya Anya 1 struggle the contribution of Israeli in terms of logistical support ended up as a waste after a premature peace agreement at Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , which was later abrogated by Jeffery Nimeri in 1982, that later led to the formation of SPLA/M in 1983 hence claiming 2.5 Million lives, during struggle of SPLA/M upto signing Of CPA in 2005 in Naivasha Kenya , countless nations in the world contributed to its success socially , logistically, emotionally and financially the most prominent among other nations being USA , which ended up with the referendum so voted unanimously by South Sudanese with over 98% in favor of separation, but how much did we the citizens and our leaders stood in support of each other as one nation apart from the self-apoptosis method we have so adapted.
These few highlights of how the world had stood with South Sudanese up to the recent efforts by TRIOKA nations, IGAD nations, UN etc. after 2013 senseless war for power struggle, which led to losses of lives of hundreds of thousands, destruction of properties and displacement of millions individual within and outside South Sudan is majorly attributed to lack of servant leadership so demonstrated by Pope Francis through kissing of South Sudanese leaders’ feet in the recurrently concluded Vatican retreat, as an early echo of Jesus washing and wiping of his discipline’s feet, which he later told his discipline that they greatest among them should be the servant and not the other way around , to us the believers that was true servant leadership needed by to be demonstrated here in South Sudan.
The question is can our leaders learnt a lesson from that reciprocated act of servant leadership? Where a leader should kiss the feet of his or her followers , for which cases the former 8 million South Sudanese that later lost a hundreds of thousand lives, displaced millions of individuals from their homes to the land of wilderness and in the state of oblivion, just because of lack of servant leadership
Therefore, kissing of feet symbolically is to be translated by our leaders here in South Sudan if they have really retreated their original egocentrism ideology that brought us into this appalling state we are in , by bringing a true peace to us a common citizens , a true services in term of basic needs, social amenities, infrastructures, network communications, improved security with no unknown gun man or woman and finally installing a democratic transference of power through a ballot box instead of a bullet so that a voice of a common citizens who are they owners of power speaks a loud and clear
Our problems had been caused by us and our leaders, the world has nothing to do in curbing it, including the current attempt by pope Francis will never materialized to any tangible results if in first place we and our leaders don’t agree that we have brought upon ourselves all the suffering and losses that we have incurred due to this senseless war and that enough is enough let us forgive ourselves and start a new page with sincere heart of one brotherhood and sisterhood as we learnt from Rwanda and other nations that have come out victoriously pragmatically from such state we are currently in.
He is an Entrepreneur, Executive Director and a Founder of Juba Institute of Health Sciences
He holds a PhD and Masters of Public Health from Atlantic International University-USA, Masters of Public Policy from University of Juba, Bachelors of Medical Education and a higher Diploma in Ear, Nose& Throat Surgery from Makerere University, Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Public Health from Maridi Health Sciences Institute
The author can be reached through e-mail address : ayiiisaac728@gmail.com Tel: +211921720104
