The Ongoing Political Instability in South Sudan Has Infected the Healthy Vision and Mission of South Sudanese Students’ Union in Uganda (SSSUU).

By Gatluak Khot,

Opinion.

Dec 28, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — South Sudanese Students’ Union in Uganda has been a non-political and not for profit organization over the past years. It was formed in 2007 so as to put the South Sudanese students studying in Uganda under the umbrella of unity and peace. Besides that, it was meant to cater for the students’ welfare and to support them in one way or the other so that they keep on pursuing their careers.

However, the current crisis has negatively impacted the status of the organization in such a way that the students have been influenced with distrust and disunity by the external forces. In spite of such injected influences, the leadership of 2013/2014 optimistically endeavored to maintain the unity among the students.

The recent SSSUU election conducted on the 17^th December, 2014 was a true revelation and reflection of the distrust and disunity inflicted on the students. The electoral procedures were free and fair in the process, but democracy in its true sense had a driving deprivation in accordance to the desire of those who do not love the unity to prevail among the students.

Hitherto, opinion poll reveals that the newly elected union leadership is not representative of all the three regions of Bahr el Ghazal, Equatoria and Upper Nile. The declaration of election results by the Electoral Committee indicated that the opposed and contested prime positions such as President, Secretary General, Finance Secretary and Speaker were filled in by Bahr el Ghazal region and subsequently, Information Secretary and Education Secretary to the same region. Apparently, the most trivial and subordinate positions were filled in by the unopposed ladies and gentlemen from other regions.

Consequently, there was no coherent account for democracy if electorates from respective regions tended to cast votes for their own region men. The true democracy would not mean taking advantage of the bigger number of electorates from one region to vote for their region mates. It would only reflect its obvious meaning if only votes were casted wisely having the idea of a broad based and inclusive government structure in one corner of the brain.

In that case, the most affected region is Equatoria which did and do not have the representatives in any decision making positions during the previous and the current elected leadership. Such an act of domination to manipulate others must be strongly condemned and combated so as not to continue taking that path. The definite unfair sharing of resources equitably is born in the domination of the key positions where the dominants make decisions which may affect the ones whose regions are not represented.

At this point in time, the extreme unionists have foreseen uncertainty which may be deliberately brought about by the individuals whose hidden motives would only be traced in the recent concluded union election. Hither, we wish the leadership the best practice of unity and a just decision making.

Given that keen observation and in connection to the analytical point of view, it is absolutely predictable that South Sudanese students whose regions are not represented in the vital positions will show low and passive participation in the union because they will always feel that the dominating region has manifested the realm of distrust and disunity. As the saying goes, divided we fall; the ultimate result of any malpractices may be the total deunionization where no one claims to represent the interest under which the union was formed anymore.

In view of such predictions, it is imperative to recommend that the one region leadership should not attempt to predispose the union to matters which probably pose threat to the peace and unity among the students. They should follow the footsteps of the previous leadership and demonstrate sense of unity without fear or favor. And that can only be realized when they disassociate themselves to any political affiliations given the current status quo in the country.

Students are the agents of change and that they should distant themselves from any form of influence which may arise from the external forces so that they realize prevailing peace and unity among them. The current dominating region should not pollinate elements of political instability which put the country to abysmal crisis.

Most convincingly, it will be hard to believe for those who do not concede the truth as revealed in this writing. And no matter what water this fact holds, they may want to put things in another way to soothe others who realize the subject matter in question.

We shall be watching carefully to see if there is any truth in the one region leadership which reflects the anticipated vision and mission of the students’ union. Above all, we shall also remain quite vocal in any situation of injustice which may automatically ensue from being the dominants. That will help us promoting the unity we desire.

The author, Gatluak Khot, can be reached at gluakkhot@gmail.com