The South Sudan We Fought for, the South Sudan we have Today and the South Sudan we Might Have Tomorrow.

By Gatgong Koang Thany,

April 11, 2015 (Nyamilepedia)—–The Historians Wrote that as early as 1800 A.D Southern Sudanese, the Population living in the Geographical Area encompassing what’s now known as the Republic of South Sudan had fiercely and bravely resisted Foreign inferences and Colonization, our forefathers, using stones, sticks and spears fended-off well- armed Foreign invaders, preserving the sovereignty and dignity of the Homeland, and safeguarding its sacred, strict cultures and traditions, they therefore defined our destiny. They designed vision and defined Direction they wanted for their generation, Us the Southern Sudanese living today and those that shall take our places, by 1930-40s, the struggle for our Modern State began in earnest, however, the Anglo-Egyptians who were then in a mad-rush to grant Sudanese their independence Bartered our Destiny for Suez Canal For the British, Nile-waters for the Egypt and other Political and Economic interests, thus abandoning us at the mercy of the Northerners, among the Heroes who sown the seeds which bear our generational dream and lead that first and crucial struggle were but not limited to, Uncle Both Diu, Kamyangi Ababa and the remarkable Torit uprising leaders i.e. Gen. Emilio Tafeng, Ali Gbattala among others.

These guys knew what they wanted for us, independence, freedom and Dignity, indeed their dream gave birth to our dream, the dream which inspired us to fight and continued the fight for that very long. It was that very dream that feed us with that unbreakable determination to persevere and endure all manners of pains and humiliations we came across in the course of the struggle. The dream for an independent South Sudan, where all would have their individual and collective dreams realized, The South Sudan we dreamt and fought for was a Nation that would be of course Independent and free from Political, economic and social colonization, domination and Marginalization.

We dreamt for an equitable State that would reflect and appreciates diversity, inclusivity, equality and Democracy. A nation where all would felt involved and their issues resolved, we had suffered for so long and needed to taste freedom and the pride that comes with the status-of-a-statehood, to felt the experiences of the rights that successive Khartoum Governments at all level denied us. We fought for one major reason, to resist oppression from the Jallaba , our northern brothers who treated us like trash, subjecting us to third class status in our own Country, in fact the old Sudan never felt like home not only because the Common Citizens especially those from the Southern part, they never knew nor had anything with which to appreciates the very existence of Khartoum’s successive regime which came and went without welding any significant mark among the villages in the Southern interior worse more even the lucky few who got educations and joined the Arabs-dominated towns and politics , still they were treated like aliens, Southerners and indeed the greater majority of the periphery Communities of Sudan were denied access to among other things, Economic and Political opportunities. They were instead viewed as cheap domestic labor force, the casual constructors, laundrymen, and farm workers and in extreme cases, they served as slaves, where they were forced to herding Northerners cattle, Goats and sheep etcetera.

Having suffered so tremendously, South Sudanese dreamt and Fought for a Nation where they would have an opportunity to compensate for the centuries they have lost/wasted under Colony and misery, and catch up with the rest of the World, they dreamt for an unrestricted access to Economic and political opportunities, access to unbiased justice and social fulfillment , With our huge wealth, we knew we would have access to quality and affordable education, healthcare and other social amenities, roads, clean water, electricity etcetera. We dreamt for a nation where we would enjoy to the maximum the freedom of self expression/freedom of speeches, as well as cultural expression. We didn’t know then that we were just running out of a Lion’s mouth in to a wide open crocodile’s jaws.

The South Sudan we have today; An old village women lamented one day ’’if you were to see them’’(the town people), they are fat and very rich, they loathe us and look at us as if we are rotten’’ in fact we are not same with them anymore, their independence has come, I ‘m just wondering if ours shall also come one day ‘’ , judging by her naive and ignorant explanation, there is no doubt that the woman like most south Sudanese felt alienated, marginalized and sidelined. Truly speaking, the Rural Population/the common Citizens to whom the success of the Moment is entirely accredited to is abandoned and rejected as soon as the fruits of the struggle started to trickle-in, therefore this simple statement by this old woman, is a symbolic-state of the general population’s mood in South Sudan today.

The Ordinary South Sudanese are aggrieved, they felt tricked and cheated. Indeed, the South Sudan they are seeing today is absolutely not the one they dreamt and fought for, instead it’s but just a complete replica of what they fought against, the old Sudan.

Those who share in the pain of South Sudanese had this to say ‘’we can no longer stand and watch as the yesterday victims become today oppressor’’ South Sudanese friends said in a letter sent to South Sudan President expressing their disbelief at the unexpected turn the government had taken especially in regards to human right violations and the shaming corruption wrecking the Nation apart, like the old-village women and the Author , they are bewildered by the speed at which the leaders of our Country had hijacked our hard fought independence and turn it in to an individual /cult/tribal enterprise where the rest of the nation are forcefully and brutally kept at bay. Locked out of their own- hard-gain Sovereignty, South Sudanese are now standing there, in heartbreaking isolation languishing in merciless dejection and poverty.

Poverty ridden, South Sudan Richest yet the poorest nation on Earth has nothing to show for its vast natural wealth since it gained Autonomy status and after full independence, other than the hundreds of fuels guzzlers/Hummers (extra-expensive-cars), imported with stolen public money and the wild luxury the nation’s Generals, top Politicians, their kin and their Concubines enjoys at the expense of the whole population is beyond imagination. The village folks who suffered and contributed the most during the struggles dreamt that once independence is attained, they would finally get to taste the fruits of their bitter struggles and the wealth of their Land, which the Arabs had denied them for generations, little did they know that across the river, even here in the Promised Land there could exist a monster that would deny them the very opportunity they painfully fought for, a monster who unfortunately rode on their own backs.

Engulfed in a smoke of destruction, all are eventually coming to the sad realization that, the nation we determinedly struggled for is robbed and turned in to a death-yard, as the Government the People entrusted with their affairs turned to an enemy, killing, oppressing and cheating them of their resources which its corrupt Official starched in to Foreign Bank Accounts while diverting whatever remain for importation of Luxurious cars, whines, Prostitutes and eventually the mercenaries that are currently killing, rapping and maiming innocent population of Greater Upper-Nile, particularly those found within the Rebel Controlled areas. The bought Soldiers are committing the atrocities with no mercy; they also and intentionally either destroy Nation’s vital facilities or steal it.

For instant the Thoroboro (Mercenaries/Sudan’s Rebels fighting alongside the Government Forces are well known for having stolen expensively acquired public utilities i.e. Hospitals equipment, Oil-installations equipment, Vehicles as well Oil Companies’ Valuable Properties in Unity State.

The Government snatched-away the very basic and fundamental freedoms we took arms against the Khartoum regimes for and flushed-it-down the sink, with justice buried deep as impunity toke-over, Tribalism became a National doctrine while Nepotism and corruption a cherished Philosophy ,freedom of expression is met with death the case of Isaiah Abraham, freedom of assembly/Protest is met with massacre the case of Wau Protestors, Voices of reforms are met with Genocides, the infamous Case of Ethnic cleansing against innocent Nuer in Juba, for allegedly being the people of Dr. Riek Machar, the former Vice President and Deputy leader of the cursed SPLM Party who expressed Interest in the party’s top post, the man is seen by Observers a Reforms Crusader. It is such unpatriotic greed for power and heartless betrayal of our struggles by our leadership which set our Nation on fire hence forcing us to this turbulent path we are traveling today, a return to the struggle in search for the South Sudan we dreamt and Fought for, the South Sudan we wanted then and tomorrow.

December 15th shall go down in History as the darkest and infamous day in the life of our Young Nation whatever happened that night, known well perhaps only to those who knows it better, resulted in to the gruesome extermination of over thirty (30000+) Innocent Citizens of South Sudan of Nuer Nationality, the three days genocide rattled the World sending shivers down its spines, awakening the Holocaust and Rwanda’s Memories , UNMISS opened its gates to the fleeing survivors some nursing heavy wounds , others traumatized beyond repair having either witnessed the unimaginable or escaped death by a whisker, a war was declared against none but virtually unarmed, innocent population, an official declaration of Nuer Cleansing , a televised Drama that shocked the World, a none existent Coup made such a beautiful- excuse and here we are !!

A dawning man always clutched a straw’’ , instead of dying like fishes, the Patriotic Citizens of South Sudan decided to form a resistance moment under the able Leadership of Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon and Dr. Alfred Ladu Gore, thanks to the few Loyal and patriotic uniformed Men and Women and the Youths who risked it all and responded to the cries of their People on time , with no resources at all, it was to be indeed the David and Goliath’s Contest, many couldn’t have dare do such a thing given the enormous resources the Government had in addition to Musseveni’s Support, but King Lionaides of Ancient Sparta once said’’ the whole World will know that few stood against many to defend liberty and dignity of the World and before the war was over, even a God king bleed’’ perhaps few South Sudanese who were willing like leonaides take the chance however impossible it looked and it’s clear that before the end of this War, Someone shall pay handsomely the endless price of the Innocents’ blood .

The of the aim the resistance is to Protect the Vulnerable Population from the Merciless slaughter by Salvatore Kiir Kueth Piny Lual’s Regime and restoration of order and sanity, and in longer term to use the Moment to restore the Nation and reclaim the South Sudan that all Fought For and had long dreamed about, the South Sudan we wanted then and want tomorrow.

Attainment of our Dreamt South Sudan and South Sudan we want for our coming generation depends entirely on our individual and collective participation at all level in the resolution of the current crisis; this requires all to wear nationalistic specks and act with consciousness devoid of tribalistic or political allegiance. Great courage is necessary to start seeing above the influences of the past and aimless bigotries hence embraces a new paradigm-shift toward recovery and restoration of nationhood, where all work toward finding a lasting solution to the current impasse, a solution which addresses the core issues like historical injustices, accountability and justice for all.

With two path to chose from, South Sudanese have the privilege to decide their fate, chose to hide behind ignoramus arrogance and tribal intoxication and see your Sovereignty and dignity taken away and thrown to the dogs, the Nation you fought for, for decades shall be grabbed from you and given to Foreign Entities with monstrous, vested interest to squander your wealth while keeping you fighting among yourselves till Jesus come or;

Behalf like Human beings, and accept to end this conflict for once, there is two way to do this in my humble view, pressurizing the Leaders, especially the Government to accept the responsibility for the Juba Genocide, therefore should sign good peace that give way for new government that shall win the people’s confidence and work round the clock toward institutional reforms, ensures justice and accountability for the heinous crimes committed against the Citizens of this Country, initiates healing and reconciliations, restoration and rebuilding of the national fabric which is fatally broken; failure to do so , a mass uprising against the Juba regime by all nationalities for the sake of our country is imminent, it always takes pain to gain what the heart most desires.

South Sudanese need their Nation, therefore, rising-up, in whatever form against the failed, monstrous Hooligans in Juba is very necessary. Until the holocaust, tragedy and genocidal regime under Kiir Kuethpiny and Malong Awan is removed and made accountable for their crimes against Humanity we shall never have peace in this Country, we shall never attain Unity neither shall we ever realize our long dream for freedom nor independence in our own dignified Homeland.

Let them come down so we can installed a Democratic System that would acknowledge the Ordinary South Sudanese and give the village folks a chance to for once in their life time taste what it is like to be really independent and free in one’s own Homeland.

A chance to taste what they have been denied for decades, the sweet fruits of their Nation, let’s put their destiny on their own hands, let’s give them Federalism.

The author is a youth, political activist and very concerned Citizen. Reach him at g.gongk15@gmail.com