By Chuol C. Puoch,
March 25, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — Tell the truth and truth will set you free and indeed, in one way or the other, it can also set the others free. I want to be free and want the others be free. The world is working toward stability. People around the world, be they ordinary citizens or government civil servants, organized forces, private companies and the list goes on; looks for transformation rather than complete destruction, appreciation rather than blaming, investing more in the future rather than wasting the resources through corruption and carelessness. However, the system is opposite in South Sudan.
Many of my friends say they have regret being South Sudanese and that is because of many different reasons: constant instability, lack of good governance, poor improvement in the society, continues hunger and suffering, domination by the rest of the people/group and the list goes endless. I don’t feel to move outside the Country, however, I do really give them their exclusive right on that given the fact that the situation is really deteriorating from time to time.
Going back to socio-political dynamic of the Sudan when it was a one Country, some social lives aspect have been incorporated into state politics. For instant, an Arab man can call you for food and as soon as you left, you will remain the topic of their discussion saying a lot of nonsense on you. An Arab man can kill you right after finishing a meal with him. The reason is unknown otherwise it’s only an Arab origin especially in Sudan who can explain clearly what it’s all about base on their culture. Associating this with state politics is so risk in political life of the state and the worse part of it is that, South Sudanese have underwent that kind of life and South Sudan as a young and democratic state, some group, ethnic or tribe seem to have now fully engulf that culture into their political life. No! That is not the politics we want in South Sudan. Furthermore, according to the Islamic believe of our brothers in Sudan, a Christian leader cannot lead them in the Country, which was a domination protocol by the Arab north. Coming down to the new state of The Republic of South Sudan, some people believe to have been born to rule the rest and not to be rule or lead by the others. On my own analysis, I think some have adopted the hidden marginalization protocol of the Arab in the then Sudan.
One would wonder to why the government of the Republic of South Sudan is so tumultuous in the eyes of international communities. Well, lots of diplomatic analyses to this problem have been integrated with the realities of the matter and the truth comes out accordingly. Government in their version of the crises have given it a name since the start, “military coup against a democratically elected government by Riek Machar and his group” meanwhile, in the side of SPLM/A-in-opposition call the event as “an assassination act from the President to silence his inner political opponent”. Humanitarian actors call it crises of South Sudan, International community have given it a name which is “political struggle for power” within SPLM party.
As illustrated above, it’s not only difficult to find out the truth but also to fine a lasting solution to it. You may be interested to question me on that point but to be sincere; I have to disclose it to everybody in the fact that we already have the knowledge of the capacity and impartiality of South Sudan judiciary. We have understood so far the breakability of our supreme law of the land (constitution) by none other than the stake holders in the government with the president topping the list. It’s only through justice and nationalism which at all, has no present in South Sudan, that we can find a solution and come a compromising era among the warring parties.
This problem, if not properly and cordially deal with, will pain the most at the end more than the start. I have been saying this and will continue saying it unless otherwise things are back to track. Going to the life of civilians in UN compounds in Juba, those people were among the few in Nuer community who struggled to settle and live their lives in peace and solidarity with their friends and brothers from other communities of South Sudan who are living in Juba. In frankly speaking, those people as well as many other Nuer civilians didn’t went through that intensive disaster throughout their history, moreover, South Sudanese in general had never gone through a situation compared to the one our people are in currently.
What will be the effect of that disaster on them physically, emotionally, socially and economically? That is a great concern which needs public attention and government intervention. There is only a fraudulence move by the government to those people in convincing them to go back to their houses, as a result, they have gradually lost hope in the governmen4t. There is a very solid stigma in the minds of those people which, in one way or the other, will result in to variety of some unfortunate circumstance to the Country and the governance. We must care and forgive when things are controllable and not when they run out of hand.
The effect of the above mentioned have spoiled the Country at the moment, people are ethnically divided, the state infrastructure is partially destroyed, nationalism seem to have completely lost which has let to; lack of national cohesion, absence of state harmony, poor social togetherness, political and economic instability, judicial and security disorder and the list continue.
Then the question remains open for debates by South Sudanese and international diplomats, political nalysts, civil society groups and even the church leaders/elders; what can South Sudanese leaders do to quickly and transparently resolve these differences? The state is completely disordered, every group become hostile to the rest, everybody want to carry his/her own cross. The state governance is between failure and success; hostile propagandas from all the warring faction in South Sudan do really escalate the conflict in the state further. Almost 2.5 million people are in dire need of basic services; food, shelters, good drinking water and many more. Over 10’000 people have been killed since the violent broke out on the 15 Dec 2013 in South capital Juba.
With all those effect of the conflict, I think it’s time for South Sudanese especially the leaders to wake up and save the Country from falling apart. Leaders need to be leaders of the state not leaders of individuals and group. The first thing that they (leaders) can do is to reconcile, resolve their differences in a national democratic approach taking into consideration the suffering that our people have undergone.
Since the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement, the leaders have not been very active in reconciling the state which was devastated for decade by war and conflicts. They did not at all prioritize the delivery of basic services to the people instead; they have been using the public funds for their individuals needs. South Sudan is one of the most corrupt states in Africa and also in the world.
As mentioned above, leaders need to reconcile and sort out all their differences for the sake of the suffering of South Sudanese innocent civilians. After when the leaders reconcile, they will now be able to cohesively reconcile the nation and comprehensively move the nation forwards. However, looking at the intensity of the current crises in the Country; there should be a formed interim government to do the national dialogue, national reconciliation and bring peace and harmony back to the Country. The 2015 election should be postponed to 2016 to allow reconciliation and national dialogue take place.
The writer is a South Sudanese upcoming political figure, believing in social justice, democratic political transformation, rule of law and can be reached via email chuolchotson@gmail.com
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