No Stability in South Sudan Minus this Consideration
By Peter Mapuor – Nairobi, Kenya
August 20, 2105 (SSB) —- They know where we went wrong. Renovation, development and decoration of government buildings were the greatest mistakes we made. If we all knew, we should have renovated, developed and decorated people’s hearts and minds with a spirit of oneness.
But what did we do? We prioritized to repair what wasn’t broken much and left the actual shattered pieces disassembled. Sincerely, our unkind despots or oppressors did not demolish any banks, skyscrapers, cathedrals, mosques, shopping malls, archives, embassies and shrines… Just for a minute, agree with me that Failure to build “a people” was the beginning of our national doom.
Political, religious and traditional authorities hurried into renovating, building and decorating offices and house of worships with untrained and non-believers on knees. Who knows our problem? Our Politicians don’t know. Our Clergy don’t know. Our Sultans don’t know too. But the bad news is that “they” who know our problem are glad that we DON’T know our own shortcoming and hence we can’t solve it ourselves.
Try to picture how happy we were at the FEEDOM HOUR across ten states of Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Upper Nile, Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Western Equatoria. No one knew that the freedom was coming to take away our INDEPENDENCE. Think about that for a moment. They who know our problem are aware that values of our society are in conflicts. They’re aware that it’s not identifiable which people receive honor or respect. Is it the children or the women? Is it the young or the old? Is it civilians or soldiers? Is it ethnic groups or regions? Is it war veterans or professionals? Is it returnees or insiders? Is it nationals or internationals? Is “I” or “We?”
As of now, I know being a South Sudanese is not enough alone to buy one an honor and respect due to our shattered minds and hearts during the liberation struggle. Practically, national values generate behavior and help solve common human problems for survival and meaningful co-existence. And by comparative rankings of value of an individual in a group, the results of which provide answers to questions of why people do what they do and in what order they choose to do them can be realized.
Most colonized liberators had their own ways of bringing the people together. Mzee Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya came up with a motto “Harambee,” a Kiswahili word for “pulling all together at once.” Daniel Arap Moi, Kenyatta’s successor is popularly known as “Nyayo,” a Swahili word for “footsteps” which he used to describe his philosophy of peace, love and unity. Moi’s “Nyayo” philosophy argued that nationalism in post-colonial Africa requires guidance, since this had not been nurtured under colonial rule. One party democracy was necessary to unify diverse groups into a single nation, and this could best be achieved under a strong, visionary leader.
Also, Julius Kambarage Nyerere, president of Tanzania from 1964 to 1985 had Ujamaa, the Swahili for ‘familyhood’. Ujamaa was a social and economic policy centered on collective agriculture, under a process called villagization. Ujamaa also called for nationalization of banks and industry, and an increased level of self-reliance at both an individual and a national level. South Sudan tried comrade but it didn’t rescue the situation…
The world around us can’t express faith for South Sudan’s unity and future in the IGAD-Plus Compromise agreement. The agreement is a tripartite deal on “Me basis” by Dr. Riek, President Kiir and Mrs, Ms & Mr. IGAD. Such “me schemes proposals” can only help in keeping South Sudan strongly divided.
After our “dependent independence,” the public expression of ethnic groups treatment and personal treatments in people’s day-to-day lives, provoked the frictions caused during the struggle and thus laid compacted foundations of hatred, misunderstanding and finally disintegration of the country. Everyone was a “Dhol Kabiir,” a big man or woman in Arabic, and none could feel & listen to the other including their own comrades. Citizens started to shift blames of unproductiveness from individual levels of office positions and military ranks to group levels on ethnic and regional stickiness. In short, we do not have what makes us feel together.
Should any group rescue South Sudan to feel oneness, then, the modalities should be geared towards building of “a people” before building the nation. IGAD is doing its best insofar as the agreement is concern. However, it doesn’t correct the current mess to curb the future fall. In my opinion, unless with divine intervention through men and women, no Stability in South Sudan Minus the Consideration of building a united people.
It’s due to this failure to renovate, build and decorate one people and one nation that gives Kiir Mayardit and Riek Machar a ready made violent force waiting for any starter. If Kiir and Machar had chosen to unite and instill national love in the people, they would have built a country that will never be broken, a country that will not be shattered and disintegrated. Even with the Addis Ababa IGAD-Plus Peace compromise centered on dividing power and resources, we might still miss to achieve a “compromised” society and people… Stay warm and call me “The Cleverfool” if you wish.
Reach me at email: mapuorcheatdeath1@yahoo.com
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