The Coming of rebel advance team to Juba: were they welcomed?
By Mamer Deng Jur, Australia
January 19, 2016 (SSB) — I know that a lot of people likes the term REBEL rather than referring these unhappily citizens as a team in OPPOSITION.
Many cry: Peace! Peace! Peace! When people talk about peace and referring to peace, you may always wonder; do they really mean what they are saying? Literally is it in their hearts or are they just flattering about it? Well, i have invited you; to give your thoughts because i don’t have answers to these questions.
In The Church
In the morning of 26th December 2015, my cousin, sister and I went to St. Emmanuel Jieng Parish church at Hai Malakal, Juba South Sudan. A church that has a tremendous history of accommodating believers and non-believers. It is a wonderful place to be.
A Place that accommodates groups of different interest like the politicians and the non-politicians. For example myself.
On that day, the church was not packed as usual, because many people went to their home towns to have Christmas with their relatives. That what i heard on that day! The congregation were praising Jesus in Dinka Hymns. They were showing high respect and praying to God for them to have seen the 25th December, the Christmas Day.
Joined prayers
We came, entered and seated in the church for the prayers. When I raised my head I saw three gentlemen strolled inside the church. I said to myself: Wow! Oh, I know them. Agel Riing Machar, and Alier Ateny Lueth. They strutted in the church as if they were coming to do a business. All eyes were on them, the trios. They were in those fine quality wool suits!
Man, none gave way to the other: Either their expensive and luxurious suits nor their seven star motels as you know the government hosted them in those wonderful, quality and expensive top motels in Juba such Crown, Landmark and you name the rest you know.
The boys became celebrities. Some of the people were visiting them in their motels. I wish my schedules were not tied i would have given them a visit.
The service began. The pastor extended his warm welcoming to the congregation and the guests in Juba. He talks and emphasized on peace for all South Sudanese people. He went on, “because of peace, our brothers have just joined us in prayers today. They may stand up so that you can see them”, he added.
The boys stood up, and seated. A few hands were clapped. After they were seated, the entire church burst into talking as if they were brokers trading at The New York Stock Exchange. Taunting remarks from those believers were unbearable. But what could you say? That how they felt about all this bloody situation of 15 December 2013 plus the devastations of war in the two years that followed.
In that short time, the congregation lost love and peace. Thanks to God! They didn’t have ago at one another. Some of the people were pretty pissed off! When they saw Agel, Alier, and Deng.
Attention was drawn once again, when Honourable Deng Dau Malek was called upon to read a letter of wishing the congregation Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Mr. Deng went on lecturing to the people about the in-coming peace and how the government was handling it. He was so thankful to Salva Kiir Mayaardit and his cabinet for creating 28 states.
He welcomed Aguer Panyaang as the newly appointed governor of Jonglei State. ‘We will give all we have to support Aguer, we will rally behind him to support his governorship’. He said. Deng was too optimistic that Jonglei state will prosper. That it will be one of the best state in South Sudan. I thanked Deng for his intellectual thoughts and a quality of his leadership.
As a conclusion and on personal note, i am happy to write that the Peace in our heart is a meaningful peace for our common good.
Love and peace is what we need badly in South Sudan. I Thanked the boys for being brave to face this congregation after many among the congregation have had mourned for 2 years for losing loved ones.
In situations like what happened on December 15 and the two subsequent years, you need to have guts, and the balls to face the widows, and orphans of war you were part of, or supporting the mastermind of that catastrophic human actions.
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