The Unrewarded Noble Contributions of our Civil Population to the Liberation Struggle
Civil Population and its Unrewarded Noble Contributions Towards the Independence of the Republic of South Sudan
By Peter Aketch Amet, Kuajok, Gogrial State
January 20, 2016 (SSB) —- As I write this opinion, I am begging you my dear ready readers, for “good readers are as well good Leaders”, as best put by John Penn de Ngong, to allow me express my gratitude and congratulations to our civil population for being such inseparable during our quest for our freedom, our rights and as well self-governance/self-determinations which gave birth to this new nation. Congratulations ya Jinubins!!!!!!
I am first and foremost overwhelmed by the fact that our people showed to the world that we were determined to move on as a united and a loving citizenry during the ground breaking referendum vote in 2011. I am indeed appreciative and thankful to our people for uniting themselves and rallying behind the current regime during the times when they really wanted us as the backbone for their movement (SPLM/A) during the years of liberation struggle (1983-2011).
Despite all these efforts by the civil population, our leaders failed to move any closer to meeting the expectations of same voters which they devoted their times to beg and promised to do good should they be elected and sent to represent them (Voters) in the Parliament and not do bad to them. I am also overwhelmed by the love, peace and unity which were portrayed by the Southern Sudanese (then) now South Sudanese, before, during and after the Separation of South Sudan from the mother country, the Sudan.
It was such a beautiful love and incomparable strive to solidly move forwards regardless of their race, religion, gender, political differences and/or ideologies; they chose to remain as one people. Dear readership, I beg your patience; I must not drag you into boredom.
I am bound to remember and appreciate the South Sudanese unity exhibition during the wars of liberation starting far back as from Anya-nya (I &II) and SPLA/M as well. They offered themselves to carry ammunitions on their shoulders for our guerilla fighters, our mothers offered themselves to fetch clean water and cook food for our warriors (Tai-yin in Arabic), which could also be translated into English as meal, our fathers contributed bulls and oxen to the movement which were used to feed the warriors, our pastoralists whose camps were selected for a night (nukta-naihim in Arabic) or putting up place in English, would milk their cows and wholly submitted the products to the warriors.
The civil population efforts never ceased till during the CPA period in which they wholeheartedly supported the exercise of Sudan’s House population Census, Sudan’s General Elections in which they voted to elect their own Leaders and finally Southern Sudan Referendum. My special and heartily thanks and congratulations to our civil population for having made such irreversible and bold decision to reach all the corners of the country to campaign for separation of South Sudan from our permanent enemies as referred to, by all South Sudanese and their solid and ultimate sacrifice to devote their time and lives to make sure Southern Sudan got seceded from the North in the famous event, Southern Sudan Referendum exercise which gave independence to this Youngest Nation in the Globe.
WHAT SOUTH SUDANESE EXPECTED FROM GOVERNMENT SINCE 2005?
South Sudanese priorities and national objectives could have bonded them together if it were not because of the embezzlement of the public funds/money by the few individuals in the corridors of the power who are privileged.
South Sudanese National interests were but not limited to; access to quality schools where our children would get educated and be self-reliance, access to quality health facilities where our elderly people, children and youth would get treated, roads connection to facilitate the movement of people and their properties, access to Justice and Law to try and punish those who offend other people, provision of clean water to the local population who have suffered long under the marginalization by the Khartoum regime, Provision of the security to the citizens to allow them move freely in their own country while conducting their normal life businesses without security treats, freedom of speech of the citizens on matters of development and equal employment in the job market.
THE GIFTS OF THE GOVERNMENT TO HER CITIZENS IN TURN OF EXPECTATIONS/PRIORITIES LISTED BEFORE.
But nevertheless, in regard to different views from intellectuals, academia, politicians and civil society Alliance groups, they (South Sudanese) received the opposite side of the narrated version of almost all the priorities outlined in the paragraph above. During these political upheavals (2012-2013), power hungry Politicians made use of those times as opportunities to divide up the youths amongst them by cheaply luring them in to making woeful boots licking (God forbid, I won’t be part of those groups).
The civil population especially youth, is divided up to blindly support their relatives who disagree with the government just not meeting their personal interests and not on National interests. Such youth are neither nationalists nor politicians, because they dance to the tune of their uncles in the government other than serving their beloved country.
In conclusion, my opinion finally suggest that, if the channeling of the national resources was put right, if citizens were allowed to express their views freely on a forum which the SPLM promised to the people, if developmental projects were initiated and implemented fully, if national/people’s priorities were put to the top of our hearts and personal interests follow, if Leaders agreed to the common ideologies of the common people and more importantly, if the youth were to work for national goals leaving behind individual interests, South Sudan would be such a beautiful and peaceful country to live in. History is not reversible, I would have suggested reversing the history we are currently making to that our leaders and followers (we) made sometimes back (future impossible).
Despite the fact that we were messed up by our leaders, I am as well very optimistic and hopeful that, the future of our country will be bright and progressive as long as our youth population is reconciled, well informed and stuck together based on the mutual understandings, this could be achieved only if they (Citizens) willingly accept themselves and while putting aside tribalism, ethnic differences, discriminations while embracing unity as a tool to achieve none-achieved national interests by the current reigning government.
VIP (very important point):
Finally and/or all in all, South Sudanese (youth particularly) should champion Education and be well informed in order to embrace the National motto of our Country; Justice, Liberty and Prosperity, I am solely viewing the prospects of this beloved State as being missed at the corner of misguiding and misinformation of the masses.
May God bless South Sudan!
Peter Aketch Amet is a high school graduate and a non-Partisan South Sudanese National (neutral citizen). He can be reached at aketchamet@yahoo.com
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