SOUTH SUDAN NATION IS AN ALBUM OF TRIBAL ASSOCIATION
By David Matiop Gai, Juba South Sudan
January 20 2016 (SSB) —- It is better to lay a strong foundation of national spirit, unity, social cohesion, nation building, and pillars of nationalism than tribal institutions, and build better African nationalists’ communities in South Sudan. It is always advertised on SSTV that this is South Sudan, “truly African”.
A definition of an album is a blank book for the insertion of photographs or pictures, or the wedding pictures had the “pride place in the family album”. The word “pride place in family album” is the theme message of my article and the main intention of my writing. As far as the use of an album is very important, South Sudan is a country like an album to us where our tribes get pride of right place in the family of the young nation.
The illustration of an album from here is getting meaning as each and every photo inserts in column into album for protection, cover, design, record and other important uses of album in the family. Therefore, South Sudan is much bigger than tribes as a right place of tribes’ prides and origin for tribes anchors because all tribes constituted geographical areas of the country, whereas country overcomes powers of tribes and a country is known as more powerful than all six four tribes, it is a starting point where we can begin and go, and also realize, or build our nationalism, and become nationalists.
Dear readers, allow me to take this opportunity to share with you the dangerous implications of tribal associations in our young nation. Instead of building extra efforts of becoming more extreme nationalists, we encouraged tribal leadership bases on personals interest which will never benefit us. I was moved by President’s speech at the open remarks of SPLM Extraordinary Convention in Juba on the 7th January 2016. According to His Excellency speeches, Kiir warned South Sudanese citizens to discouraged tribal institutions and build spirit of nationalism.
Tribal associations are the worse face-animals that dragger us back in the country. We have sixty four tribes (64), and these tribes are our sources of origins and pride that may also cement the strong unity of South Sudan as a nation, but oppositely people grouping themselves with clans, sub-clans, and tribal bases. It is now even reaching at the level of people using questions and asks themselves identity of one another! Where you are from meaning which tribe do you belonging?
We are the rich country in term of our different diversities, when I said we are rich in diversities, I mean each tribe has unique cultures, traditions, norms, arts, values, but these diversities may not be the priority, the first priority is nationalism. It’s doesn’t mean we should do away with our origins or drop the importance of our tribes, because our tribes are very important, we came from them but we should not see tribes as much important than the nation. For example, if you go to America, Europe, Australia, Uganda, Kenya or elsewhere! You can present your documents as South Sudanese citizen not South Sudanese tribesmen/women because this nation is the album of our tribes. All over South Sudan, tribal associations become institutions of destructions, tribalism, nepotism, hatred, bitterness, and pipelines of pouring anger to the rest of other peaceful South Sudanese.
As a writer of this article, I observed several implications of self-grouping or tribal associations as tool of tearing down the nation into tribal own interests, and I can say many thanks to the President Kiir Mayaardit for the good remarks he had shared with the SPLM officials on the Extraordinary SPLM Convention on 7th – 9th January 2016, as he observed too the worse directions of the nation toward doom by few drivers of tribal classes of men and women. In my full analysis, here are some implications of tribal associations.
- Congratulatory messages to the president on behalf of tribes imply negativity.
Whenever President appointed minister or government officials to run social services to the people of South Sudan as sons/daughters of the country and to serve their people, you may hear dozens of congratulatory messages to the head of state that, “congratulation to His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan for appointing our son so and so” as a minister or director, may God Almighty bless you. When I heard such news over SSTV, I feel like these people deserve teachings that your tribe and your sons/daughters are less important than South Sudan. And you can see celebrations after celebration while a community where there are no sons appointed waited eagerly for their sons to be appointed and celebrate too. I wish we should not flattering president with nonsense, but appreciating him with positive achievements he had made during his entire life sacrifice to liberate South Sudanese from Arabs bondages until the last hours when he rise up the flag of the new nation.
- Tribal associations categorized other tribes as being marginalize.
If the region lack minister in the government, or they are not presented, this is not their government. The government is given to them or taken by such and such region; we are not part of it. And you may see problems arises, because self-centered people will mobilize and deceive their tribes for their own benefit that we are not represented or we are marginalized and mobilize to wage war.
- Tribal associations become base of discrimination or disown other South Sudanese.
The most dangerous part in human society is discrimination against fellow human being. That is why South Sudan government preaches “one people, one nation” trying to cover up vacuum of discrimination in the country and fixes people mind in unity. The tribes’ base institutions encouraged such scenario of segregating the same people which we described as one people.
- Asking questions of tribal identity in South Sudan.
This question is common in South Sudan wherever you go. Which tribe are you? Where do you come from? I tell you it is a cancer on the throat of South Sudan but I heard it was not existed before and even I experienced it during the movement; we used to call ourselves “comrades or, friends” brother and sisters during the struggle. Tribes have no room in the bush, any person from any region in South Sudan was your brother or sister, that was the nice language we adapted during the war, and I believe we overcame the war because that unity among ourselves strengthen us.
- Depending tribesmen/women when they are wrong.
On 13 August 2013, I wrote an article published by Citizen News Paper with titled, “Let’s fight corruption and achieve nationalism: The fastest favor for South Sudan bright future”, before the conflict of 15 Dec 2013 erupted. In that article, I warned my fellow South Sudanese to shy away from the support they offer to tribes’ mates when they do wrong. Supporting our tribesmen/women when they wrong people do encouraged indiscipline and lack of social responsibility. It is better to let every south Sudanese faces his/her own charges when it come to the rule of law.
Solutions to tribal associations in South Sudan.
In everything, there is a solution to the problem; there are always ways of solving certain issues that tackle to damage human relationships. What is happening to us today inform of killing, hatred, and division happened to other countries in the past like Europe in 16 century- 19 century, and they made a way forward as we see them today! Such solutions are with us, but let me highlight some solutions in my own view below.
- Prohibited question of tribal identity.
I also heard that in Rwanda after 1994 genocide, the country came up with new modalities to be followed and observes. If you ask somebody to identify him/herself base on his/her tribe, you will be held accountable, and if you are a soldier, you will be kill or a civilian, you will be put for live imprisonment to reduce spreading of another violent in the country. I feel like why shouldn’t South Sudan as a nation which is going through the same challenges not adapts Rwanda policy?
- Encourage people to come out from the fence of tribalism.
People locked themselves inside the box of tribal and mental torturing. You know friends; tribal fence we are in now is a serious prison by the way. The mind of human being is driving like a vehicle. If we encourage and preach difficulties of tribal associations, we can achieve the goal of nationalism, because my vision and goal is to achieve nationalism, and become African nationalist.
- Stop messages deliver by tribes when people are appointed.
Congratulatory messages or celebrations should depend on the appointee and his friends, and family but not community or tribe as it had dominated the entire nation. It is good to say congratulations, job well done, and not community arises appreciating while other community feels neglected.
- Individuals congratulatory messages, Christmas messages, South Sudan holidays messages, and other international holiday’s messages are welcome.
There is no big deal with these holidays’ messages as long as they do not segregate anybody in our nation; they are to be passing on to President or other officials. Appreciations at the level of individual no problems, like I can go to appointee house and say congratulations.
- Stopping complains of community presentation in the government.
The parliament is the only place where constituencies are represented. My MP, your MP or somebody stand on behalf and as a lawmaker representing your area, there is no need for much complains if my MP is not selected as a minister or why our region is not presented, such greediness must stop to posture ways toward nationalism.
Thank you very much for few opinion writings and observations on tribal associations, may God bless us all.
The author is a co-founder of National Mental Health Care Organization; he holds Bachelor degree in social work and social administration from SSCUST, Bachelor degree in Theology from CLT Montana USA, student of MA in Comparative social work at Cavendish University Uganda, and a fellow researcher. He can be reach at tonggaid551@yahoo.com/davidmatiopgai@gmail.com.
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