How Best Can Youths Kill Divisive Politics in South Sudan?
“Why we are insisting on our Arabiness, let us first and foremost accept ourselves as Sudanese, accepting ourselves as Sudanese does not mean we will drop Arab culture because it is a major contribution to our identity, Arabism that is opposed to Europeans’ cannot unite us, Africanism that is opposed to Arabism cannot unite us, but Sudanism can unite us” Our Leader, Dr. John Garang.
By Peter Aketch Amet, Warrap State, Kuajok
May 4, 2016 (SSB) — Let’s ask ourselves, what next for us the youths of South Sudan, now that the peace is signed and being implemented by the two Principals to the Agreement for the Resolution of Conflict In South Sudan (ARCISS)? We, the South Sudanese youths are the next generation or kind of the people in the challenge. A Challenge OF fighting hard for the new united South Sudan as a Country and united south Sudanese fellow citizens. Culturally, a son inherits the behaviours and characters of the father. He is expected to inherit the career and wealth/resources of the father and some other things that the father had access and rights to. The offspring is not only expected to inherit such things alone, but also thought of taking over the responsibilities of the father in the family.
This is as well the case with our generation, the South Sudanese youths. The youth of south Sudan will have rights and duties to take over the Leadership of this Country in the future, take care of the resources and wealth of the Country and some other things that our current leadership and government has control and power over them. Despite all these imagination and speculation of inheritance, some South Sudanese youth members are striving to remain in the footsteps of their political god fathers and not on their owns’. We must change and embrace our new united means of co-existence and avoid the ones created by our political god fathers.
This is hilariously wrong of us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Before I proceed to tell you what made me decide to put together this opinion here, let me first explain what inheritance means in the African culture and context especially in our minor Dinka culture and context. In the aforementioned context, an offspring is expected to behalf same way his or her biological parents behaved themselves, while prayer was that, a child should not inherit wrong and anti-social characters and manners, whoever child that adapts to the bad behaviours and characters of the parents is considerably called a curse to the family in particular and a society in general.
Thus, as a part and parcel of the general youth and a citizen of this lovely Country, it is my ultimate right and duty to come out wide and white and advocate for the adoption of the good politics while at the same time campaigning for the abortion and abandoning of the poor divisive politics. It is my ultimate right and ride to riot and protest it by writing.
What I think can best kill tribalism and tribal or call it divisive politics in South Sudan.
Dear Readers, From the very beginning of this piece of an opinion and article and looking critically and analytically into my view points, you will have already known and had a vision of what I am driving at. Simply, I am driving at the embracing of the recently signed peace by all South Sudanese Nationals, Reconciliation and implementation of the peace.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, ACCEPTANCY OF OUR BROTHERHOOD AND SISTERHOOD
Acceptance of each other as one Country and one People is beneficial and fundamental to the co-existence of the people in any environment and society. As emphasized by our late Hero, Dr John Garang and as seen in the quote above, it is good and basic to first accept our brotherhood and sisterhood in order to move forward solidly and to achieve our goal and objectives of a united South Sudan in an embeddable manner. Yes, the peace is signed and its implementation has started with the appointment and formation of the Transitional Government of the National Unity (TGoNU), but what do we expect and anticipate in the future politics of our Country and political players?
NB (Note carefully): As we are anticipating and expecting peace and stability in our Country, I therefore need, without delay the rejuvenation and rebuilding of brotherly relations and see Chuol from Unity State and Chol from Warrap State sharing a meal and laugh together, Koang from Jonglei State and Mou from Lakes State schooling and playing games together and hear them calling themselves brothers, Riek from Upper Nile State and Riak from Northern Bhar el Ghazal State as well as Lodiong from Central Equatoria and Majong from Western Bhar el Ghazal protecting their fellow citizens together and calling themselves colleagues in the Security sector and secret department and totally kill the division born among us by the political elites of our Country. ME THINK THAT WAY, WE WILL HAVE KILLED TRIBALISM IN SOUTH SUDAN, FIVE YEARS FROM TODAY!!!!!
We as South Sudanese youths must therefore put aside our tribal differences and grievances and accept themselves as South Sudanese Nationals, as future leaders of this Country, as changing Agents to the future and avoid a new chaotic South Sudan in future.
Secondly, Reconciliation and Unity of the People of South Sudan
When one fights with his brother or her sister in the family, there are formal ways and measures taken by the heads of the society or community to bring the chaos or conflict to standstill. These measures includes but not limited to the family findings of the roots and cause of the disagreement, pointing out the areas of our divergence in the views and interests of the brothers and sisters who had disagreement among or between themselves, peace and reconciliation processes are then initiated finally. Similarly, promoting peace and reconciliation and accepting to adhere to the principle of Nationalism will likely take us somewhere in our quest for the quick service delivery and development in our youngest Nation in the Globe.
FURTHERMORE, ABORTION AND ABOLITION OF UNCLE’S POLITICS
We are divided and ruined by the political players of our own. We have had practiced a very poor political campaigns and relationship based politics in the past and has always strived to keep playing such politics until we finish ourselves the youth. How ashamed are we? Dr. Majak is from Jonglei and therefore must I support his political moves and motives, Deng Alor is from Warrap and I therefore must support him in his political moves. This is hilariously an uncle’s politics!!!! I call upon you in particular my fellow youth who have seen light and are willing to come together and preach a message of peace and reconciliation to our mass and masses while campaign for the change from the politics of revenge to the politics of forgiveness in the Country.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND APPLICATION OF JUSTICE.
As stipulate in the Agreement for the Resolution of Conflict In South Sudan (ARCISS), I am very sure that the accountability and justice issues are well constituted and articulated to fit and nurture the processes of reconciliation and rebuilding of the broken trust among the south Sudanese citizens who felt victims of the political chaos in the country. In this way, those who had committed crimes against humanity and human rights abuses will have to be brought to the books. This process is only seen and viewed to be responsible for the restoration and rebuilding of the trust and confidence in the masses whose loved ones lost their lives in a senseless war fabricated by the political elites to keep them in the seat of power forever.
RIGHT TO OR FREEDOM OF CHOICE AND ELECTION OF OWN LEADERS, NOT FORCED LEADERS.
Democracy as being defined as when people are given freedom and rights granted to elect their own leaders or the political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them. This is the best way in letting people bounce together and unite on their political wills. This is no exceptional in our case in South Sudan, we must tell our leaders and other political game players to put in to their consideration and willingly give us a chance and space to reconcile and unite among ourselves.
PROMOTION AND SUPPORTING OF LITERACY IN SOUTH SUDAN.
Education has always been and will always be the only means of fighting tribal and divisive politics in any Country and in the world as a whole. When I watch the political playing in other Countries like the US, UK, and other African Countries such as Ghana which is also the mother of Democracy in African context, Kenya and South Africa. I get to be surprised of what could lie behind such a political stability though during elections, there are delays and irregularities observed and people tends to avoid dwelling on such issues and concentrate on their life funding activities. This, I have come to learn that people from these Countries are mostly educated if not highly educated in huge numbers or quantity.
We are not exceptional to this scenario; we must not lie back in our capacities and watch the masses going astray, but must take a stand and fight the illiteracy rate amongst our people.
Conclusively, let our newly formed Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) stand firm and try to develop proposals for developmental projects, reconnect to the World and rehabilitate the badly damaged image of our country, establish standard schools and learning Institutions to educate our children and fellow youth. This is because those who are educated fear death and destruction of the property, thus will quench war and conflict mentality our current has instilled in them.
FINAALY; EDUCATING YOUTH IS EDUCATING THE NATION!!!!!!!!
Peter Aketch Amet is a high school graduate, concerned citizen and a non Partisan South Sudanese National (neutral citizen).He can be reached at aketchamet@yahoo.com or +211956356424
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