The Dramatic Legacy of Rebellion and Its Consequential Positive Rewards
By Gong Baak Madut, Juba, South Sudan
May 4, 2016 (SSB) —- Congratulations to the people of South Sudan on the Eve of April 28th 2016 when our new Government of National Unity was announced. It was not shocking to see loyalists of South Sudan’s rivaling principals swallowing their pride for the sake of the long awaited and anticipated peace. I know most of us South Sudanese comment so much, categorizing the recent cabinet as a cabinet of senior rebels and those who utter so much and against the system or the opposite. Though few individuals manage to join the cabinet because of their positive and academic qualifications, majority arrive to the nation’s top executive council because the leadership fears that such figures may stand oppose to the government if not accommodated in the cabinet. However, it is all the same for the sake of peace, congratulations!!
In the next coming days and weeks, sectional, tribal and regional congratulatory messages will flow to the president to justify their ill-intentions in the next coming period in trying to weaken the presidential appointees to the national posts. They do so in order to influence the institution and ruin it but all in all a government of national unity is announced and it worth celebrating whatsoever. But it is indeed dramatic. It is dramatic in such a way that we seem to wrongly educate our nation and the citizens that the legacies and positive rewards are only gained after launching a rebellion.
However, I would like to urge all peace-lovers to rally behind those who at all costs accepted to leave their positions for the common good of our country. We did not take arms against our common enemy for S. Sudan to be rewarded just with ministerial positions or as army generals, our intention was a struggle for the correct definition of who we are and that of our territorial integrity.
In order to be clear and precise on this point, it was so irritating when hearing certain names got appointed or re-appointed into the cabinet; like it was a dream that may not come true the following day, it became a true reality and therefore we let it go because there must be peace in our country and so be it.
The allocation of ministerial portfolios is not representative and strategic. The makers of the cabinet should not panic when they severely get sliced by their own knives that they have sharpened. Our late charismatic leader, Dr John Garang at the University of Zimbabwe, once said, “The cost of freedom is not quantitative variables.” Therefore, it only takes those prioritized to analytically observe the dangers of naked electric wires to understand this quote. But be mindful that we have formed a cabinet of Transitional Government of National Unity who are partners in peace not the government of warring parties.
Our future as citizens of this country is solely in your hands the leaders who are preoccupied with none other than politics of personal gains and more of selfishness. The country has been put at risk and continues to be at jeopardy of tribalism by promotion of tribal deeds. Tribalism, nepotism and other evil intentions shall reign forever in S. Sudan unless the reminders stop talking about them.
The Jieng Council of Elders becomes the most hated institution by non-members due to their tribal guilty conscious. It is shamelessly gossiped about even by the intellectual members of other communities in public places including places of work and one would wonder whether it is the only social council that exists in the country.
Believe it or not loyalists or patriotic members of this country from other communities are regarded as not committed to be serving their tribes of origin. Those who are now going through this scenario of having not rebelled against the masses of South Sudan to get tribal based rewards thereafter may testify in their lonely silence.
Bad rewards always worth indigestible and constipated satisfactions, it always carries negative remarks and legacies. Let’s have a sense of ownership of our country as well as developing some mutual-interaction in order to forge a peaceful and social co-existence as South Sudanese. Legacy and legitimacy are constitutionally bound through people’s power determined methods. Let’s not stick to bad rewards.
From this point, I would like to congratulate our new cabinet for the transitional government of National Unity and may the spirit of nationhood guides all of you in your new endeavors. Work hard with the spirit of the self-denial and put much effort and focus on the nation-building rather than on nation destruction.
The writer is a senior common citizen of South Sudan and can be reached via: awaars@yahoo.com ; cell phone: 0955525275
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