The extreme injustice vulnerable citizens are subjected to in South Sudan
By Daniel Juol Nhomngek, Kampala, Uganda
July 6, 2016 (SSB) — Vulnerable people of South Sudan are reported to be eating human flesh while in reality the government officials or public officers are driving latest and expensive cars which among others include: Mercedes Ben, Hammer, V8, Nissan, Bullet Proofs and some cars that can speak that “NO ROAD” where there is no tarmac road.
All the above mentioned cars caused the country with thousands of dollars or even millions of dollars, money that would have been used to set off the shortage at this time of need, if the leaders had the interests of the people at hearts.
However, leaders are keen in building personal wealth and empire which has led to patronage and snobbism. Thus, all the state machinery and apparatuses are being used to protect not national interest but the interests of the individual leaders who do not have any vision for the country.
Because of that, the country has been turned into butchery and witch hunt grounds for imaginary criminals who are being framed and killed while leaving the real criminals to roam about freely.
Leaders have disunited the country as the disunity of South Sudanese turns to support and benefit them by maintaining their own interests. Hence, South Sudanese are being used to kill each other just to protect interest of individual leaders.
Leaders have hijacked the liberation war and independence of South Sudan and South Sudanese; hence, turning South Sudanese into slaves in their own freedom and in their own country.
The status quo created by misgovernment that created disunity in the country as people struggle over limited resources is being maintained with blood and iron by the state authorities and their protectors.
Any person seen to be critical with the government is deemed as an enemy against the tribe not against the government because of the disunity created by the government.
The recent comment by the Catholic Priest in Juba that South Sudan is being ruled by “Monkeys” attracted a lot of attention and condemnation that he said something bad.
However, any patriotic South Sudanese would have never found any problems with that statement because if leadership does not protect the interests of the people then a patriotic South Sudanese can view such administration as less human because it does not have any moral authority to run the country.
When that Catholic priest made a comment, he did not intent to target a certain group as it was interpreted but he was attacking all government officials and public officers including the opposition.
His views are proved by what we are witnessing in the government now. The Opposition and the Government are on each neck as they twitch-hunt and kill each other at daylight while the citizens’ interests are left at the periphery of the governance.
The two parties are at loggerhead over the power and because of that the welfare of the people is disregarded.
Moreover, innocent people are being killed in Wau State, Western Lakes, Western Equatoria and the Upper Nile Region. The insecurities caused by the war and killings plus looting have left innocent citizens with no means of survival hence leaving them at the jaws of hunger.
As a result, the citizens have resorted into eating flesh of their fellow human beings because of hunger, which is an extreme injustice committed against vulnerable South Sudanese.
When a private South Sudanese citizen concern points out these injustices with anger like that priest in Juba who said that South Sudan is being governed by moneys, he is branded traitor and looked at as someone who is against the government.
Moreover, his life might be in danger from the invincible State Security apparatuses for pointing out the truth. Simply because the State Security apparatuses have not understood the fact that what appears to be hornbill’s problem will become the problem of all in future.
The State Security agencies may protect individual leader at the expense of South Sudanese and the implication is that at long run they will be the victims as no system will protect them which will a part of extreme injustice.
The desire for retaining or grabbing the power has left the country in tatters. Killers who support the government or opposition are left free while citizens who feel and talk against the government because of the problems are seen as enemies.
In summary, a patriotic South Sudanese who has no interest in taking part in the government but desire only to see good governance prevailing will never stand aside to watch at things as they go to the dogs.
In order to end the crisis, the only viable solution now is for Kiir and Riek to step aside and leave the country to the committee that will work for the unity of the country. Otherwise if things will continue like the way they are going on now, the country will reach a point of no return.
The writer, who is from the Law Development Centre in Kampala, Uganda, can be reached through juoldaniel@yahoo.com
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