We need collective measures to stop power struggle that threaten the stability of South Sudan
By Daniel Machar Dhieu, Juba, South Sudan
September 7, 2016 (SSB) — Struggle for power is a common observable fact that surrounds every determination in both the secular and religious sector, most especially in South Sudan. Many hearts have been wounded beyond healing. Blood has been shed by civil war, as well as genocide across the nation which has resulted into much rebellion this has been a common practice in our nation South Sudan. If you try to trace the roots of all these conflicts, you will find that deep down the cause of these conflicts is power struggle.
In South Sudan we have witnessed tribalism rousing during the defection of Dr. Riek Machar Teny since 1991, 2013 and 2016 rebellion where majority of Nuer stick together to fight government of republic helping Riek to overthrown the elected president of South Sudan while majority of Dinka remain loyal to government because of Salva Kiir being their son. This is a new policy in South Sudan, every group of people wants to put in the high post someone who is of their tribe or who can favor their interests. We see people go back to traditional practices of superstition in order to win elections or any appointment. Bribes also take place during these times in different ways including promises of important rank.
Because of these practices, the policy of appointing ministers have left permanent wounds on the contenders and, in many cases people remain divided even though they all preach the ministry of reconciliation and forgiveness. As a result, the ministry of the Church faces many obstacles. People form rival groups that hate each other and cannot sit together to agree about any means of development. Due to this violence, conflict erupts causing the boycotting rules of law and threatens the shedding of blood. What can be done to resolve this problem? How long should we continue to keep quiet while people suffer both physically and spiritually from hysterical hopelessness?
This article looks for possibility to stabilize the nation after much violence cause by power struggle since day one and to identify the solution to this chronic abhorrence that always caused war within the nation. It is in my opinion to have group of people who are willing to preach peace across the nation and join hands with international community who are behind conflict resolution that tries to explore a new and effective way of solving our differences as South Sudanese. I know there are people here in South Sudan who always act negatively and enjoy period of war who actually encourage people to remain silence by saying these are normal issues in the country as well as in any society. They justify everything they do in a false hope that this too will pass. They become blind; they do not see the casualties who have been knocked down on the way, those who were killed because of nationalism by either organize forces or by wrong elements are not counted.
It is for this reason that I have decided to break the silence, I want to confront those who engage in power struggle or those who support it. I confront those who cause nation to split, families to disintegrate as well as societies to live with hatred and open enmity because of their greed for power. They cause people to fight, kill or destroy each other without feeling any guilt. I thus implore you to bring into the open what is boiling in the kitchen of South Sudan communities and government leadership that we talk and act, instead of shrugging it off with a sweeping statement that these are normal things that have been happening since Adam. In most cases we utilize the teaching aspect little and do almost nothing on the rebuking and correcting aspects.
My intention to write this article is to encourage people to look beyond the root cause of the violence; to step back and look at it from a distance and ask which side God would be on. In other words, does God allow people to kill innocence people to take or maintain leadership because they like it or not? Or does he sanction every action that lead to violence and killing? God will sanction those leaders killing people without clear reason with no doubt. This need us as South Sudanese to lift up our eyes, turn around and see what other people do in resolving conflicts and so come back with a fresh mind as we seek to interpret these conflict stories.
I know there is reason to fear because almost all conflicts have some hidden agenda and, unless brought out to the open, the two parties in conflict cannot live in peace with one another, therefore working and living together remain a formality. There are some leaders who like to take law into their hands and kill innocence people in cold blood putting country into mess.
In this article, I’m trying to point out that every leadership in South Sudan, whether in the Church or government leadership, is surrounded with this mist or fog of power struggle. I have tried to point out some of the conflicts that can emerge due to greed for power in the nation. This has caused many people to be wounded and killed both physically and spiritually. Greed for power led to the shedding of blood and this always fueled by those who surrounded them: they were eager to guard or save their own skins or positions but not bold enough to teach, rebuke and correct, so that real reconciliation could be sought. So I have suggested that we need to be careful in receiving advice and that our struggle for power should not cause others to suffer: as in the cry of the mother frog that tried to stop the children from killing them in what they perceived as a good game. I also pointed out that powers in our nation should be centralized instead of giving it to individuals. I fear that this kind of spirit that puts individual preference versus others will put our country in vain and may delay the development of this nation.
The ideas of conflict management should aim at bringing full reconciliation across the nation. To achieve this we need to let go of our cultural, historical and geographical differences and more especially superiority and economic power. We can’t solve our differences by eliminating others the way we are doing it now. We need to talk until we reach agreement without condemning others. Apostle Paul says, ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good work (Romans 12:21)’. Moreover, we should also notice the Arabic saying that ‘bosit bosit, meaning, little by little do finish a log. This means that the ongoing conflict in our country at large needs to be solved now before it is too late what we need is to find solutions at all costs to resolve the conflict. Meanwhile, let us believe in ‘unity in diversity’ and not in uniformity. Division will not show us the winner only love will.
The writer is a student at South Sudan Christian University, Juba South Sudan. Contact him through email machardhieu@gmail.com
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