South Sudan: We are one big family
By Arok Deng Abuoi, Australia
October 11, 2016 (SSB) — In the last few days alone, many lives had been lost along the highways of the country’s capital – Juba – for reasons unknown to all of us. This wanton destruction of lives, including that of women and the children, is callous and inhumane and must stop now. And to the people behind these killings, be it Equatorians, disbanded Nuer soldiers or any other actors filling in the void, to make a personal or political point, be informed that you are targeting the wrong souls.
I looked at some pictures posted on someone’s Facebook page today and my heart sunk. It was the worse thing I had seen in years. I know we are better than this. Although our country’s future seemed bleak at these times, with the economic in tatters and with living conditions forcing many into despair, I believe we can still hold our heads high and respect the lives of our countrymen and women. Orchestrating these terrible acts of violence on our roads is unimaginable, foolish, and against the principles that make us human, to say the least. Killing men, women and children merely because they don’t belong to your tribe is adding to all of our problems than it is to solve them.
We should collectively demand our country’s leaders to deliver the services they have promised for far too long. Turning against ourselves, therefore, will not be the panacea for the ills that are now facing us. Because going against the very social fabric that has kept us as “one nation one people” for many generations will end up plunging us into self-annihilation, and I know many of you who love this country and call it home will be disappointed to see it burned up in flames.
I know that none of you would welcome the uncertainty of the civil war, and I believe many of you are also tired of being refugees. So let direct our concerns to our leaders and let demand more from them than their lip services and slogans. Let get rid of this tribe malaise. If a leader hail from your tribe but lack a plan for you family and the country, as a whole, then be weary of them. They are opportunists trying to get their hands on the national wealth, and their leadership will be as incompetent as the current administration is. We should aim for leaders who will prioritise national unity over selfish personal ambitions.
Now ask yourself this. Where are the leaders’ their families in all this mess? Read this. Accordingly to the Sentry Report released a few weeks back, Kiir’s family is in safe-haven somewhere in the neighbouring countries, or in distance countries, showering in the national’s wealth that belongs to all of us. And this also applies to many other leaders and elitists, whether in the government or opposition. Now think about what this statement mean for yourself and your family for a minute.
Stooping down this low is shameful and we ought to take a good look at ourselves. We ought to ask ourselves, why are we fighting. Our disunity is making these thieve thrives. We are letting these thieves enrich themselves with our God-given wealth while stupidly being too busy fighting ourselves. Can you not see where this “eye for an eye” principle is taking us? It will certainly blind us all in the end, and what good can we achieve from it then?
Wake up and let unite as one people. We belong together, and not as tribes but as a big beautiful country with lots of diversity, and we are stronger together for it. Let us remove our tribal lenses for we ought this to our children and their generations.
You can reach the author via his email: arok deng <arokdeng@hotmail.com>
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