President Salva Kiir: Gokrial intra-communal discord must be halted!
By Sunday de John, New Delhi, India
June 4, 2017 (SSB) — It is with concern that I am writing this piece. I am worried. The conflict between Apuk Giir and Aguok Kuei communities of Gokrial state has recurred. Its recurrence has witnessed over 36 casualties and over 56 injuries. That is a bad omen as a consequence of the two confrontations.
That is extremely disheartening. These two sections have with an accentuated recalcitrance enhanced the conflict in their area for long now. But its consequences are ominous.
However, it is upon this that, despite tears rolling down my cheeks, I must write this piece to highlight some points with hope that the communities in question would accept to stop the conflict for the sake of their good. It is a call from a young man in your neighborhood. A South Sudanese like you.
I wrote similar pieces as my personal initiatives to contribute to the good of my fellow countrymen and countrywomen wherever they are countrywide. It is with deep indignation that I am condemning this occurrence with the strongest terms possible.
As if Aguok and Apuk communities were accused of cowardice, they fought ruthlessly. That is not the way to go. You are brothers and sisters. God wasn’t stupid to put you in the same territory. Inhabit your territory harmoniously.
Talking out of experience as somebody who is affected by such same affliction, I would tell you that conflict had torn apart our fabric in Lakes state. It has jeopardised our seasoned brotherhood/sisterhood. Our dignity has gone. Our wealth too. We have squandered significant manpower. We are bleeding at hearts.
We wished each other all sorts of bad things. We desired to live in our separate ways. We had spoiled our solidarity. We still have unhealed wounds in our faint hearts inflicted by the loss of loved ones.
We had extended this vengeance beyond our sections, we incurred loans on human lives. We did all the bad things one can imagine as an undoable but our rewards have been insignificant. We reaped nothing but sorrows. We became the laughing stock.
These are genuinely happening not a century ago. They are happening now. They happened before and truly, conflict is a cloud of darkness. It rains blood and worse enough blood of innocent people. It rains fire. It is dark and unwanted. It destroys. It drains potential energy leaving the practicers bloated with a lot of nothingness.
If you know what destruction is, then you know the conflict. It impedes progress in all aspects. It is not brotherly. It is envious and contemptuous. Avoid it by all costs.
Learn from Lakes state were Agar and Gok despicably fought. Where Agar versus Agar have stabbed each other deadly deep and loathsomely. Where Atuot, Ciec and Aliap have butchered themselves for years without gain.
Undeniably all such unsanctioned conflicts have happened elsewhere in the South Sudanese territories. However, they are not worthy of imitation. Conflict is a defined tool of regress. Therefore, it is upon this that I am urging the elders, youth and leaders of Gokrial to man up and rescue the innocent people of their state.
It is my humble request to audibly voice that bury the hatchet, despise pride and come to terms and get a solution to the raging conflict. Halt it by all price.
There are numerous able leaders in that state and in their neighbourhood, they must dissuade the fighting sections. Restore normalcy promptly. Halt the progress of the deadly discord. There must be peace. Forgive one another and acknowledge that the directed revenge killings will only promote more deaths and widen the gap between the sections. In fact, the revenge attacks will result to longevity of sentiments and conflicts subsequently.
I need to hear the voices of the blessed sons and daughters of the land reprobating hatred and sectional fights. Discord must be shunned. Whatever the underlying cause of the conflict maybe, trace it and destroy it permanently.
Leaders should take as a collectively responsibility to bring to normalcy the now state of anarchy. This is my plea. I am genuinely pleading for the shunning of the conflict.
Finally, those who lost loved ones should acknowledge that they must not lose more in the retaliatory process. They should intentionally refuse to reciprocate what happened to them. The ring leaders and all the culprits should be brought to book. Being agents of change is wonderful.
Avoid revenge by being forgiving. God bless Gokrial. God bless South Sudan.
Till then, yours truly.
You can reach the author via his email: emmajoson@yahoo.com
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