Could south Sudan be the next Rwanda?
4 min readBy Yom Mayen Awan, Bor, Jonglei State
October 17, 2017 (SSB) — Has it ever crossed anyone’s mind that what happened years ago in Rwanda might possibly happen in South Sudan? Well, get some, from the Rwandan history of genocide and how it might have some similarities with what is happening in the country.
Rwanda, from hatred to reconciliation, from inhumanity act to humanity and from tribal segregation to unity.
Rwanda was a country dominated by two ethnic groups; the Tutsi and the Hutu, however, there was another small group of hunters called Twa, but because of their less interest in politic, they were not as much affected as other participatory groups.
Tutsi was constituted by the rebel groups while Hutu was mostly by the government. Tutsi constituted 10% of the Rwandan population while Hutu constituted nearly 90% of the population, yet all the leadership positions were given to Tutsi.
Hutu found such an act as insulting to their level of intelligence and questioning their ability toward leadership. This happened when they were being colonized by Europeans.
The Europeans countries tried to downplay some sorts of racial roles. Tutsi were light skin compare to Tutu, giving Tutsi more opportunities then Hutu. This turned Rwandan against each other without their knowledge.
But then, the African fools fall into their little trap. And finally, during the genocide, the countries that created the whole mess start withdrawing their troops from Rwanda lead to the mass death of innocent citizens.
Surprisingly, the group of rebels RPF and that constitute 10% of the population took control and stopped what was described as the most vicious genocide in Rwanda.
Come to think of what is happening in South Sudan; I am worried. I wonder if it worries the leaders as much as it worries the ordinary citizens.
Since the conflict broke out in December 2013, the newly born nation has become the Centre of attraction for it turbulent history of conflict.
The two major tribes, Dinka and Nuer community; particularly known for their active political participation, are at their greatest point of intensity.
The hatred between the two tribes has grown beyond human reasoning capacity, plus the exaggeration by international communities and other agencies taking the side in the conflict has made the situation worse.
Years have passed and the poor citizens are still longing for peace, but unfortunately, the fighting is still ongoing in different parts of the country e.g. the like of waat in greater Akobo.
And what interest everyone the most is the goal for fighting to this extent. The gained from shedding the blood of the common south Sudanese. Is it Leadership or money? Well, this is the insight.
Leadership. Yes, leadership is the root cause of conflict.
To start with, the distribution of leadership positions seems to be the main starting point, Dinka is the largest tribe constituting about 50% of South Sudan population and holding more leadership positions than other tribes. This seemed to distress the other tribes especially the Nuer community.
When it comes to the public fund, South Sudan was a stable country economically. But there was fund misused. The national fund was either stolen by elites or spent on other unproductive expenditures. This slowly creates the so-called political competition between the two parties.
On the side of the army, there is lack of professionalized and institutionalized army. The army has been organized on basis of ethnicity. It is a collection of militia, each of which base on the loyalty each group has for their boss. And this has created boundaries leading to the creation of hatred.
The root cause of this fighting particularly is lack of constitutional government and if the governance does not change, then the Rwandan history will repeat itself in South Sudan.
I am an aspiring journalist who can be reached via my email address: mayenyom025@gmail.com
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