The establishment of the “The Free Citizens Red Flag League”
3 min readEstablishment of a Non-Violent Organization: “The Free Citizens Red Flag League (FCRFL)”
May 4, 2018 (PW) — Since a long time before my retirement on 30 March 2018 I have been contemplating about how I could be a useful energy of the oppressed masses in my country. For most of the last five years, since the civil war broke out, I tried my best to combine serving the Vice President (through carrying out my technical work as Press Secretary in his office) with serving the interest of my country (through writing and speaking out against injustice).
As both a columnist in daily newspapers and in the esteemed paanluelwel.com (South Sudanese current affairs blog), I have contributed to widespread discussions about how to improve government policies.I have often differed with the positions of GoSS (Government of South Sudan) on almost all its unwise security and economic policies. Many of my articles (over seventy articles published in local newspapers and in the esteemed paanluelwel.com) were topics which criticized wrongheaded public policies.
My writings and public engagements encompassed perspectives that were critical of the devaluation policy (even before it was officially announced on 15 December 2015), brutal and tribally powered counterinsurgency strategies, nonsensical tribal rebellions, failure of DDR, etc.
Consequently, many government associates questioned not only my lack of absolute loyalty (which was evident in my writings and interviews), but also my professionalism (criticizing policies of a government in which I was employed).
Like currently frustrated countrymen and countrywomen, I have had to deal with the failure of my efforts to improve public policy not only as a regime associate but, more importantly, as a citizen.
My individual efforts have been part of a collective voice of writers who have either been sarcastically ignored, or silenced through assassinations, incarceration, and intimidation by the infamous regime hit men known as “unknown gunmen.”
Having lived in a profound contradiction of presumed loyalty to a brutal regime and open rebellion as a writer, my resignation provided me with clarity of mind which has made me a free citizen, ready to fight for my countrymen, women and children who have been the main victims of a brutal and senseless civil war.
Considering that the government in Juba has utterly failed to deliver on the solemn promise for which millions of citizens made the ultimate sacrifice, it is incumbent upon all of us to tirelessly seek hope in our collective struggle against oppression and injustice; the armed faction of which I consciously joined over two decades ago.
Therefore, I, David Mayen Dengdit, have decided to face this historic challenge by founding a citizenship-based organization to be named “The Free Citizens Red Flag League (FCRFL)” which, by grace from the One above, will soon be a non-violent vehicle that shall remain strong and credible long after my death, and constantly present in our people’s great collective quest for justice, liberty and prosperity for all South Sudanese; such meaningful words that are inscribed in our hearts and on our flag.
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