Lou-Ariik vs Alabek County should not divide communities along family lines
7 min readThe name of the county in Lou-Mawien Community should not deeply divide them along family and sectional lines
By Abraham Mabioor Rioch, Juba, South Sudan
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 (PW) —- Following the creation of 32 states in 2015 by the president of the Republic H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, new problems seem to be gaining momentum in communities with regards to the naming of some of the administrative units such as state, county, Payam or Boma. Though the decision was received with mixed reactions by many South Sudanese communities, it is one of the bold and wisest decision the president has ever made. To many critics, the idea of the president to increase the number of states and other administrative units was not a bad idea. Nevertheless, it was meant to take basic services closer to the people. In this context, Lou-Mawien/Lou Ariik community was later given a status of County called Lou Ariik County and later changed to Alabek County due to the demand of the majority.
As far as the name of the county was/is concerned, a seemingly endless controversy emerged among the Lou-Mawien community members with others want it called Alabek County while others called Lou Ariik County. In lieu of sitting together and find a better solution to the controversial name, some of the community members take it upon themselves to campaign against others. In reality, all these campaigns seem to be taking precious lives of the innocent people of Lou-Mawien community. In fact, people from the same community are deeply divided along sectional or family lines as usual love and cooperation have been affected and are staggering.
With regards to the controversial name of the County, I would like to appeal to everyone in Lou-Community to exercise restraints as far as the lives of our innocent community members are concerned. I would like to send to each one of you a strong message containing words of advice and the way forward. After having read, seen, heard, and critically evaluated and analyzed your reactions towards the name of the county, I feel very concern to the life of each one of us back home since it all ends up in a total devastation and destruction. I personally appeal to each one of you to distance yourself from these negative campaigns and labeling allegations towards one’s clan, family, and to the sectional locality as well.
Having spent a good number of months at home observing and analyzing this controversial name, I later realized that our people are heading to wrong and unknown direction. At this juncture, we really need to be very careful with our decisions we make, how to make and communicate them. Should we fail to come to our senses at this particular moment when our actions and unbecoming behaviors are overruling us, there is a possibility that we will definitely lose more and more of our innocent people in the community back home. Why do we need to lose them when we have a solution at our disposal? No, not at all, we must not lose them. I am personally appeal to all of you, both educated and uneducated to exercise a spirit of togetherness and cooperation in order to devise better mechanisms and way forward for the common good of our people.
Three years have now passed since the creation of new counties in Tonj state, however; no sign of development tangibly seen in our newly created county. Instead to sit together and discuss developmental projects and programs, some of us have opted to be entertaining hatred and jealousness which are the seeds of ego conflict. I really wonder, what kind of creatures are we? In fact, your colleagues in Tonj State in particular and South Sudan in general have moved forward in terms of physical infrastructure and human resource development.
At this point where, self-fulfilling prophecy is ranging and expanding its horizons, we might need to pursue a moderate level of “Kong Koc” as it has always been the best problem-solving strategy. The term self-fulfilling prophecies in this context mean events that happen as a result of being foretold, expected, or talked about. Sometimes, they are self-created or other-imposed and of course, create undesirable events. As such, the name of the county has become a point of daily or monthly discussion among the different sections in Lou-Mawien, a community which has been at peace in itself since time immemorial. In fact, this is a minor issue that needs a simple formula to solve it without even losing a single life. Nowadays, life has become so sweet and precious to lose and Lou-Mawien should not take that direction.
From the logical point of view, many reactions, both positive and negative, are so frustrating and disappointing as far as our social cohesion is concerned. In this sense, whatever you say, write, or comment on social platform is a detrimental factor to our unity and cooperation as Looth-Mawien. Please, my dear fellows from Lou-Mawien, let us stop mounting blames towards one’s clan, section, and personality as well as letting our emotional well-being override us at this critical time we need each other most.
As a matter of fact, the present community, popularly known as Lou-Mawien/Lou Ariik has not been existing in vacuum, however; it has been existing because of our collective responsibility, sacrifice, and commitment. Let us come out and speak up our minds in an effort to iron out our differences and misunderstanding peacefully and amicably. These misunderstandings and mistrust will one day and one time fade away and we will come back to accept ourselves as “Looth” in the near or farther future.
Equally important, we must respect our elders at all cost as it has another dimension of success. A child that does not respect his or her father and mother is like a bull in a china shop. We should not point figures at them rather, we need to consult them on issues pertaining to solving this problem. Let us respect our grand ancestors as well, regardless of what they did or said, we still accord them much respect and adoration in their presence and absence. This points to the fact that their contributions are the reasons why we are existing today. Abusing, insulting, and accusing our big people will not solve this complicated problem, but sitting together and discussing our issues will lead us find a better and more sensitive solution. Let us stop bad-mouthing other people including important personality since politeness is always the best policy.
In frankly speaking, each one of us is so imperative and his/her contribution will be of paramount importance to the development of this small community called Lou-Mawien. We are equal and deserve better and healthy lifestyles, dignity, and fairness for all despite our social or political status in our community. we must treat one another high highest regards of respect and dignity whether poor or rich. We are and depend on one another, not necessarily giving and taking, but on social, economic, and political affiliation and interactions.
Sincerely speaking, we intellectuals should use or intellect to resolve these recurring problems: ranging from the name of the county, clan and sectional disputes, high rate of illiteracy and poverty in our community. let us skillfully and wisely use home-based approach to resolve our differences which are dividing people in all political, economic, and social spheres of life. Let us not be disconnected from the reality of the world by hatred, jealousness, primitivity, and emotional instability. Let us meet face to face and discuss our issue amicably and peacefully to solve this issue. It is only through dialogue, open and frank talk that can bring peace among people or among the community members who are divided along social and political lines. Kong Koc muoc/nyan, matku ok yiic ku guir ku baai panda. Please, accept and heed to my personal appeals. Stay blessed.
The writer is a concerned citizen from Lou-Mawien and hold Bachelor and Master Degree of Education from St. Lawrence University and the University of Juba respectively. He is reachable at mabiorrioc@gmail.com
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