What Do South Sudanese Citizens Really Want: Peace or Change?
5 min readBy Rev. Malong Bak Malong, Aweil, South Sudan
Thursday, October 11, 2018 (PW) — You know what, if we have become a Nation, we must critically learn to be mindful of every tit for tat agreements. Let’s always understand that once the time to amend is gone, then gone are its chances of change. By singing every day or repeating names of the same perpetrators Kiir-Riak, Kiir-Riak, Kiir-Riak or SPLM and SPLMIO will benefit us nothing at all! See the continuous rates of rapes, killings, displacements, and above all, the tendency in the hearts of these privileged politicians—they are still demanding us to remain loyal to their leadership. What does this call for?
Or how can we name it? Does it call for us to side with SPLM or SPLM-IO i.e. Kiir or Reik reps? Or should we comply with the FDs or South Sudan Oppositions Alliance? How does this tragedy depict itself from your own perceptive? In my own Opinions, I can see that this not tribe-to-tribe conflicts but it is a man-to-man positions struggle. Therefore, in this context, I can see that there is nothing wrong about us being from different tribes. No problem in being a Nuer, Dinka, Acholi, Bari, Baka, Zande or any of our South Sudanese tribes.
Now, I want to ask that how can we as people of one identity, supposed to react or behave on this dilemmas, (politically affiliated conflicts) seeing that we totally have given into lawlessness and have forgotten on how to answer to our long life struggle for freedom of autonomous right—the effort which was rewarded eventually by the achieved Country, the Republic of South Sudan. In my Opinions, it is change that is what you South Sudanese Citizens need. With Peace and its implementations, you are robbed of your assets by those big, big and huge budgetary demands for those positions hungry elites—who are coming to feast on your public assets again.
But now, we are under another worse threats, we are under another threats those call for a nationalism and an escalated pluralism lucid enough of any self-centeredness. We us as people of the same Nation, are supposed to stand up for our common right, and restore our broken glory, our beautiful diversity and its respectable dignity—which this profligates through misdeeds had damaged. Let us forget all the grievances we undergone, remember, we were negatively incited against one another by those whose absolute aims were to maintain their positions and power.
We must have this in mind that we all have a reasonable and meaningful truth on why we must join our hands as one people and boldly defy power-attaining initiatives biased on tribal methodology. Let us not open ourselves wider for these racist to continue exploiting us or our next to come generations. One of the wise-man had this to quote: ((For if there is a bad tragedy to be, let it be in my life time, but let it not comes in my children life times!)) Yea, he is absolutely correct! According to my Opinions, I can see that this man is totally responsible and knowing enough on how it is so, so important to live mindful of your coming descendants.
Let us help ourselves out from this deteriorating situation, mark this: no matter what ailed you, no one from these grappling over-power groups (inside and outside elites) would let go of their positions. We all found ourselves herein this world without signing up to it—we will be crossing also to another, without signing for it. Therefore, it is convenience for us (South Sudanese Citizens) to mingle ourselves for our common good, but not hinder one another biased in any personal wishes.
For freedom, with all its features is basic rights of humanity, they’re inseparable possessions of any humankind living under heaven—that should be respected by perpetrators of all ages. I don’t really understand what evil that incites some to go on violating the very basic right of life liberty and pursuits of peace and happiness of others—but whoever costs it, or on whatsoever concern they cost it—is undoubtedly damned by God, such inhumane deeds!
To be honest, we have fallen again into jeopardy, we have fallen right-back into similar suffering which we had just slipped out of its fatigues from Islamic governments—we are in again in double-kicks! Just let us not be spurred down, I meant to say let us not get fooled by those who have filled their bellies with food of sins.
Now is the time to outgrow all malice and concretely speak out solid truth: let us say enough is enough to this tribal governance, which built its nest over our blood! Our land, which was supposed to be looked blissful, enjoyable and graceful to all of us—has now been turned into acute poverty and ugly place! I call upon you to get out from all your differences and let us boldly and collectively champion total change.
The author, Rev. Malong Bak Malong, has a diploma from Emmanuel Christians’ College at Yei River State. He is the founder of Aweil Pentecostal church, the chairperson for Great Aweil Pastors’ Union Chairperson (GAPU), and the former General Secretary for Aweil In-churches’ Committee (ICC). He can be reached via his email: Malong Bak <longbany2015@gmail.com>
The opinion expressed here is solely the view of the writer. The veracity of any claim made is the responsibility of the author, not PaanLuel Wël Media (PW) website. If you want to submit an opinion article, commentary or news analysis, please email it to paanluel2011@gmail.com. PaanLuel Wël Media (PW) website do reserve the right to edit or reject material before publication. Please include your full name, a short biography, email address, city and the country you are writing from.
About Post Author
