What is this bad blood between Hon. Nhial Deng and Dr Majak D’Agoot and their fanatical foot soldiers?
Mabior Rioc
Dignifying and undignifying Hon. Nhial Deng Nhial and Dr. Majak De Agoot on social platforms is more of political and social harms to Jieng Unity
By Abraham Mabior Rioc, Juba, South Sudan
Thursday, September 10, 2020 (PW) — Be reminded that Hon. Nhial Deng and Dr. Majak De Agoot are South Sudanese who have had equal political and social contributions for the independence of this great nation. Dignifying and undignifying one over the other in the political and social arena is a misleading social tool that is of more a dividing factor.
Over the past years till to date, I have been reading very disturbing posts and discriminatory comments either defaming or praising Hon. Nhial and Dr. Majak respectively. These posts and comments are put across social platforms by either relatives, supporters, or friends of the duo.
In my earnest observation, these guys are creating more harm the good in the context of Jieng unity and party-political collaborations. In the first place, I am neither a relative to each one of them nor having been together before sharing common social and political agenda. On the other hand, I am one of the concerned South Sudanese citizens who can think outside the box on why it is important to respect both leaders, one-on-one basis. I believe that the social and political significance of these two great leaders is maximally important to our respective communities in particular and South Sudan in general.
In fact, I sometimes feel disappointed in the manner to which the reputations and professional images of our liberators are being tarnished and defamed by those youths who claimed to be relatives and supporters of the duo. In my view, this does not only lower the reputation of the two personalities, but it also lowers the good image of our Jieng community, hence impacting negatively on our social scales and political unity. As one of the concerned south Sudanese scholars who could think outside the box, I consider both of them as my leaders who have contributed to the liberation of this country. They ought to be appreciated and thanked for their huge political and military contributions during the black days of liberation. This should be done by all people from different political, social, and geographic shades.
Be reminded that any political differences are everywhere with everybody. Hence, any slight political inconsistencies among Beny Kiirdit, Dr. Majak and Hon. Nhial should not be used as a political center for hate speech to tarnish their political and social images of Jieng community. We should be reminded that of our roles as supporters, colleagues, and relatives of Hon. Nhial and Dr. Majak are to engage them through peaceful settlements of any social and political disputes.
I am sure one day and one time, President Kiirdit, Hon. Nhial, and Dr. Majak will still come together to work as equal partners in this government. Their efforts combined are more powerful than some individual efforts in this country. So, let us limit our bad and ill-intended discussions of their personalities on social media.
I sometimes feel impressed and proud when both Hon. Nhialand Dr. Majak got into the political and social stages to speak to audience. Both speak articulately and write fluently and this convinces everyone including the outsiders that South Sudanese has educated elites, hence earning maximum respect and admiration to our country.
Let me refer you back to November 2004 in Rumbekconsultative meeting when Dr. John Garang and Cdr SalvaKiirdit had political misunderstanding and the meeting was convened to resolve their differences. As a foot soldier, I was in Ramciel under the command of Cdr. Malual Majok and deputized by Cdr Atem Aguang (RIP). We were ordered as security advance team to leave from Ramciel to Rumbek where the meeting could be conducted. I was in that meeting as one of the close runners of Cdr Malual Majok and had an opportunity to be placed near the meeting hall as one of the guards.
Being a primary school-leaver with open-minded ideas, I had an interest to know the genesis of the dispute, and I was able to listen attentively to the proceeds of the meeting and the speech of each commander could deliver. In their turn during the speech, both Hon. Nhial Deng and Cdr Majak Agoot spoke with no-nonsense voice and tune of strong leadership. In this sense, I was convinced beyond doubts that Jieng Community has gifted leaders. Let us be cautious not to judge the book from its cover whether Nhial and Majak as being either good or bad. Let us treat all of them with due respect and social dignity.
Across Jieng community, if you look for true leaders, then both of them are among the leaders we have at our time. It is a known fact that our social fabrics as jieng community have been tarnished from outside by our branded enemies for nothing. To restore our tarnished social fabrics, we need to have educated elites who can regenerate our blemished social images. Thus, both Hon. Nhial and Dr. Majak are among few individuals who command maximum respect outside South Sudan borders. I am sure they are among individuals who will restore our innocently smeared Jieng image using their professional leverages and social synergies.
Be reminded that Jieng community has a lot of political and social problems with other tribes. It is not good at this stage to tarnish the very image of our leaders whom we should rely on for our future. As intellectuals, we suppose to initiate means and ways on how to reconcile these leaders with the president and make them work together for the common good of all South Sudanese. In my view, the more you attack either Hon. Nhial or Dr. Majak, the more enmity and division you incite between Borand Tonj communities. Yet, we are already engulfed by our well-known enemies from the East, south, north, and west. If we do not change our social behaviors now of dividing ourselves, Jiengwill be the last tribe in South Sudan in the coming years to be pressed hard against the world, politically and socially. This implies that we shall be administrated by others through divide and rule policy.
Let us use the skills of our intellectual and educational knowledge to unite our leaders than to divide them along political and social lines. If we allow ourselves to be divided by social and political differences, then we are likely to be weakened and dislodged out from the political base by our known enemies, sooner than later. Let us have equal respect to them and treat them as South Sudanese who have equal political and social roles to play though not all of them are serving in the government.
Let us move away from the dangerous social and political paths of respecting relatives, and instead, to disrespect strangers. From an intellectual perspective, you are obliged to look at things from different political and social scales. In so doing, you ought to be a preacher of peace and unity in the society than to be an obstacle to people’s unity and peaceful coexistence. As a foot soldier sometimes back, I was taught to treat a person standing on your right, left, in front, and behind as your brother or sister.
From there on, I have been made to believe that all people you are staying with whether being from Bahr el Ghazal, Equatoria, or Upper Nile, are your brothers and sisters with whom you should stay and mingle with socially, politically, and culturally. Do not be hoodwinked by the fact that Hon. Nhial being from Bahr el Ghazal and Dr. Majak being from Upper Nile should make us distinctive on their political and social scales. Hate me at your own risk because I was born and educated to be a truth teller. Be blessed Jienda!
The Author, Abraham Mabior Rioc, is a teacher by profession who holds dual Master’s Degrees in Education from the University of Juba and The University of Hong Kong respectively. He is the author of the forthcoming book entitled: “Scaling Up Education in Emergencies: A Viable Tool for Investing in Human Resource Development and Conflict Mitigation in the Conflict-Prone States. He is electronically reachable at mabiorrioc@gmail.com
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