South Sudanese Came a Long Way Hoping to Get a Better Life But the Country is Now at the Melting Point
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By Dr Akot Makur Maluach, Nairobi, Kenya
Friday, May 07, 2021 (PW) — The previous 15th December incidents are a threat to remember. Early in 1999 when I was a young radical, Life became a freaky game, or I would term it as a “Game of thrones”. It was actually a life of hide and seek. We hardly lived peaceful moments, surviving on soldiers’ protection. Thousands fled home and got stranded in the neighboring Countries as Refugees, others left and got sheltered in the Opposing North.
The first time I appeared to be in town was in 2000. Things didn’t seem as they had been at the place I was, “Cattle camp”. Relating to the situation, I had actually joined the ‘Run for life exercise’. Life was hard. Arabs were everywhere, Tanks would fall on us at any time of the day. There were not many jobs. No better schooling. People had to dig big holes acting as safety grounds from the heartless Arab North Militias. Little did I know that all was at your own stake,I blamed my conscience and made numerous assumptions over it and I said it’s okay,I shall be well. I trust my Country men.
Garang boys did what they could to make sure they save the little population remaining until a comprehensive peace Agreement was signed in 2005 before his death. Though the conflicts had been profiterious ones to the international community, SPLA/M did took every obstacle to opt for a wider self determination and Referendum with little help offered by the IGAD and the UN Aid. Time came nearer for people to cast their votes and be self independent. Garang’s orphans did everything possible and we were granted freedom on 9th/7/2011 and got our own flag risen.
People had hopes of better public services like schools, tightened securities, good hospitals, improved economy and we’ll structured infrastructure. Despite the fact that little progress was seen within the country, something was still fishy; “Foreign policy and power sharing” were something to of great hindrance. At Independence, South Sudan was extremely fragile. The new Country had suffered through decades of conflicts with Khartoum. But there is only one problem, South Sudan’s leaders are all former rebels, and they step from a political problem to a military response, something that made some of them think that war is the only solution to any cause. Those former rebels had also often fought each other on very many attempts.
Some wars depended on ethnic tensions, in part because the opposing North was still serious and played a cold war with intentions of splitting the “Mighty Us”. At separation, South Sudan was one of the least Developed places on Earth, the results if decades of neglect and the long war years. Many fled their homes. Any Government would have struggled to overcome these sort of challenges. However, South Sudan’s political class has failed the people, corruption is till widespread, as is regional and ethnic nepotism. This is what millions of Refugees are complaining of, about after Independence. In addition, a political rift within the SPLM grew wider. People Should play well and get United to create more services in this country.
In 2013, influential figures including ministers and secretaries also begun to criticize their boss accusing him of unconstitutionality, quashing dissent in the party and not allowing a democratic challenge to his rule. As it’s always a talking point, that some groups have over powered the other groups. Ethic tensions are now the only part of the picture, the world believes that it was a political squabble first and foremost. If people don’t stop this culture of ruling along ethnicity, then I see a rugged future, and we always be surviving by neglect and attempting coups, something that the generation will adopt.
What should we do to get rid of ethnicity in South Sudan?
1. We should Develope strategic platforms that address both institutional and individual sources of prejudice and discrimination in the contexts and situations in which the participants in the program or activity learn, work and live. Sources of prejudice and discrimination are often rooted in particular historical and social contexts and are shaped by institutional structures and practices. Seeking to change individuals without dealing with these influences, or with engaging the specific issues that shape intergroup relations, is often futile.Institutional and contextual forces that might be considered in the Developmental and implementation of a strategy for improving intergroup ,relations are structures and practices, such as tracking, assessment, or even selections.
2. Any formulated Government should include participants who reflect the racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity of the contexts and Should be structured in such a way as to ensure cooperative,equal status roles for persons from different groups. This Should involve the creation of opportunities for positive equal status interaction among people from different Ethnicities.
3. Strategies Should seek to influence the behavior of individuals, including their motivation and capability to influence others,and not be limited to efforts to increase knowledge and awareness. There are two separatable but related points embedded in this principle. First, when strategies meant to improve intergroup relations do not specifically includile lessons about how to act in accordance with new awareness and knowledge they are likely to be ineffective in changing relationships. Most of us are not as competent as we need to be in our interactions with people we perceive to be culturally different. Even people with good intentions sometimes do the wrong things. Second, prejudice and discrimination are socially influenced. This altering our own behavior may require that we enlist the support of others. Moreover, Changing the experience of those who are the victims of prejudice and discrimination may require that we contribute to a climate of tolerance and Goodwill by seeking to change the behavior of others whose words and actions reflect racial or ethnic prejudice.
4. We should deal with the depositions and behavior of a racial and ethnic groups involved. Often,race relations programs and activities focus in awareness and knowledge about,and behavior towards person of different groups. And some of these programs focus on the treatment of,and attitudes towards a single racial or ethnic group. Where racial and ethnic diversity exists, diversity provides an opportunity for learning and for comparison that can help avoid oversimplification or stereotyping.
5. South Sudanese ethnicities needs to come together as one equal individual who fought for one common cause rather than dividing and forging hatreds in expense of the bigger us. No one is bigger than the other. No tribe is bigger than the other. We are all one people under one constitution and flag.
The author, Dr Akot Makur Maluac, is a South Sudanese songwriter, Pharmacist, poet, with much of his works exploring religion, politics, culture and personal relationships. He holds many awards based on Poetry and public opinions and be reached via his contact emails: dmaluac28@yahoo.com or akotyar1995@gmail.com
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