Sandra Banks: The Tribulations of Light (Brown) Skin South Sudanese Citizens in Juba

Another day in the life of a brown skin female in Juba

By Sandra Banks, Juba, South Sudan

Friday, 29 July 2022 (PW) — First of all, I was born to a South Sudanese mother and a Canadian father. I was born in Khartoum as that’s where my mother’s family had fled from the war here. I was raised by my mother in Sudan and moved back to Juba after I completed my medical internship on the first of October 2011, just a few months after we gained independence because South Sudan is my country. I have never lived in Canada.

Yesterday I was at a customs market getting some groceries when I was approached by a man in plain clothes who directly asked me for my “immigration papers.” Feeling disgusted because I am repeatedly mistaken for a foreigner, I told him I’m South Sudanese and asked him if he was aware of the number of people or tribes in this country that have brown skin tones. A bystander lady interjected, telling him ‘what is wrong if she’s brown? There are many of us here who are brown. She was a slightly darker tone than me.

Of course, I responded to him in a harsh tone because I am fed up with this occurrence. I continued asking him to name some tribes that are not black or Dinka/Nuer. He told me to “be quiet and go away with your bleach” (askut amshi hinak be shokol kerem bitak da). I told him this was my natural tone and how God created me. Anyway, the woman was joined by another, and the two kept ranting till he left. I could spot a Regius can full of Ethiopians driving away.

I bought some things from that spot and started walking away. About 30 meters or so, I noticed a group of men in plain clothes, including the one who spoke to me, with a police officer in uniform, slippers, and no ranks on their shoulders. As I walked, he came and stood right in front of my path and greeted me in English. I knew the first guy was not convinced I was a South Sudanese and reported me to his peers. In a flash, and before I could respond to the greeting, I realized I was surrounded, or let me use the word cordoned, by over 10-12 men. It’s as if they got me and are making sure I don’t run away.

I responded in English, and he asked for my passport. I told him I don’t carry my passport to buy groceries, I use it when I’m going to the airport for travel. He said, “No, you should carry it with you all the time. I asked him if he carried his, and he responded, “but a foreigner like you should.” I said, “Who told you I’m a foreigner?” He was quiet. Everyone was a quiet matter of fact. I opened my purse and took out my nationality ID card and driving license. He immediately took them out of my hand. Then he said, “So you are South Sudanese’.

I told him that’s what I told your colleague and pointed at the guy I spoke to first, he immediately looked away and started walking away from us. I hope he walked away in shame, though. This officer in slippers started laughing, I told him it was not funny and grabbed my cards, telling him this is ridiculous and wrong as this country has many like me. Then now these other officers in plain clothes want to giggle and email and sweet talks me calling me ‘okot’. Okot ta washak!

I walked away feeling rather upset. I get stopped ALL the time by traffic police, primarily because they think I am a foreigner. I remember the time the traffic policeman near J1 told me why my driving license has a 5-year validity when I’m not South Sudanese. I told him the card has a personal number that proves I am South Sudanese. He told me it was a forged license and that I need to show him my passport. A traffic policeman asked me for my passport, where does that occur? Luckily I had it with me.

I also remember the time at the airport some years back when the immigration officer confiscated my passport, threatening me with arrest and saying I wouldn’t travel because he said he believes 100% that I am a foreigner and accused me of carrying a forged document. Luckily, another officer who knew me as a doctor at Juba Teaching Hospital spoke to him and confirmed I was a local. He took a picture of my passport and my phone number saying he was going to get to it and that I should come and see him when I return. Absurd!

These stories go on and on, including the time I was slapped by a police officer in Jebel Market because he said I was a foreigner interfering in police work just because I was speaking to a civilian standing on the side. I was dragged to the police station.

Junubeen, I thought we were 64 tribes. Another fact says we’re over 70. The Ministries of Culture and Interior should sensitize and familiarize people and their staff regarding the different tribes. Not to mention mixed-race people. This country was at war for decades, and we have hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese who fled and sought refuge in foreign countries, intermarried, and have children of all different skin tones and features. This colourism that has developed in this place is too much.

I have been crowned Miss South Sudan 2012/2013. Despite being heavily criticised, even by people close to me, that I didn’t ‘deserve’ the title because I was ‘light skin’, I tried my best to give back to the community and empower my younger sisters.

I recently graduated as a Sommer Scholar with a 4.0 GPA from the number one public health school in the world, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and was inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society, Alpha Chapter in the United States which inducts the top 10%. I never stopped talking about my country South Sudan.

As I crossed the stage on my graduation day, I made sure the flag of South Sudan flew high. Out of almost 1200 graduates that day from across the globe, it was the only country whose flag was flown up and across the stage. I did it for South Sudan, my country! I had the flag wrapped around me and I never felt prouder. I didn’t do it so that I would be cordoned off by over ten people in a market who were super excited that I will eventually turn out to be a foreigner.

https://magazine.jhsph.edu/2022/what-we-do-health

On that day, I also took pictures with the flags of Canada, my father’s country, and Sudan, the country where I was born, raised, and received my education. On my graduation stole, I had several flags as each carries a deep meaning for me. On the other hand, salute and deep respect to all the other law enforcement personnel who were formal, respectful and understanding.

We need to learn about our different tribes and people, including myself. This is a diverse country and we need to and should embrace this diversity, not hold it against each other because it simply just does not make sense. As for traffic policemen, I will be playing Mary Boyoi’s song to you guys every time you pull me over.

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