An open letter to Ateny Wek Ateny: A reflection on privilege and opportunity in South Sudan
Ateny Wek Ateny, Former Press Secretary of President Kiir
By Chol Duang, Konyo Konyo, South Sudan
Monday, 23 September 2024 (PW) — Dear former Press Secretary Ateny Wek Ateny, greetings from Konyo Konyo. I’m sure you know it’s been quite a while since we last spoke, although we keep running into each other in public places.
You and I are great friends, with a relationship of a mentor and mentee involved. This new relationship was a result of our troubled past, which was unfortunate.
As I promised you during our solemn meeting in early 2023, I will always keep a degree of respect towards you.
I came across a video comment in which you confidently stated that your children and those of other elite are not known for insulting elders on Facebook. Instead, they’re known for great things — like in sports and academic excellence. You then gave example of your dear daughter Awein Ateny Wek, who’s been employed by the Bank of South Sudan; sportsman Kuany Kuany, the captain of the South Sudan basketball team, the Bright Star; and former NBA legend Luol Ajou Deng, now the president of South Sudan Basketball Federation.
While mentioning your daughter and your friends children, your voice exuded pride and joy in the kind of children you have raised. This is typical of any father, whose child has excelled in life. I like your open admiration of your amazing children.
As one of the few who was vocal on Facebook against the unfair distribution of youth opportunities and public resources, I am also proud of your children for their recorded achievements.
My question is: Have you asked yourself why are some youth making noise on Facebook while your children are quiet?
Why are children of certain individuals like yourself and your elite friends getting work with ease while other children are left to make noise online?
It’s simple: Your children are given opportunities because of your names. Your friends and those you helped are in government offices today.
How do you expect your friends in government to let your children struggle for opportunities like children of the unknown?
You also announced that you have children making debut in the NBA academies and shall soon appear on the basketball scene: that’s fantastic news for South Sudan. However, may we know how they came across those sporting opportunities?
Your answer would be their “heights” and “ discipline” because they are so tall and do not insult others on Facebook.
Well, my gut tells me the retired NBA star, Luol Ajou Deng, played a role to extend such opportunities to your children. I doubt if it’s due to their heights or discipline.
The Bank of South Sudan job given to your daughter might’ve been due to your longstanding relationship with the Governor there. Most people strongly believe that you played a significant role in popularizing the current Bank Governor when he was not known within the government circles. Thank you for that!
In your video remark, you acknowledged that Luol Ajou Deng was born in your presence in Wau.This admission suggests strong ties between your both families. Given this relationship you both cheerish, it’s obvious Luol may have been involved in your children’s NBA careers.
As you might be aware, opportunities in this country are not fairly and equally distributed; they’re given on the basis of friendship or one’s status in the society. If opportunities were offered on merit, we would have the underprivileged individuals taking them.
Therefore, the youth who have come to be known on Facebook for negative stereotypes possess unequal levels of skills, knowledge, experience and abilities.
Their only mistake is being the children of their unknown and less privileged parents.
Have a great weekend, Zolkabiir.
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