What do South Sudanese Citizens really want, Peace or Change?

president Kiir shakes hands with rebel leader Riek Machar after his arrival to JUBA in April,2016

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 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 SPLM-IO 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 Riak 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.  Let us as people of the same Nation 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! 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. Therefore, let’s remember what brought us here so far, and let’s boldly utter out the enough is enough in one clear tone and jointly let‘s say no or yes in the loudest voice that could be heard worldwide. If you think we have eligible government, then you are thorough wrong! Do you still think that we can get what we South Sudanese Citizens want from this currently governing reps? Do you know what it takes to become eligible on governance sense? Do you know the difference between the government (nominated organ) and the people (source of nomination)? Let me give my small explanation on the government, people, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two and what brings imbroglio when one of them goes wrong or is misplaced.

i.            Definition of the Government

“The government is a small organ of a nominee chosen by the people to represent them on services deliveries, render order and execute the regulations governing that particular society or community—which can be changed from time to another as merit its mandated ends or when it is seen incompetent or unresponsive or unsuitable and ineligible on reasons stipulated by law.”

ii.            Definition of people

Peoples are the majority of the Citizens that flocked or resided in one certain large area of land known as cities, towns, counties, Payam and villages—who resided in those locations with total right and freedom to conduct their daily lives. Who, when the need for order and law arise, can resort to choose cable men and women in small-scale-form to represent them in order to solve cases those arise among them from time to time and usher in order and obligations, fine, and reproved the culprits without impartiality. That is what is called in another language indirect democratic rule of people.

iii.            The Memorandum of understanding between the people and its nominee (government)

A.      The People

The people are bound by a law of loyalty within the boundary of contentment, or when that organ is able enough to qualify the positions they occupied—that is the anchoring condition. The people remain obedient to its nominee (government) as far as cooperation and loyalty is concerned—that is what we called Obligation.

B.      The government

The government on the hand must work with great stamina to ensure that all the necessarily security, shrewd maintenance of public assets, services deliveries, protection of the rights of everybody equally and open vacancies for job-seekers. That is what we called Responsibilities.

C.     Government is answerable to the People

The people are bound by the law of loyalty and responsibility when their needs are realized by the government. It is only when that small organ (govn’t) can be able enough to realize the anticipated needs which develop from time to time or which vary from time to another—failure to do so, that organ must abdicate that position immediately. But if that organ qualifies its sphere, the then organ can merit remaining in its position as steering system governing its people. The government has no much powers amounting from its own, but is operating within the consented regulations—she must from time to time verifies itself before the people she is governing—that is what we called accountability. So the government is answerable to her people. And in this context, people are the ones to tick good or wrong on any system that represent them—because there is a possibility for people to live without government but there isn’t possibility for government to exist without people. In that content, government goes away, but people don’t.

D.     People falls into imbroglio phase when the right set is not realized

People (Nations) are likely to fall into imbroglio phenomenon when they fail to realize the set rights and obligations (that include loyalty) and the conditions those realize the true memorandum of understanding between the chosen and the chooser—and what qualifications anchoring the role of nominee (govn’t) in a form that must be satisfactory (responsibility). People must in the foremost, realize what they want, how they wish it and when they want it. And in this context, they (people) must get to harmonize their opinions, stand for their common right and have a critical language (boldness and sound mind)—but that can never happen except with an informed society—people with open mind, who can clearly see things with reasoning mind. Such people don’t beat the elephant’s shadow, rather they hit at the perpetrators’ heads! So, the only people who could quickly survive such imbroglio phage more easily are those who question the liability and make thorough follow up on their set rules those governing them with absolute courage with clause why?, when? How? Which? Who? One of the wise man said, “The best ways to hide a lie is between two truths”.

E.      Coming to my siblings (South Sudanese citizens)

What has happened to us (conflicts) is not something new or strange thing. Simply, it is a call to Nationalism. It is a core test on our capacity and ability to come together and solidly unites as One Family of Nations regardless of our clans or traditions. Those elements are what prove that we are able to govern ourselves by ourselves—without which we are lying if we allege that we can establish One Nation like such great Country, South Sudan whose tribes, cultures, customs and languages differ absolutely from the others. The test is, if we, as peoples in the same Country can be able to lower down our own self-centered and aimless prides—and cohesively and jointly stand for our common right as people with equal interest, then we can make it to one. Some of us use to say that these dilemmas are caused by certain tribe or it is certain tribes are the ones disrespecting others which led to provocation of conflicts. My opinions are different completely; I just call such Opinions senseless Opinions. For if I am to ask that: who among our tribes escaped displacement, starvation, poor health, destruction of livelihoods and lives, what can be your answer? The right answer is that this bad-happening had victimized us all, I meant that we all have suffered its consequences—our Country has been pushed into it ignorantly and it has already fallen in on all four.

Here, the students of truth can ask himself or herself, that what is then the real problem? So to answer that, allow me first to narrate to you this little story. It goes; certain people were caught in a bad happening. That situation set them in total imbroglio, and they were desperately looking for solution. The problem was that one of the bus fore-wheel got punched when they were driving on the road to their long, long destination. And when the fore-wheel got punched, some began to say that the bus must be downloaded off of the items, people and everything else, which some quickly rebuffed saying that the heavy vehicle should be push. But another group who seemed to be more conservative advised that they should wait, even if it could take them long time, they must endure to stay where they were stuck in. These different Opinions resulted into heated argument—it got tenser against each one of them that escalated into another conflict. But by a good luck, a madman happened to be passing by, who, in hearing what such caused negative brawling, got him shocked! He (madman) interrupted them saying, “instead for you disputing over the same bus with different Opinions, why not just replace this punched fore-wheel with the good one from those hind-wheels?” He continued, “You can do so until when you reach your destination, then you can buy another new fore-wheel and put it in the place where you have removed one—so don’t waste your time and energy”. But one from the group defiantly said, “But you are a madman, you are not supposed to be one to tell us what is right to do?” But the madman in a reply said, “Yes, I am a madman, but I am not a fool”. That small and simple story covers ours exactly!

o  Therefore, in this context…

a)      Are we not now stuck in blaming our identities minus seeing the real problems from the right perspectives?

b)      Are we really identifying what we need? I meant: haven’t we allowed ourselves to be exploited? No equity, no services delivery, no transparency, no financial stability, no health, no education, no security, no good roads, no freedom of speech (Media houses censured) no fair elections in order for us to have a chance to elect our cable men and women plus etc.

c)      For us to achieve that, we need to have strong mental capacity, open mindedness is the informed mind that can analyze what can avail to us common interest as One Family Nations, yea, not vice versa!

d)      Know this: we South Sudanese Citizens are the ones robbed, exploited, fooled, raped, destroyed, killed, mocked at, ridiculed, neglected and deprived by these profligates who are wise enough to cheat us by “divide and rule methodology”.

e)      For if I can ask you this question: that who among our tribes on this Country is still flourishing in her own bliss, then what could be your right answer? The true right answer is that we all South Sudanese are: cheated, misused and above all, we are forced to be silent about it—through the use of military diktat and intimidation by this current regime.

f)        In this context: It calls for us not dwell in that fabricated lies, this privileged clique is just pursuing its own interests or let me say its own projects—its bigger is to maintain the power by any cause even if it meant to provoke racial conflicts, it is find, as long as it will keep them rooted in power longer. Before this SPLM Chairman came to power, he was a very humble man, he could quit the at one glance from another one’s disdain look; he could leave the power at any glimpse of aggression, but now, things have changed, he is no longer the freedom fighter we used to know, but now he is a power-hungry-man that can shed any Citizen’s blood on account of remaining in power—because he has found out that being in power use to be sweet!

g)      Mark me well, that above statement is the central truth: so you should know this fact, that you will never attain peace no matter what. This regime’s leadership cannot do anything that would avail, prosperity, equity, peace because she is incompetent to do so. For peace is an enemy of this regime because it use to open possibilities for many South Sudanese come into the political arena (with recognized qualifications) and as result, it can threaten their positions—seeing that nothing profitable this regime’s leadership has done. So our war is a war of individuals’ interests not for the public. Therefore, we are in a captured State i.e. a small number of individuals are the ones dictating their nation for personal interests.

h)      Therefore….With those few facts I have just mentioned above—of which you (South Sudanese Citizens) my people know some better than I do; I which to frankly tell you that be wise and stand true to your common right. For days are passing by, clocks is ticking, months and years missing—if you don’t cut down the tree before it is too late, you will be too late to cut it down it get more roots and change to become an habit that never be drive out! Know this for sure, that our struggle is not against us, we the different tribes of South Sudan because we go no problems on stay as one people—but our supposed target is this privileged group who neglected and deprived us at all sectors i.e. Army section, civil section including the community. This regime has taken it for granted that this Country belonged to them minus us, the people who will always be here. Therefore, having understood that concept, we don’t again need to bite ourselves or one another, but we must logically and collectively join our efforts and oust out this system to go!

Rev. Malong Bak Malong

Aweil State, South Sudan

I can be reached at:   longbany2015@gmail.com