Quote; “We are measured not by what we are, but by the perceptions of what we seem to be. Not by what we say, but how we are heard. Not by what we do, but how we appear to do it”. Unknown.
May 13, 2011 (SSNA) — Since the Incident of Kaldak in canal Jonglei area at the junction of River Nile and Sobat river erupted last month, many speculation and rumors were running around, but I was taught that always jumping to conclusion without having all the facts is indeed ignorance and ultimately makes one looks as an idiot at the end. But for the sake of finding the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I have taken an ample time in waiting to know all the truth about what exactly went wrong during the integration process that started smoothly. I think it’s critically essential to know why all of a sudden many precious lives are being lost. In another word, what are the root causes of this troubling situation?
For a host of reasons, some writers and readers are still skeptical about the whole issue due to the mysterious and sensitivity of the matter while the situation on the ground is escalating. But before I place my opinion, I was appalled by some commentators for unjustly and maliciously berating one of the most controversial writers, a dynamic anchor, and journalist of all time Ustaz; Luk Kuth Dak on his latest article titled: “President Kiir must re-evaluate your amnesty”.
Thus, to be called an intellectual means that one has the responsibility to respect other people’s opinions, even though you do not necessarily agree with their points of view, because everyone is entitle to what he/she thinks and believes is right. In any given day, it’s OK for people to agree to disagree without being disagreeable. Therefore, to call other people names and try to intimidate them by using tribal and sectional cards, simply because they happened to have a different opinion, is anomalous and unethical in the field of journalism.
To those who may not know Ustaz Luk, I wish to inform them that he is among the Nuer elders in terms of age, education, and respectful manners. His articles in these websites speak volume and should be enough to teach those unjust critics about the old golden days, where there was no Nuer, Dinka or Equatorians, “just Jenubieen”. Indeed, those were the days in which if someone asks another about his/her origin, the answer was simply as: “I’m from Equatoria, Bhar al Gazel or Upper Nile. There wasn’t any need to mention one’s tribe in those beautiful days of our unity as a people and a nation.
Evidently, I find myself in agreement with Mr. Dak in that things must be given their wright names and without sugerquoting. I think it’s preposterous to put all the Nuer people in one box, and somehow assume that they think the same. However, the point am trying to stress here has to do with the court martial of Gatwech Chan “aka”, Gabriel Tang – ginyei, and his comrades. To be honest, calling them generals is a mockery and hypercritical, because they are warlords. Gabriel Tang and the likes are a bunches of militia men with only one goal and objective – and that is the destruction of nation.
Back to the central point of this column, I think the men shouldn’t be prosecuted, because that will ultimately undermined the current outstanding amnesty granted to run away generals by the President of the government of South Sudan (GoSS), H.E. 1st Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit. By insisting to do so, will jeopardize the honor of his (the president Kiir) amnesty decree, and will send a wrong signal to run away generals that; the pardon thing is just a political propaganda.
And while I generally agree that if in fact there are crimes that had been committed and proven beyond any reasonable doubt to convict them, then the element of the crimes must be established first and foremost, and they should be trialed in a criminal court and not a military one, because we consider them as militias.
Therefore, my humble advice to 1st Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit and his right-hand man, Lt. General " OC" James Hoth Mai, is to re-evaluate their decision in taking them to court. A wise and careful decision is critically needed here in order to avoid any further crisis that may occur.
We already have enough in our plate to digest. Peace.
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