By Peter Reat Gatkuoth
August 10, 2012 (SSNA) — Please accept this message as an expression of my disappointment about your allegations. I strongly disagree that we the South Sudanese who support our national government and our national interest are “tribalists, morons & appeaser-slave hearted folks.” I believe even Nyikang (the Shilluk God in the river) could dispute this allegations. Who should be labelled as a slave? Is it someone who fought against the foreign invasion/interests or someone whose tail is still in Khartoum and in Arab world?
During the ten days of Panthou/Malou Raar war, some of the people among the Diaspora Basement Rebels (DBR) were busy, changing the map of South Sudan through literature because the Islamic World Bank had paid them to act against the South Sudanese national interest. One of them (DBR) went up to Washington, DC to convince the foreign leaders to side up with old Sudan during South-North Ten Day War. I believed that the citizens’ duty and responsibilities is always majored when a crisis or external threat hit the national interest. Wherever you go, you can find all people of different political interests and affiliations in any countries, uniting against the foreign invasion and attacks. But did this happen to the South Sudanese backed opposition groups in Khartoum when our nationality was tested by the same enemy that killed our grand-fathers?
The SPLM members are quiet these days; simply because they thought the opposition groups would change their attitude and behaviors against their own brothers/sisters. And in some-how, we do ignore their allegations but not to the points of calling the citizens of South Sudanese as slave. Slave to who? The government whom they called as a “corrupt government” was the same government that fought harder to free the citizens of the South Sudanese from the Arab-backed government. Finally the struggle ended up with happy ending. We separated while smiling away from the oppressive regime though we lost heroes in the process. This was our vision and objective that we the marginalized community should form our own government and be free from the injustice, slavery of the Khartoum regime and oppression. If there are groups and associates who are still in doubt that Khartoum regime can do anything better, other than the experiences we went through, then those individuals can just pack their belongings and go to entertain ICC criminals in Khartoum.
Kiir had done the best a human being on earth should do but our problem, we the South Sudanese is that; we only count the bad things and weighted down the good things. Kiir has united our ranks, prior to final separation and extends the amnesty call to those who were still running for their personal interest including the Diaspora Basement Rebels. Kiir has also called upon the South-South dialogues; a problem-solving session that was meant to solve our structural barriers and the barriers faced within the political parties. However, it happened that the opposition groups are not interesting on anything than asking the ruling party to handover the power to them. How should we trust the people whose tails are still with Arab in Khartoum and in Middle East?
When we were attacked, did Dr. Lam Akol condemn the Khartoum government? And if not, do the DBR think Dr. Lam will ever entertain any reasonable South Sudanese? Any human that fail to differentiate bad thing and good things is not a leader. The South Sudan will never be ruled by Dr. Lam Akol, simply because Dr. Lam has an Arab interest. He entertains Omar El Bashir who had taken lives of our brothers and sisters. The South Sudan will remain under the SPLM leadership for 30 years to come If Dr. Lam is the only alternative leader to lead the South Sudan. Otherwise, chances are, if the oppositions group change Dr. Lam with another person who will always stand in foot with the South Sudanese during the foreign attack and national disasters.
If SPLM-DC, whose its leader share the same plate with Omar El Bashir will be the choice, then make no doubt that even the animals of the South Sudan would take guns to rescue the government not to be taken back to the same Khartoum regime. There is no one interesting these days in Dr. Lam’s ideas, simply because Lam has a link with Khartoum regime that had marginalized and dominated us for centuries. The Sudan government thought they will change the government with remote control or in YouTube through Dr. Lam.
Frankly speaking, if Dr. Lam wanted to lead the South Sudan, he has to stand with the South Sudanese when external enemies come to destroy our nation. He has to live in Juba with other South Sudanese opposition leaders. Doing so will bring the spirit of forgiveness If your groups become a true opposition that are able to fuel and take lead in term of lobbying for further democratic change. I personally believe that the technique of self-theories that you the Diaspora Basement Rebels are doing, is well acknowledged by the public (South Sudanese). Hence, I concurred with other that no opposition who side up with enemy will ever entertain the South Sudanese rather than barking days and night for the change that will never effect or materialized unless you join hands with the citizens of the South Sudan.
I had the great privilege of reading your mixed message about the issue at hand but sorry that I did not reply soon because I have other priorities. I saw your message while in my office but I have more things to do rather than looking at this nonsense debate. First, I thought you will be consistent and focus on the issue that made me to reply to your allegations. My reaction was that “we are not slave” in the South Sudan soil any more. No one will ever be slave again like what had happened in old Sudan. But one thing you should know is that food and materials gain always destroy and ruin an individuals’ credits, value and respect; this is in reference to those who choose to pursue food rather than national interest. The South Sudanese would never favour someone who only runs the job of hands to mouth between Arab nations and Arab embassies without looking at the issue that could endanger the lives of our children, women and animals plus others.
It’s not where people stand these days that matter but the direction and the unity of the people when external things come to test our unity and nationalism. Perhaps if you can recall back, you should know that I just denied the allegation that “we are slaves” to our own political organization (SPLM) and the government that was formed by the people and for the people through democratic election. These all propagandas are not true and they are not part of the reality. The issue of Dr. Riek Machar that was highlighted as a point to blindfold the Nuer society is a deceiving technique. The Nuer as society is not Dr. Riek neither one person. It’s the society and no one will ever mislead these people around. They have their own ways of seeing things. Few of the people will go including the present politicians; however, the society will remain active. Some of the minorities these days use Tit for Tat policy as to use the Nuer in physical fight to achieve their hidden objective and goals, making the Nuer as shield. This happened in 1991 and during Anya nya two (reference to Akot Atem). The very leader who was the engineer of such a coup/split (1991) was Dr. Lam whom you the present DBR are advocating for as a true leader of the people.
As South Sudanese citizens, I thought we have priorities and most immediate things to be done accordingly. Seemingly pertinent options are always used when there is an obstacle that hit the nation. Priorities sometimes eliminate less appropriate options (parties’ battle and leadership interest). These priorities are used to identify the most appropriate ones such as defending of the land from the foreign countries and issue of our national resources. Prioritizing meant, forgetting the less or minor issues of the society and go for the big one that can threat the live of our women and children. This is the pure culture of Nuer and Dinka or perhaps Luo/Nilotic at large.
Prioritizing is the natural end result of validating each options in life because once the options are validated, prioritization automatically occurs and this is what President Kiir and his team has done back in the days. Kiir once ordered his team to pull out from the government of Khartoum when the Khartoum Arab-headed government violated the signed agreement. Kiir ordered the SPLA troops to fight-back the Khartoum regime regardless of the benefits of Oil flowing through their territories because they came beyond the sovereignty mandate while shelling our own territories such as the Land of Padang/Panaruu, Bentiu and Bhar El Ghazel States.
Leadership is to communicate to the people their worth and potential so that they come to the sense of seeing and knowing it. One of the good examples was the message Kiir told the public that “if I were to be asked as a citizen to vote, I would vote for separation.” These are public priorities, teaching and believe of the charismatic leader. Do you think Dr. Lam would drop his salaries and inceptive in the Arab world because of public matter?
Back to your points that there are “corrupted officials, thieves, and criminal in Juba, South Sudan.” People of goodwill (South Sudanese) will never be thieves to their own resources and properties. All this issue of corruptions are nothing than allegations, generated by you the Diaspora Basement Rebels (DBR) as to spoil the name of the country and its officials. You should also admit that the word corruption is a fashioned-word, just to keep the officials hands off anything deem public but its rather magical bell. It is the word that has been modernized as the 21 century vocabulary; and only smart people know what it meant and the use of it. The use of it has something to do with warning and keeping the red light on in the eye of public servants. Would this word mean anything other than keeping the officials informed, then the western power officials and leaders would have been indicted because of corruption.
Therefore, the statement that there are “thieves, corruption and war criminals” in Juba is just a joke and it is a Diaspora Basement Rebels (DBR) phrase that they use as to keep themselves busy when they ran out of anything to do. I never heard anyone being indicted in South Sudan to be named “war criminal,” for this word is not just used randomly without anything attached to it. The reason why I referred Bashir’s team as “criminals” is because most of the officials in Khartoum are indicted war criminal. I have a reason to argue and so do the others because Bashir, Aroun and others in old Sudan are known as international war criminals. This is a legal perspective and it is legally, officially and internationally acknowledged.
As a group, you had allegedly argued that “SPLM members are nothing but slave…”in our own country. I wonder if you know the word “slave” and what it meant when you said slave. There are no people that could be slave to their own making. SPLM is a political organization built upon with the principles of Unity, Progress and Equal opportunity. I would like to empathize and walk you thoroughly that this political organization has a public-centred approach which implies that the public play a very important role in term of appointing their representatives to the regional parliament as well as federal level. This mean that South Sudanese assume big responsibility within 12 months time or at least partial responsibilities for determining what is better and what should be done (priorities). The good example was the contribution made by EES as to help war disable or patients in hospitals……………..etc.
Subsequently, Dr. Lam and his team were acting contrary in Khartoum without identifying the pros and cons. It happened repeatedly that Dr. Lam always smile when South Sudanese had an issue with the North Sudan regime. North Sudan will never force South Sudanese to accept what they decide or suggest (we will always say No to something they suggest and say Yes to something they do not favor). For Dr. Lam to become a president of South Sudan as you advocated (DBR groups), it would be the last options that the members of goodwill parties will look at critically. If SPLM members have no one, qualify for presidency in the long run, then we would rather call upon white lady/foreign who would stand with South Sudanese during hard time. No joke, because Dr. Lam was politically seen as an individuals who preach for self-centred interest while leaning to the Arab rather than East Africa Community. He has politically and mechanically inclined to join hands with people and yet he walks opposite in the time people were about to think of forgiving him.
Perhaps time will tell and I believe you know more than I do about Dr. Lam. If people were to go back and check the record of the politicians, Dr. Lam would not be free from corruption. Ask him why he defected from the SSIM/SSIA and form SPLM/SPLA-United contrary to the first movement he formed. Dr. Lam was the one in charge of foreign relation and everything coming from foreign nations and supporters in term of finance was in his hands. Had it not been because Dr. Riek is not a man of material gain, Dr. Lam would have been arrested because of the corruption activities he has made (1991-1995). A huge sum of money (billions), the movement’s money was taken by Dr. Lam himself. Records and background may have shown Dr. Lam’s capability and capacity to manage our own affairs.
Although I personally declined to mention the name of Shilluk in reference to my community you mentioned, I would like to tell you that Lam as a rare Shilluk will never misled the Nuer society again. This mobilization tactics from you the minorities is noticed and would never be entertained by any reasonable Nuer. If Dr. Riek has an issue with the government where he officially works as deputy President, then it has nothing to do with Nuer society or Shilluk neither. I know that Dr. Lam was not happy because he failed to blindfold Dr. Riek to join his party for the second time. Anyway, let wait for our own generational time in South Sudan. It will be a suicidal disaster, otherwise.
NB- this message is made readable to all audiences in simple term.
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