By Lul Gatkuoth Gatluak
December 14, 2015 (SSNA) — My dear country men and women, tomorrow is marking the beginning of current crisis when our fellow compatriots were discriminately killed in Juba and beyond. December 15.19 2013 must remain fateful days not only among the Nuer but all South Sudanese who witness the brutal mass killings of their Nuer brothers and sisters but cried silently regarding the fact that they too would be killed if they tried to rescued some helpless individuals. As member of this community, one finds it harder to imagine living under poor leadership of Salva Kiir again. Salva Kiir has been and always will be a symbol of sadness that had caused disunity among South Sudanese people who had almost learned how to live together as brothers and sisters.
His administration will remain in history as a brutal horrified government that had practicing dictatorship, abuse of power, succumbed by tribalism, corruption and surrounded with evil and satanic power in all angles. As already been mentioned, tomorrow will be December 15 the day blood of innocent souls had spilled, let hold our tears knowing that time will come when Salva will pay for plunging the country to war. Although he has been forgiven to continue leading in an awaiting transitional government, he will not escape being accounted for the crime he had committed against humanity. Without doubt, he had committed genocide. The definition of Genocide as per international Law and United Nations Convention in article 2 and 6 had indicated that genocide is an act intended to destroy in whole or in part. Basically, the killing of a group, causing bodily or mental harm, or inflicting deliberately on a nation, racial group, ethnic group or religious groups with intent to bring conditions or physical destruction which exceed 1,000 persons is considered genocide and crime against humanity.
While we are looking forward as South Sudanese for better nation, no doubt that we will forgive those who have harmed us, but we will never forget the massacred of our people. In history, events are being deprived from their original establishment if nobody records them adequately.
When Dionysius Exiguus calculated the birth of Jesus and later ancient Christian imported Roman Pagans’ Saturnalia Festival day to be celebrated as Christmas Holiday in December, the month had been made holly and characterized as a day of gifts giving just as Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people during weeklong celebration—— (SimpleToRemember.com-Judaism Online). In this week, each and every Christian is thinking about what kind of gift they might want to give their loved ones as year ending is approaching. Rather than focusing on cheerfulness of Christmas, South Sudanese who have been affected by the current conflict mainly Nuer citizens, will mark this week as a commemoration to our fellow compatriots who had been butchered mercilessly in Juba by a person we called our leader and voted for in 2010 Sudan’s CPA demanded election.
Instead of marking the month to just share visitations with relatives, close friends and acquaintances, majority of South Sudanese Nuer around the globe with exception of few individuals who deny Nuer-massacre as non-started, are gathering in Holly places or community centers to simply pray the most high to bless their decease loved ones and comfort them while coping with such a misery lost.
Heroically, individuals are sacrificing their time and energy so that the horrors surrounding Juba Massacre must live on. For instance, since the beginning of the crisis, Zechariah James—a South Sudanese student in Egypt devoted his talented to design posters such as the image readers could see above to remind the world that December 15, 2013 massacre memories shall not be forgotten as long as we continue living. Many other individuals are likewise doing an outstanding job in term of keeping records of those dark days.
As the community, we must take the lead to document all the horrors otherwise those who denied this horrific occasion would distort it misleadingly. Imagine that Jews massacre was not recorded, their present offspring would not know what had taken place. At the same token, our great-great-great-grandchildren would not know their ancestral fathers and mothers had been massacred in this decade by Salva Kiir. Just like Christianity imported the Saturnalia festival of Roman pagans promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians, which is not happening now, our future generations could be told nothing had happened.
At this juncture, one is in the mood to express his heartfelt in memory of fellow citizens who lost their dear live under a brutal dictator. Let remember them but knowing that time will come when South Sudan shall be free of dictatorial ruling. We will one day live under peaceful, democratic and prosperous South Sudan where social justice is the norm of all South Sudanese.
The author is a political commentator on South Sudan affairs. He should be reach at [email protected] or [email protected].