By Butrus Ajak, Melbourne, Australia
March 12, 2011 (SSNA) — Southerners have overwhelmingly voted for secession and this has silenced all the cynics, malevolence wishers and other arrogant Southerners who have been sabotaging whether or not South secedes. It is a gone case by now; and I really don’t know how these bad eggs feel as Separation comes out the reality. My people have humiliated these emissaries with their masters in Khartoum combine. Those doubting Thomases are either joining us or bundle their luggages and move North Sudan or else commit suicide. It is simple as that.
To get back to the aforementioned question, it’s just four months away for Southern Sudan to raise its flag up and join rest of the free World. But again, we have a daunting task ahead of us all. This is power wrangling along tribal lens, an epidemic predicted by our bad wishers as source of our polarisation. It has just started in Jonglei and this may not be an isolated case. We got to be vigilant enough and watch out so it shouldn’t repeat itself. These tribal warlord and power hungry beasts are privy seeing us a second Somalia or Libya. We all need to learn from Jonglei disarray and use it to correct our future if South is to be a viable state.
Deng Riek Khoryoam of the South Sudan News Agency posed a worthwhile and nerve-racking statement and I quote: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power”. This quote is literally true basis on the experiences we all have seen in South Sudan and our Africa Continent. It is a Continent far away from democracy; leaders cling on to the helm of power and turn it into their own property forgetting those who elected them into leadership. Living attestations are those of Libya, Egypt, Kenya, and Tunisia where leaders did not want let go the power. So can this emergent State Republic of South Sudan get immune from this sweeping totalitarian dictatorship raging in the region? Vigorous no!!
Republic of South Sudan President H.E General Salva Kiir Mayardit is widely believed to be a benevolent man, a man of his people, and for sure he was spared by Almighty God for a reason when all his co-founders of SPLA/SPLM are all dead. He managed to ferry Southerners to their final leg of the Journey regardless of several distractions here and there that nearly capsized the boat. He managed to unite Southerners accommodating bunch of militias to curb notion of rebellion, though those of renegade general Athor didn’t capitalize on the then amnesty.
Parenthetically, I wish to wholeheartedly say here, Kiir has accomplished his job and we all ought to honor him for an enormous contribution. His/Party legacy will remain in us for generations. He is a man known for his sober and intelligent mind by his erstwhile comrade in arms. He is believed he can use a smooth transition of power unless if confuse by dodgy dealers known of wanting Kiir in Power and loot the poor and emergent nation from rear. Hearsay has it that, odious agents have been meeting/seeing President Kiir lately and that alone was a perturbing gesture. They may maneuver him to install an autocratic system of government. Anyhow, let’s wait and see what the constitution-to-be says about presidential terms and dissolution of parliament in July, 2011.
My fellow compatriot, if democratic system of government doesn’t take shape during Kiir tenure, then I am afraid we are doomed. The young politicians coming up now are going to be worst dictators than gorilla oriented politicians. Once, one seizes public office, even at a clan level he/she won’t let it go easily no matter what guideline says. Hypothetically, at Victoria in Melbourne we have SPLM chapter leadership that was formed back in 2005 guided by guideline that stipulated elections are to be held every two years and it didn’t happen as constitution (guideline) said it. It has been half a decade now and occupants are still creeping on citing this and that aren’t done for them to relinquish or vacate the office. Heated talks took the centre stage and it is still a tug-o-war as I write. However, it was last year when few disgruntled or concern members called general assembly and asked us what we thought about the SPLM chapter leadership owned by few as theirs and won’t want to give the office back to people.
I was quick to brand the three gentlemen as coup d’état conspirators something I came to believe they were acting out of frustration. Needless to say, a gentleman of high caliber according to the then forum furiously rose and uttered the following wording and I quote: “We are going to defense this leadership and if anyone wanted to form his SPLM chapter let him go and form his”.
Hearing all this, I was left astounded and speechless. Why would we protect the leadership protected by the constitution (guideline)? Candidly speaking, kinship used to be a driven factor in all our forums and we need to shed it off forthwith. I always thought Republic of South Sudan is going to be the luckiest nation in the Africa because her people are all scattered all over the globe and will one day come home one by one with wealth of knowledge especially democracy/egalitarian and how it works.
However, it is a fact that democracy knows no brotherhood. Good example happened when our then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was dumped by his party, topping his removal list were people from Melbourne Victoria and Rudd being a man from Queensland, Queenslanders didn’t say anything, this showed they are politically informed even their village men. Something if it was South Sudan it could have been disastrous. And if at all we have seen and experience all these and by any chance still not sit well with democracy principles, then our Country will not be an exceptional and our people back home need to be informed to prepare for the worst. Anyway, there is lot to say but will leave it here for the readers to digest those few remarks.
Butrus Ajak: He is reachable at [email protected]