By Gabrial Pager Ajang
October 22, 2013 (SSNA) — The current flood and tribal conflict in Jonglei and Warrap states warrant state and central government interventions. The government of South Sudan should and must accord its citizens full protections. Numerous attacks of civil populations have occurred and continued to occur in Jonglei State and there have been no government responses. Arguably, more people die today in South Sudan than during the liberations Struggles. Have we learned anything from the previous tribal conflict? It must be made clear the government of South Sudan can collapse if the international and internal pressures continue to mount significantly pressure on the Kiir’s administration and especially if the tribal conflicts and merciless killing of innocent civilian continue. Warning! The government will survive if its discharges its cores functions, and maintain laws and orders.
Flood disaster is a measure concerns. Although other parts of South Sudan are affected by the overflowing Nile waters, the scale and magnitude of this disaster is yet to be known. Besides flood disaster in Twic East County and the current rampant insecurity is exacerbated by lawlessness and state of anarchy. The flawed disarmament government policy has created loopholes and places thousands of people in precarious environment. The government of South Sudan has struggled to annex effective violence-reduction techniques since the time Referendum was conducted. Now still, there is no clear policy from the government of protecting its citizens. We frequently mourned, cried and grieved with thin shreds of hope that the central state and local governments will create policies, and means of bring criminals to justice, executing murderers to deter future criminals and most importantly reduction of violence by a few percentage points. Apparently the government had no remedial and viable policy to curve killing and death of its citizens. The ensuing collapse of the central government, allow residents reverted to local forms of conflict resolution; and escalate killings, child’s abduction and cattle raiding. This country that emerged from the wreckage of war is so rogue (failed) that she does not remember Torit and BorTown, two shining cities that make all citizens of South Sudan proud. So what renders the government of South Sudan delusional or has it been confused by array of issues its faces?
I must reiterate that it is the responsibility of the government of South Sudan to ensure security of its citizens and put in place remedies of natural disaster and this means it must annex Emergency Preparedness Policy to reduce and remedy man-made and natural disasters. The government must meet the perceived basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government. On the contrary, this government has lost its control of Jonglei state, and this may have worrying implication that the whole national government had lost its legitimacy in Jonglei. The people of Twic East and people of Jonglei state are sick of hearing their love ones kill or ruthlessly murder. The constant killing of the innocent civilians is caused by the government’s inability to ensure safety of its citizens. Common characteristics of a failing rogue nation are government ineffectiveness to practically control its citizen’s recklessness behaviors and inability of government to control widespread criminality insecurity and provide rule of laws.
It is incomprehensible, and unimaginable to learn that estimate of over 3000 murle youths armed to its teeth attack Twic East County, raided cattle, burn villages and massacre hundreds of people in Ajuong Payam and Pakeer. The death toll stands at 150 and it continues to rise. It is mind boggling, and deeply sad that this tragedy happen in country where the government claims an absolute sovereignty and good governance. If this killing was to occur in another country, some officials would have resigned from power and criminals would have been brought to justices but it happens in South Sudan, life will continue as usual. Our beloved government had lost the life meaning, life essence and life destiny. It is heart breaking.
The flood disaster and mass killing orchestrated by Murle have severely impeded and destabilized life in East County. There could be potential outbreak of waterborne diseases; unexamined number of cattle could die, huge population is displaced, elders and children are threatening by the disaster, hundreds of homes have been destroyed by the flood and death toll continuing to rise. The threat post by this crisis is immeasurable. This case study of flood disaster in Twic East County could potentially be applied to other counties situated in the Sudd region and affected by the flood. It is obvious that the state government’s emergency preparedness might be different from one county to other counties because the emergency preparedness largely depends on state and local resources that its set aside for the purpose of natural and manmade disasters. It is worth noting that the South Sudan government emerges from ruin of wars, therefore its institutions are still structural sustains damages and wounded of wars.
Kiir’s administration continues to champion his agendas, and to his credits, he spearheaded reforms, and reshuffles in his government. Now, President Kiir can run his government efficiently and effectively because he had removed obstacles. On the one hand, He continues to load citizens with series of speeches, and many projects after projects are proposed and it is not absolutely clear whether all the promised programs are implemented. Now the disaster hits, the public is confused and no senior official knows where the disaster assistance will come from come.
Kiir only knows one enemy, the Khartoum government. I applaud his effort and work of protecting territorial integrity of south Sudan. This external aggression has been pounded into his head since he joined the conflict of Sudan but Kiir needs know other important issues that warrant central government interventions, especially crises such as flood disaster, tribal conflicts, famine, outbreak waterborne and insect disasters.
This nascent country situated in region prone to both human and manmade disasters and must develop its emergency preparedness in order to effectively use its little resources to reduce the scale of disaster and safe the live of its citizens. The previous and current flood disaster in Twic East County demonstrated that the national government is ill unprepared which left its citizens vulnerable. The non-existing ability of the state and central government to predict, prevent tribal conflict, or mitigate the effects of flood is indeed worrisome. Flood warrants the people living in diaspora as always to raise funds and assist the threat demographic by the flood, old, disables and children. Given these realities, it is imperative to develop a comprehensive national government program to curve tribal conflict and disaster’s reductions. For how long will the government of South Sudan officials continue to appeal to None Government Organizations (NGOs)?
The government of south Sudan must define the strategic objectives. The strategic objectives that underpin our national critical and vulnerable areas and key asset for its protection effort Identifying and assuring the protection of those infrastructures and assets that we deem most critical to the livelihood of the people for instance, crops, cattle, and homes. The national government can ensure that the health, safety, economic and security of its citizens.
The Scope and the Scale of conflict of both current conflict and flood are of the epic disastrous proportions. Twic East Commissioner, Honorable, Dau Akoi has appealed to the diaspora, Twic members living in Canada, United States, Australia to assist in the flood disaster and constant insecurity. The East Commissioner debriefs Twic East executive officials of the United States in a teleconference about community initiative and constructions of dike to prevent flood. He told the members that it has been his priority to develop a comprehensive plan that seeks to prevent flood from the Nile. The Commissioner expresses his intend of durable solution to flooding’s. Since, he became Twic East Commissioner; he embarked on building and construction of dikes. He stated that he was assisted by the None Government Organization to build the current dike.
On the security fronts, the commissioner had no enough polices and soldiers. His main challenge has been constant vigorous violence unleashes on the civil population. Both Current flood and Twic East attack on Ajuong and Pakeer Payams caught the county unprepared. The level of the Nile water is rising and continues to rise, while people that have moved to higher ground are killed by Murle Youth. The Commissioner blamed flooding on the rising level of water from the River Nile and Hippopotamus that destroyed regular Dikes at night while grazing in both sides of the dikes. The repercussion of flood calamity has affected the whole county. The current situation of the Twic East County is horrendous and threatening the livelihood of its residents. According to the Twic East County Commissioner, Honorable Dau Akoi Jurkuch, more than 126,930 are in peril and their lives could be jeopardized. Six (6) villages of kongor Payams have completely been displaced. They have moved with their cows to areas that are perceived to be highland for example Werawier is crowded. The flood places over 9,600 persons at the high risks in five Payam and it is approximated that estimated that over 1,600 households have been displaced, 4,800 people are currently vulnerable in Kongor, Nyuak, Ajuong, Lith and Pakeer Payams. According to the Commissioner, over 800 homes have been destroyed in Twic East County and these numbers continue to increase.
The demographic at the highest risks, are elders and the children. Just like any other counties in South Sudan South, Twic East County was rebuilt from the ruins and the remnants of the 21 years of War. Hence, any outbreak of new diseases besides, waterborne diseases could potentially exterminate the populations. The potential waterborne disasters could be cholera, bilharzia, mosquitoes carrying malarial parasites and many more. Waterborne diseases are usually caused by the microorganisms that are transmitted by contaminated waters. Infection will potentially increase in Twic East County because its citizens will start drinking contaminated waters, and use them in the process of preparation of foods, or the consumption of food thus infected. Various forms of waterborne diarrheal disease probably are the most prominent in this ongoing catastrophe.
In general, contaminated food is the single most common way in which people could be infected. The germs in the faeces can cause the diseases by even slight contact and transfer. The only way massive outbreak could continue its transmission is when the government does not intervene and provide the displaced persons with clean drinking water and foods to curve the outbreaks of diseases.
If the government of South Sudan does not act now, people of Twic East County could be decimated by the flood. This county is just like any other county in South Sudan, the Twic East County owed enormous debt to the government of South Sudan. A debt that either current government or next government will never pay back. Yet this government is aware of the ongoing reported tribal conflict and catastrophe and never contributes a dime or soldier as part of a disaster relief.
The flood had claimed the lives of 600 people and Murle has killed over 150 people. This nerve racking crises can naturally warrant’s government interventions. Now, the life lines of the East County have been cut off. The roads that were main sources of supply to the county but they have been closed down by flood. There are no ways foods and medicines could be delivered to the County. The flood has eliminated land transportation and air, the Twic East County sits in an island created by overflowing Nile River. I am aware that the authorities in south Sudan are so used to death during the last civil war and this is why they perceived death of 600 people of flood in Jonglei State to be so normal warrant no comment from the official in Jonglei State and national governments.
However, the history of South Sudanese tribes indicated that they protect their people, honor and respect the death of their love ones. I urge our government to anchor the government on the traditional values and norms, where the death of one person would trigger government concerns. The government must do whatever it can to protect, prevent and mitigate issues and crises that its citizens face. I urge members of Twic East community in the United States who have been conducting series of meetings to continue in their fund raising efforts for disaster reliefs and I also appeal to the donors, friends, and our own members to contribute funds toward the victims of Murle Youth attack in Ajuong and Pakeer Payams and flood disaster efforts in Twic East Count, Jonglei State, and South Sudan.
The author teaches political Science and History at Career College, former Nebraska legislative assistance and passionate advocate of responsive government that observes rules of law, and guarantees citizens protection; as an important principle of democratic government. Besides, he is specialized in Public administrations and policy. He can be reached at [email protected]