By Gabriel M. Tor
July 11, 2014 (SSNA) — Though, I am saddened like never before in our fragile lives and stories. I am mourning but not mourning the dead, whom I sincerely respect, the fallen poor comrades in uniforms and civilian clothes, but inside my heart, I am mourning our brains’ disaster of the South Sudanese and leadership brainlessness in Juba and across the Diasporas and the actual lack of true patriotism to the nation among South Sudanese people. Just to borrow, Marol Deng’s prophetic vision in 2010, during George Athor Deng Dut’s insurgency. Mr. Deng said, “I am not morning about the dead, but the brains we have”. People were sending their condolences to the fallen comrades and their families, due to a violent fire confrontation between Kiir’s SPLA and Dut’s defected SPLA armed forces from South Sudan army, who were agitated by Kiir’s government’s what’s!!
There will be no fear of all the bad things we do to ourselves or the disasters we encountered if we have the change of hearts and honesty in us, to be able to pass the right judgment regarding any situation at hand, which we gravely lack at the present time, including the young ones and scholars of the nation, who are seen as hope of the nation’s future. So bad for S.S. survival.
Blaming Salva Kiir and his GOSS is not a justification of rebellion nor is it a support to Riek Machar’s rebel camp, but a better narration of where things had gone wrong in the Country in the first place. Asking Kiir to step down is not an authorization to put Riek in power, but a dose of peace and calm to both government and oppositions. Both men are an open grave for the nation: Kiir beating his chest for a Country he can’t defend – that’s a military failure, while decreeing a coup he can’t pass through politically and domestically. This is a politically failure. You (Kiir) have people in your government who rolled their eyes inside out, throwing hate speeches around, like a kid’s ball; with reckless hatred and divide drive. This shows political and social failure in the Country. Dr. Machar also failed to be an alternative to Kiir, because his arm forces fight on a tribal base, killing vulnerable civilians and foreigners living in the Country where they occupy, looting properties from individual businesses as well as of the nation and non-governmental organizations, and destroying the nation’s developmental infrastructures . This is far from a fake promised democracy.
Disrespecting our men and women in military service
The widows and orphans of South Sudanese fallen comrades in military uniforms have been abandoned and are living a life that shows they have been thrown to wolves, after huge sacrifices which their fellow kith and kins in the role of honor had given their lives for without reservation, because they believe, their loved ones; whom the left behind could be honored and taken care of as they did for their country South Sudan – dying as martyrs so the nation could be free and dignified.
What I heard and saw in 2014, with South Sudanese orphans and widows living in Kenya, Uganda and S. Sudan are humiliating for the families who are the victims of our freedom liberation struggle. These folks should be paid a big respect by shouldering the care of those left behind with no one to care for. I found families, who once lived in big cities or towns in East Africa because their loved ones: Their partners, fathers, brothers, mothers, and sisters, sons and daughters were still on active duty defending the nation, but whereas they were gone, the salaries were cut without remorse by Kiir’s government and this forced kids of the fallen comrades out of towns, where they were going to school, because no one could pay for their rent and school fees.
Do you know where next, do these kids of our heroes and heroines live?
The kids are forced to live under unspeakable condition in the cattle, displaced, and refugee camps in the East African region or in remote villages in the Country; where they live without school or good roof under the sun and the trenches of sandstorm and muddy floors, where mosquitos and cholera are in rampant epidemic. So, where in the world would a government that call itself functional, deserted the kids of our fallen comrades in arms – to just notice the reason that the bread providers have gone and no longer provide for their loved ones.
Would GOSS not organize and continue the support to our widows and orphans, whom their husbands and fathers never return home, or were wounded on the line of duty for the sake of their country they love and defend very much with their own lives.
Propaganda of baby nation – How Old Is South Sudan?
South Sudan is not as old as you are or have been singing all along. S. Sudan is not 3 years old Country but 9 years old Country that you got lost in it wealth’s consumption and theft, then you forgot to count. Start counting from 2005, the interim period, because here S.S. people had gained a complete power of ruling themselves as a nation as well as earning billions of dollars from the Country’s oil wells. The 2011 was just an official breaking away from the North.
Ungrateful and Notorious Gangs
I had a chance in February, 2014, to travel a route I trekked over 20 years ago as a child. I took the bus from Lokichogio, Kenya through Nadapal, a Kenyan/South Sudanese border town, riding through Narus, Kor Napodpod and Loyoro to Kapoeta town. The first journey ended in Kapoeta on one of the nights. On my next day’s journey, I took another bus trip through Torit to Juba. All these buses trips, I was blamed for risking my life by friends and relatives, because of the notorious gangs in those bushes. On my way to Juba, I was riding with my fellow Country comrades in full uniforms, who were also travelling on that same bus and the conversation began between those in civilian clothes and those in military uniforms.
“Being in the South Sudanese military does not worth it: 1, the pay cannot make you raise a kid or help you help yourself stand on your two feet. 2, the payment takes between 3 to 6 months without being paid, while you have a nation to defend, a family to feed and yourself to look after” said one civilian passenger. One of the guys in uniforms responded, “We don’t do it for money but for the love of our country”. All these were made in response to those who have sought employment in personal businesses, private companies or non-governmental organizations working in the country. According to Apostle Paul, no one is denied the milk from the cows that one takes care of. So why is South Sudan starving their people? When those with squandered billions of dollars are never asked or even ordered to return the money stolen for the past 9 years for a 9 years old nation. And the theft of money and other national wealth is a daily service to those in Kiir’s government of self-service. What future are we trying to build for the country South Sudan and individual builders?
When I hear S. Sudanese delegates from both sides, taking a break from peace talk in Addis Ababa to go finish their crates of beers, because of lame blames, that so is so and such; to kill time and people back home is so shameful and brainless – a disgraceful demeanor in our people leadership.
It’s not about what have they said or done? It’s all about what did we do to ourselves, our lives and our interrupted progress in life, it’s about what can you do to your poor Country, where leaders are killing, dividing and starving their own people to death. It’s about leaders who steal, refused an office appointment to someone who disagrees with them in opinion, or corrupt the national wealth and constitution for their own ego and folly. You don’t have to compare yourself with someone to be victorious or a winner!! You have to stand alone, firm and clean for the love of people, but not lust of money and office.
Unreadable South Sudanese Brain or Events
When Telar Ring was accused of academic fraud on how he gets his degree and other corruption ingredients in public service, after close examination by the Country’s representatives in charge’s evaluation, regarding president Salva Kiir’s nomination of Mr. Ring, in 2013 as the Country’s chief justice.
Ring was denied to be the Country’s chief justice by the parliament, due to his tainted nature of leadership. Kiir came around and picked the same Ring for presidential legal advisor and Kiir threatened to send the country’s lawyers homeless, should they reject Ring as Kiir’s presidential legal advisor nominee. Looking at how the values and integrity of South Sudan is going down the drain, the advisors would be greatly blamed for driving the nation headless. Quality advice is seen in how people are being led. Ring is a bad mirror for South Sudan leadership and South Sudan scholars with grain of wisdom know this very well. So there is need to mourn for the brain in S. Sudanese leadership.
You heard his Grace, Daniel Deng Bul, who is part of Peace talk in Addis Ababa being called rebel, because he disagreed with S.S. government’s version of what caused the war and how to solve it, while really rebels like David Yau Yau are called brothers among other praises and given a heroic welcome during his return to Juba in 2014, after almost half decade of his armed forces’ killing innocent civilians and members of the Country’s security forces, raping women and abducting South Sudanese children in Jonglei State. So, what is South Sudanese’ definition of “a rebel?” and to millions of South Sudanese’ citizens’ disappointment, S. S. government did not appreciate nor spare George Athor Deng Dut’s life, a man whom his achievements are far greater than that of Riek and Kiir combined during the decades civil war, due to his bravery that saved millions of South Sudanese lives during the 21 plus years of North-South Sudan’s war. Dut, after his disagreement in 2010 election in Jonglei State gubernatorial election and Kiir’s involvement and favoritism at the State level on who is to lead a particular State. There is need to “mourn the brains we have”.
Juba’s flame in December 2013 was not a surprise to many, though it came so soon, because Kiir’s government is a trouble inviter. Many South Sudanese locals and religious staff had the vision of Juba being on fire. Visions from South Sudanese citizens shows Juba burning and those who carry those visions and dreams started telling their stories and initiated an approach to the top government officials but they were brand named as prophets of doom or ignored all together, but when a Nigerian Joshua tell his youtubed version of what was awaiting unknown Country in East Africa, that was not Kenya nor Uganda, S. Sudan VP and Kiir’s wife rushed to Nigeria to hear Joshua re-telling his vision, while we ignored our prophets at home who have the same or better prophetic vision of what had engulfed S.S. So, there is need to “mourn the brains we have” because these brains will still do more damage to ourselves and the Country. Juba authorities talked to Joshua after Dec. 2013 incident, whereas the ignored advices and visions told to them before Juba’s Dec. 2013 violence.
Almost everything South Sudan government and its supporters are doing are so unappreciative, insulting and disgraceful to the sons and daughters of our martyrs, whom their fathers and mothers died protecting the rights and integrity of S.S. and also to friends across our borders and around the world and UN who took charge of our feedings and security over the decades. We could think and do better than this ya Junubeen. We must change, or not hope for change to come.
The author can be reached at [email protected].