Give Dr. Riek Machar a chance to fix South Sudan

By Sirir Gabriel Yiei Rut

November 1, 2016 (SSNA) — My question is why do I have to travel to another country to experience excellence? Why can’t I experience it in my own country?

The world is moving forward but South Sudan finds herself marooned in the misery of failure.

A certain ‘Cow boy’ who leads a gang of terrorists masquerading to be leading the country shockingly finds the audacity to shout on top of his old and tired voice that he must be left alone with ‘his’ South Sudan. Why does it seem like an achievement when a South Sudanese travels to another country? It’s not an achievement. It’s a manifestation of failure in most cases. Any fair person would agree with me that South Sudanese find themselves rapture in senseless but justifiable admiration of someone travelling to another country. It’s disgusting that in this day and age, boarding a plane is still an enviable ‘feat’ in South Sudan. That is and should be basic.

South Sudanese find themselves drooling every now and again when they watch their ‘President’ disembarking the plane while watching SSBC TV news. Their ‘President’ now travels to the Uganda every week to ‘die’ and ‘resurrect’.

So, with admiration they watch him debarking the plane every week. He certainly now has an address somewhere in the air. What is mind-boggling is the fact that South Sudan is extremely rich in Natural resources; the best arable land in Africa, plenty of minerals including Oil, and gold. South Sudan’s flora and fauna is breathtaking. Yet we are stuck in a rut, led by a delusional gang of terrorists who are clueless. Two things this gang has successfully done is looting the resources of the country and creating a debt we are going to service after they are gone. Yes, they are going. Recently, the leader of the gang revealed that the country lost unspecified billion of SSP of oil revenue obviously through the corruption he has bred and nurtured in his minions.

South Sudan is ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. As a result of draconian policies implemented by this gang of terrorists who are destroying South Sudan, most of Forex bureaus, Newsletters stations and oil companies were forced to shut down. The industrial utilization capacity has plummeted to 1950 levels and it is currently at 15%. South Sudan imports 80% of its food needs from Eastern Africa. About 95% of the Country’s populations are in dire need of food aid almost in all parts of the young nations. It is estimated that a million of kids go to school hungry.

Most of us take Selfies while on the plane traveling to other countries. It feels special and as though it’s an achievement but it’s not. I am all for exposure but truth be said, most South Sudanese travel not because they want to get exposure but because they are forced to. South Sudanese are forced to travel to other countries in search of better things they are denied in their own country. More than 95% of South Sudanese who are scattered all over the world wants to return home. I have traveled far and wide but I do not ever wish to make any other nation my home. The unemployment rate is over 90%. It is therefore not surprising that 3 million South Sudanese are in the diaspora. Business persons travel to other countries to import things such as tooth picks and clothes. That’s nothing to brag about. It’s a manifestation of failure. My children will not have to travel to other countries to experience excellence. They will experience it in South Sudan.

Give Dr. Riek Machar a Chance to fix the Country South Sudan a new and better South Sudan is possible in our lifetime. We shall come face to face with it.

Sirir Gabriel Yiei Rut is SPLM-IO YL Chapter in Cairo Chairperson; he can be reached via [email protected].