What a Sad Story
By: Deng Mulwal
Is it the fate of our people to accept such unpleasant realities? It was disheartening to read from time to time about the stories of those who lost their lives and those who lost their dear ones in such senseless bloodshed at the time when people believe they are living during peace time.
Following the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, our people in the
Southern Sudan
celebrated the event as the most significant achievement in their history, dreaming of saying farewell to the old bad days of fear, hunger and bloodshed. Those who came from the IDP camps scattered throughout the big cities and towns and those who took their small belongings from the refugee camps from the neighbouring countries and others who rooted themselves in their homelands despite the high risks. They are all dreaming a better life which can allow them and their children to substitute the old tragedies of the diffused and displaced life.
It is hard to read the stories circulated yesterday that about 180 of our people lost their lives in
South Sudan
state of Jonglei in what is branded as a tribal conflict. The event was not the only of its nature but it should be the last and someone from within whether a politician, a leader or even among the tribesmen themselves should say ‘enough is enough’. Our people do not deserve to lose their faith in the CPA as their biggest achievement. Instead they should question the GoSS and whether they have realized the role of the Government in defending its citizens since the incident is not the first of its kind. What are the measures and precautions taken by the government to address the security issue seriously? If not to defend the very risk confronting every citizen then why a government? What objectives can be realized from the parliament, the executive, the security and the army apparatuses? Other than serving the life of their people in a restless effort to get than a better life as an incentive for their long suffering. The GoSS is seriously obliged to answer many questions one of them is about the arm supplies to the tribes and the widespread of such lethal weapons in the hands of as many people as those destabilizing the region and steal the lives of the others. It is quite clear the theory of the SPLA as a party army has failed in ensuring peace for Southern Sudan and it is a high time that there should be a new theory for a new army adopting a citizenship measures more than a party old style measures. In many of those incidents SPLA appeared to be taking parts in such clashes not as a regional neutral body but as a party army with party motives which finally disturbs and harm the social fabric in
Southern Sudan
.
The other question should be raised to the international organization and its UNMIS in saving the life of our people where it is not enough to issue a press statement condemning the incident and then waiting for the next to do the same condemnation.
And finally, the GoSS is morally obliged to deal delicately with such environment through hard work getting all people on board. The GoSS should not limit its role as a partial government belonging to SPLM. Instead ordinary citizens should have a deep feeling of their participation and contribution in the government as a shareholder. To come direct to GoSS, it should be widened to involve all the people of
Southern Sudan
so that no tribe, no clan and no citizen feel isolated.
