Where WES and other States of Southern Sudan differ
By Philip Thon Aleu
March 6, 2010 (BOR) – It was my first time to see Yambio, the capital of Western Equatoria State (WES), on January 14, 2010. I was on a mission to cover CPA celebrations there. A beautiful town, I told myself. However, in a season of political campaigns like this in our country, it will be an egoism for me to keep it private why Yambio is different from other towns of Southern Sudan; both negative and positive perspectives.
Dusty as the roads are, there are no holes on the roads within the town, to the stadium that hosted the 5th Anniversary of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and roads leading to Anzara airstrips where President Omar Bashir and his Vice President Salva Kiir landed on 19 January. Elsewhere in the town, there is a presidential villa and a number of modern State houses – not the grass-thatched or rushed-iron sheets type. Of the town in southern Sudan that I traveled to, government officials work in offices built by the British colonial administration over 60 years ago.
Business in Yambio is smooth. Local produces like pineapple (popularly known as ananath), lemon and cassava flour are cheap and were my favorite. Motorist for hiring in the towns where also cheap compared to Juba, Yei or Bor an indication that living expenses, traffic fares and fuel are also sold at lower prices.
As a reporter, I glanced at a corner of my interest; the State Ministry of information and was able to witness a functioning system. Unlike Bor where there is no local radio, Yambio FM entertains town and citizens from close villages. For local reporters in Yambio to look-down on a journalist in a ‘huge name and thin body’ as they put it, it carries some weight. One of my new friends told me: “I have read about you Philip in papers and I thought you are huge guy moreover you are thin in huge names.” I just pat him at the back and told him ‘never mind brother’.
Among others, peaceful coexistence in the town was imminent. For the seven days I spent there and walking to my accommodation after 9pm local time daily, I never met harassment from police or an outlaw. All government employees and business community in Yambio freely enjoy the town because they make it and own it.
But a few kilometers outside Yambio on Anzara road is different. The gap between the poor and rich is clear. A group people, probably a family, admire and wave to the presidential convoy with naked chest ridded with protruding ribs. A police officer pushed them off cameras sight.
There are some anticipations requiring one to count his notes, including pet cash, properly before attending another future national function in Yambio. Generally, there was discrimination of visitors. Independent Media houses affiliated to government organs, for example, were given a different hospitality compared to ‘totally’ independent scribes. For that matter, a Sudan Tribune reporter like me had to struggle to attend the CPA celebration before one’s pocket dries up. To make the matters even difficult, after collecting some news in Yambio, another headache is internet for sending news article — meaning that the government’s funding for CPA does not care the significance of information.
So, when I left in the night of January 19/20, I still wonder why my friends in Yambio questioned my ‘quick exit?’ Brother, if I were to meet the governor Juma Nunu, I would have asked her to explain the meaning of that 5th Anniversary, CPA information committee? All independent journalists littered in Yambio as if there are not Sudanese and part of CPA event. In one of the most remarkable horrors of Yambio peace hosting failures, local reporters were denied security-prepared Identification cards making taking photos a close range to VIP a crime. So, you were not in Yambio and never got quick update for 5th CPA celebration, the media was failed.
Above all, it was a marvelous travelling to Yambio and gets the differences before elections. Yambio, under Gov. Juma Nunu is an icon to southern Sudanese’s dare for independence. And if the GoSS have something to convince southerners on opting for separation in January 2011 referendum, it won’t do without mention progress in Yambio. Since women are granted 25% representation in the Sudan, I am wishing the female leaders the best and that they follow strategies laid in Yambio by Nunu that brought a sharp change in two years.
But the fact that April elections are at in the corner and Gov. Juma Nunu is contesting against other great sons of WES, and the citizens of that State will decide their leaders’ fate. In one of Dinka Bor saying; ‘ran aye leec ke piir’ – literally meaning ‘congratulates the person while still alive’ I take this opportunity to thanks Juma Nunu for work well done.
(ST)
Cherninco
Where WES and other States of Southern Sudan differs
Dear Mr. Aleu,
I truly commend your honesty of appreciating what your eyes had seen in WES. However, giving credit of all the progress in WES to Ms. Nunu, who you rightly mentioned in your piece to have been a Governor for only two years, is a bit of exaggeration as well as elections rhetoric in favor of the candidate of your choice, of who you seem unable to hide your admiration. Yes for giving credit where it is due, and giving it all to Ms. Nunu is an obvious misrepresentation of truth that should never escape a genuine Journalist.
Dinka Boy
Where WES and other States of Southern Sudan differs
Governor Jemma Nunu will do the best when WES allow her for five more years.
She is the kind of leader that we need so that the development of South Sudan can go along.
Thanks to governor Nunu.
Time1
Where WES and other States of Southern Sudan differ
Philip Thon Aleu
This one of your best article new report so far, you have given hope to south sudan journalism, south sudanese journalists should be working to uplift their country and show that they appreciate the hard struggle that was launch to bring freedom not only to southerners but also to journalism and the voice of media, without the struggle journalists would not enjoy the freedom the claim now, so they should show appreciation and work to uplift their country through positive and professional work, you have shown real professionalism in this report, you brought both the positive and negative sides of issues in WES, you also mentioned without being bias the poositive achievement of governor Nunu is WES and the fact thet she made Yambio one of the leading regions in south sudan, the progress she made cannot be ignored compared on south sudan standard, she has made people of WES proud and she has shown south sudanese in general that hard work, good planning and commitment to rebuild the country canbe done, she has riased the SPLM flag high in WES as can be seen in the state secretariate office, she deserve to continue as governor to rebuild the state.
We look forward to read more report from you, also you can tour different states and bring stories of both their positive and negative achievements. do not be drag to this route of empty journalism, journalists who have no objective or clearly define missions for the country, they only report random stories which does not help the country, they only send in report to get payments but are not conrtibuting to media freedom or even to democratic principles, you have shown you are far from baised false journalists, keep that path and do not be mislead by other fake journalists.
SPLM stands for democracy and for freedom of media, this are principles south sudan government (GOSS), am sure everyone in south sudan wants democracy and freedom, this is what SPLM continue to stand for, democratic transformation need support of every one, it also need to be handled with cuation as we are in an interim period which is very sensitive, law and order need to be set, rules and regulations to guide every function, so the country can function based on the constitutional rule, this is a process that will come with time, but if everyone start to undermine the process then it will turn out bad like what happened in other countries, we need to stay on democratic change supported by good actors like good journalism, free and fair reporting included.