Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
By Ngor Arol Garang
April 6, 2011 (WAU) – While south Sudan’s anticipated independence on 9 July 2011, is fast approaching as both the government officials and ordinary people across the ten states and counties prepare for celebration day, international experts and citizens are becoming more concerned about the violence threatening peace and stability in the oil producing region.
The vote was part of the 2005 deal which brought to an end the over two decades of north-south conflict involving the former rebel, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), a military wing of current South Sudan’s governing party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) against the central government in Khartoum.
Conducting sample interviews in the former provincial capital for Greater Bahr el Ghazal, Sudan Tribune met with predominantly young people who unanimously spoke the language of peace.
“We need peace. We do not need war. If there are people who need war then they have a challenge to explain why they are doing the opposite at the time the region desperately needs stability and development. I repeat we need peace not war,” explained Mawien Baak, a former child soldier who left the southern army in 2006.
Baak said he was one of the minors who walked all the way from Bahr el Ghazal in 1987 to the border between Sudan and Ethiopia, where the former southern rebels had established training camps.
“I was one of the people and children who walked for nearly four months, all the way from the Bahr el Ghazal region to Ethiopia for training. One of the reasons why we walked such a long distance was not because of anything else. It was for peace and stability to prevail in the South. We wanted our people to be free from all sorts of treatments from the north. And it would be ridiculous to start fighting one another after having unanimously fought the war as a block. No. There must be peace,” said Baak.
Michael Abui, a businessman from the Central Equatoria State in a separate interview at Sukajar in Wau, said the South Sudanese should stop blaming other people for their problems. “We have a bad culture here in South Sudan. This is not new thing. I cannot say it started with the young generation. It did not start with us, or in this time of ours. It has been here. It likes something we inherited from our elders. The culture of blaming someone else for our own mistakes is not a new thing in the south,” explained Abui, saying it must be discouraged by all means possible.
“We must try our level best to change this culture, he said. There are people in the south, even if they know things are bad because of their own makings, they will try by all means to blame others. This culture must be stopped and we must work together for peace and development of this country,” said Abui.
Mary Bazangua, an international relief organisation worker in Wau, asked those involved in the conflict to stop and to listen to the voices calling for peace.
“There is nothing we are looking for now in the south but peace. Those involved in the fighting must respond to voices for peace. Their interest should not supersede the common interest of our people which is peace, whether they are right or not,” said Bazangua.
Reverend James Ukiah echoed the idea that there is no reason to blame someone else for mistakes originally made by individuals and officials South Sudan.
“We are the ones fighting each other. We should not blame other people for our mistakes. What I think we should do is to be realistic and simply accept our mistakes and ask for forgiveness,” said Ukiah. He agreed with the initiative taken by South Sudan President to pardon some of those who rebelled against the government.
” The north may be involved by giving support in form of arms, so that our people continue to fight and kill themselves, but our people and leadership should take responsibility. We must accept that these are mistake we made ourselves and we should be people be the same people to solve them.”
(ST)
Madingthith
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
Dear Wau Citizens,
Thanks for the peaceful demonstration but try also to prepared yourselves by any defense if Arabs will come and wanted to take Abyei by force.
Demonstration only will not and never solves any problem if you Wau people voted last January for Unity and now claiming to go on strike. Shame on you.
We are ever ready to defense our newest country for any potential threats.
Kuer Dau Apai
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
Indeed, the Red-Army Generation who migrated to Ethiopia in vary regions of South Sudan deserves to bring a unique transformations in their newly born Nation known as South Sudan in the areas such as Economic Development and political rehabilitation, in which some of South Sudanese politicians are putting the nation (South Sudan) to get stuck in political cycles.
All what we need are Philanthropic corporations, legal exercises and ethical perspectives, avoidable questionable practices but to do the rights, fair and just for all in order to drive the them for the “Nation Fair for All”
I disagree with Mr Abui statement and as well as the southerners won’t agree with this message. According to Mr Michael Abui in the article, “We have a bad culture here in South Sudan This is not new thing. I cannot say it started with the young generation. It did not start with us, or in this time of ours. It has been here. It likes something we inherited from our elders. Said Michael Abui .
Instead of pointing hands on our elders and previous generations, if we know the truth then why do not we do it? Blaming and crying won’t bring the durable solution to Southerners’ problems.
The chronic conflicts of Southerners have nothing to do with Cultures but misapplication of political strategies by other key politicians who capitalise on tribal lines. None of Sudanese cultures emphasises war against other cultures nor does any one of those cultures influence the SPLA key leaders defection.
Let encourage proper application of political competition that means group competition is the healthy part of democratic process.
Good Mr. Baak because of this commanding and strange statement, “There must be peace,” said Baak”. Such tone won’t bring peace in South Sudan suitable and fit-able for adjustment. There must be peace instead we need peace. It sounds military to say there must be peace and analytically Mr. Baak has some military support somewhere inside the blanket.
Thank mr. Baak Mawien, Mr. Michael Abui and Mary Bazangua for your efforts.
WE ARE THE ONES, WE ARE THE CHILDERN, WE ARE THE ONES MAKE A BETTERMENT!
WE ARE THE ONES, WE ARE THE CHILDERN, WE ARE THE ONES MAKE A BETTERMENT!!
WE ARE THE ONES, WE ARE THE CHILDERN, WE ARE THE ONES MAKE A BETTERMENT!!!
The Red-Army of Ethiopia Panyido, Dimo and other places should voice out Today as this the Future that our teachers and SPLA/M’s leaders used to preach about!
Thank All
Kuer Dau Apai in Australia
Hero
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
Unequvocially, it is not a surprise to find that all the people involved in the survey, undertook by the Sudantribune’s team would unanimously spoke with one voice on the issue of peace vs the status quo.So, no doubt that we are all determined to see the peace prevailed,and I damn optimistic that peace will be achieved.
Kuer Dau Apai
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
Indeed, the Red-Army Generation who migrated to Ethiopia in vary regions of South Sudan deserves to bring a unique transformations in their newly born Nation known as South Sudan in the areas such as Economic Development and political rehabilitation, in which some of South Sudanese politicians are putting the nation (South Sudan) to get stuck in political cycles. All what we need are Philanthropic corporations, legal exercises and ethical perspectives, avoidable questionable practices but to do the rights, fair and just for all in order to drive the them for the “Nation Fair for All”
I disagree with Mr Abui statement and as well as the southerners won’t agree with this message. According to Mr Michael Abui in the article, “We have a bad culture here in South Sudan This is not new thing. I cannot say it started with the young generation. It did not start with us, or in this time of ours. It has been here. It likes something we inherited from our elders. Said Michael Abui .
Instead of pointing hands on our elders and previous generations, if we know the truth then why do not we do it? Blaming and crying won’t bring the durable solution to Southerners’ problems. The chronic conflicts of Southerners have nothing to do with Cultures but misapplication of political strategies by other key politicians who capitalise on tribal lines. None of Sudanese cultures emphasises war against other cultures nor does any one of those cultures influence the SPLA key leaders defection.
Let encourage proper application of political competition that means group competition is the healthy part of democratic process.
Good Mr. Baak because of this commanding and strange statement, “There must be peace,” said Baak”. Such tone won’t bring peace in South Sudan suitable and fit-able for adjustment. There must be peace instead we need peace. It sounds military to say there must be peace and analytically Mr. Baak has some military support somewhere inside the blanket.
Thank mr. Baak Mawien, Mr. Michael Abui and Mary Bazangua for your efforts.
WE ARE THE ONES, WE ARE THE CHILDERN, WE ARE THE ONES MAKE A BETTERMENT!
WE ARE THE ONES, WE ARE THE CHILDERN, WE ARE THE ONES MAKE A BETTERMENT!!
WE ARE THE ONES, WE ARE THE CHILDERN, WE ARE THE ONES MAKE A BETTERMENT!!!
The Red-Army of Ethiopia Panyido, Dimo and other places should voice out Today as this the Future that our teachers and SPLA/M’s leaders used to preach about!
Thank All
Kuer Dau Apai in Australia
Jurdit Mayen
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
11 April 9:13
You Wau people, it is good that you demonistrate peacefully,otherwish, Wau will lost its position of being the second town to juba.Brothers, stop demonistration and make the development of your state.
Another thing ,Bahr el Gazal is the leading region in the South.Therefore, we are not supposed to start demonistration in Bahr el Gazal,lets leave it to those who are greedy of power in the rest of the regions within the South like UPER NILE and Equatoria.
Makjohnson
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
Getting leadership with Kiir is not that showing people of BEGZL as peaceful since it is the first time in the history of the country for the people of your region to lead South. You cannot recite the Greater Upper Nile as its people are greedy of power if not the mess brought to them by the poor leadership of your simpleton. We are not power loving
Makjohnson
Dinka Dominated SPLA
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
dear Makjohnson what make you talk like this? dose it meant that if Garang lead the movement for so long that it is because we don’t have another good leaders? please stop being provocative brother. please lat us just live in peace
Mapuor
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
Good.We need peace not war in the South.Greater Bhar el gazal suffered alot during the war,when other two regions capitulated.Those regions dont know how the bush life is.They think that its like honeymoon.Seven days in the bush at initial stages is like seven centuries.
gais juvan
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
Dear Mayen,
You seem to be greedy Bahr el Gazal, Greedy person identifies greedy person. You are pointing finger to Upper nile and equationians, that is baseless. what is the prove??? Do not be proud of rotten current position holdings in Goss/RoSS, and when challanged then you think is people are power greedy.
Shame on you and revised you low litmeint thinking.
Juvan.
Equatorian observer
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
You are right brother for rebuking that false claim about Greater Bahr el Ghazal region. Greater Upper Nile region is the richest followed by our Greater Equatoria region while Greater Bahr el Ghazal is the poorest and the land of most consumers, but not producers. Their state governments machinery are being run through others resources and their populations are being fed by the two other regions as indicated in their budgets.
tiger
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
Mr. Equatorian observer or whatever name u call yourself, names alone can show your tribalistic behaviours and i don’t know why people always talk about our leaders instead of youth as new generation improving themselves and become one strong nation in the future. our leaders who are leading us now were running two things
1. war
2. education
this one shows they were serving two masters at ago. so we can not blame them of inexperience and disqualifications. all youth across ten state of South Sudan currently are failures because they are the one igniting insecurity in ten state. if we are educated and civilised, why do we always think about, fighting, insulting and doing all other inconviniencies to one another. all of us know very well how to abuse and insult but Sudan tribune didn’t whish commentators webs conflict, but views and opinions which are productive and lead to development of our nation.
According to my observation, and even seeing from other comments, some are primarian which means they are not fully educated and it is said that, ‘half litracy is a disease’ that is why they always switches to abuses instaed of commenting good things.
thanks to brothers who always gives Sudan tribune productive comments which they in turn use to correct our nation
Jurdit Mayen
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
@juvan
You are stupid enough to tell me the prove,what of that one of your absence minded man Dr Riak(destroyer)is doing in Juba.
He try several times to overthrown Salva Kiir but he failed because God knows what he did during the war.
Brutal leader like Riak( destroyed) can not rule this Country in our presence,unless you rule in our absenc.
The remaining chance belong to greater Equatoria. Sorry to include you before, i was meaning Upper nile alone.
God may punish those dignities who are looking for power in a wrong way like destroyer(Riak)and other people whom their names meaning ANUS in Upper nile.
Jurdit Mayen
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
@Tiger
Brother, i completely agree with you because some people comment as if they come from the cattle camp where the cows are raided.
They should comments like educated people instead of using insult or abusive comments.
I appreciate your comments,is really focusing on what we suppose to do as commentators of this web.
Thanks for that.
For those who insulted people, stop it from today on ward.
Equatorian observer
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
Take it easy my guys. Telling the truth about your region’s poor economic status in the South is not an insult at all. Or do you want the official survey to prove it for you? Read the book released by the census chairman isaiah chol aruai and confirm your poor status. And by the way, you started the comments boasting about your region. What is wrong when I respond to it and tell the scientific truth about you being the consumers and not producers?
outspoken
Views in Wau, South Sudan: we must make strive for our own peace
MR Equatoria observer
we are all consumers in south sudan you know all the merchandise,product are all imported from east africa the only thing we produce here in equatoria is beverages in juba town .you and i know that, and if we speak about farms/agriculture even the great equatoria won’t feed it self, they still poor in farming and also there are areas devastated by LRA so let me remind you the whole south is a consumer. south sudan still a baby nation and can’t feed it self yet but it will in a long run. thank