Unity with fairness and justice for all

By Jacob K. Lupai

May 11, 2011 — This article is in response to an article, The New Nation and the Encouragement of Tribalism, by one William Sunday D Tor. The article appeared in the Citizen newspaper of Sunday May 8, 2011. William Sunday D Tor was responding to my earlier article, The New Nation, which had appeared in the Citizen newspaper of Monday May 2, 2011. Incidentally the article, The New Nation, was reprinted by the Citizen on the back page on the very day William Sunday D Tor was responding.

In his response William Sunday D Tor imagines that I am divisive and worries unnecessarily about a repeat of the Rwanda genocide in South Sudan. In his imagination William Sunday D Tor assumes I am inciting ethnic violence.

First of all I would like to make it clear that I do not discuss personalities but issues. I agree that journalists and writers for that matter should work for unity and peace among our people. However, this does not mean that those journalists and writers should turn a blind eye to injustice. When injustice is not nipped in the bud time will only tell how unity and peace among people may not be jeopardized.

Indeed in power sharing the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) is clear where power was distributed 70 per cent to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), 15 to the National Congress Party (NCP) and the rest to the other southern political parties. However, was that a warrant for one ethnic group to dominate? Let’s work for unity with fairness and justice for all but not for unity with greed that will only breed antagonism.

William Sunday D Tor’s conclusion that there were people who sacrificed more than others and so that should be reflected in power sharing is grossly erroneous and misleading to say the least. If William Sunday D Tor and the likes of him did not know they should now know that all ethnic groups regardless of region of origin sacrificed and suffered in the liberation war. There is no such thing that the fruit of liberation war should be shared proportionally according to assumptions of who contributed the most to the liberation effort. This could only be reflected in looting of resources and land grabbing when laws are disregarded.

South Sudanese should all know that a liberation war is fought for justice, equality and democracy. During the liberation war major battles were fought with the active participation of our brave men and women across ethnic and regional divide. It is therefore naivety of first order for others to think they are the liberators hence the lion’s share of the fruit of the liberation war is their god-given right. William Sunday D Tor should at least try to know who the most were crossing to the Jallaba in the heat of battle.

The fear of a federal system of governance which is turning into paranoia is nothing but a way of jealously guarding that imagined but flaw god-given right. At least the likes of William Sunday D Tor are to some extent positive about a federal system. To quote William Sunday D Tor, “Federalism is one of decentralization elements, where powers are shared between the central government and the states and where the central government could delegate and devolve some of its powers to states and counties, such that, the citizens could participate effectively in decision making of their country for better delivering of services”. Thump up William Sunday D Tor for this open bold acknowledgement of the advantage of federalism.

People who advocate a federal system precisely understand it the way it is quoted above. However, those with a hidden agenda are vehemently opposed to a federal system with the belief that they would lose their assumed god-given position of hegemony. What these reactionaries do not understand is that the Jallaba tried all the tricks they could master but failed miserably to realize the dream of dominating in the South. The South has already separated from the North precisely because of the same type of reactionaries who want to wear the shoes of the Jallaba in modern day South Sudan.

In conclusion, I would like to assure William Sunday D Tor that I am not tribalistic and so I am not divisive. As a writer I am conscious of my responsibility as an ambassador of my country at all times. I want a unity that is broad based on a solid ground and that is of course unity with fairness and justice for all. I would describe myself as a democrat and stand for the common interest of all. I do not believe in class division where some assume a god-given right to lord over others. Above all I am a development practitioner and would like to see development taking place in all our counties in delivering basic services. A federal system will be helpful in our endeavours for equitable development in promoting unity and peace among our people. Centralisation in the name of imposed unity is a sure way of instability and worse of dividing people and breaking up the country. Those who equate federalism with tribalism are clearly enemies of development and unity. All democrats, progressives and revolutionaries should unite for a better future for all. As a New Nation we should be scientific and forward looking for prosperity for all in the Republic of South Sudan where the vision is unity with fairness and justice for all.

The author can be reached at [email protected]